Near Petersburg in Dinwiddie County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Siege of Petersburg—Grant's Eighth Offensive

April 2-3, 1865 Fall of Petersburg and Richmond

Seige of Petersburg-Grant's Eighth Offensive Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, October 18, 2014

1. Seige of Petersburg-Grant's Eighth Offensive Marker

Inscription. With the Confederate defeat at Five Forks on April 1, 1865, Confederate general Robert E. Lee's defense of Petersburg and Richmond had been lost. On April 2, Union General Ulysses S. Grant ordered a general assault against the Petersburg lines and broke through Lee's Defenses west of the city. Only a stand by Confederate troops here at Fort Gregg prevented Union forces from entering the city that night. After dark, Lee ordered the evacuation of Petersburg and Richmond. Though Grant captured the capital of the Confederacy on April 3, he would not rest until Lee's army had surrendered.

Erected by Petersburg National Battlefield.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is April 1, 1865.

Location. 37° 11.885′ N, 77° 27.242′ W. Marker is near Petersburg, Virginia, in Dinwiddie County. It is on 7th Avenue 0.1 miles north of Simpson Road (Virginia Route 142), on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Petersburg VA 23803, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Piedmont,

in Southside Virginia,

and specifically in Central Virginia.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Fort Gregg (approx. 0.2 miles away); Confederate Fort Gregg (approx. 0.2 miles away); Central State Hospital Cemetery (approx. ¼

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mile away); The Battle of Fort Whitworth (approx. 0.3 miles away); Confederate Fort Whitworth (approx. 0.6 miles away); Rohoic Dam (approx. 0.6 miles away); After the Breakthrough: April 2, 1865 (approx. ¾ mile away); The Civil War Years (approx. ¾ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Petersburg.

Also see . . . Petersburg National Battlefield. National Park Service (Submitted on October 19, 2014.)

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, October 18, 2014

2. Seige of Petersburg-Grant's Eighth Offensive Marker

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, October 18, 2014

3. Fort Gregg

Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 18, 2014, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,078 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 18, 2014, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.