Places: Petersburg National Battlefield

Petersburg National Battlefield

At Petersburg, Virginia, just 23 miles south of Richmond, Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's 10-month siege from June 15, 1864 to April 2, 1865 considerably weakened General Robert E. Lee's already weary Confederate army. A week after the siege finally ended, Lee and Grant met at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, to bring the war to a close.

Petersburg National Battlefield was established on July 3, 1926.

		The Crater On July 30, 1864, Union troops blew up four tons of black powder in a mine beneath Confederate lines, in a failed plan to destroy them. More than 5000 casualties resulted; many of them being Union ones. Following this explosion, a crater 170 feet long, 60 to 80 feet wide, and 30 feet deep was created.

Battery 5

This photo shows Battery 5 positioned along the original Confederate defense line (Dimmock Line).

Photos by CNO

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