Ten Months of Terror the Campaign That Ended the Civil War
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TEN MONTHS OF TERROR The Campaign That Ended The Civil War Chesterfield County • Colonial heights • dinwiddie County hopewell • petersburg • prinCe george County Virginia www.petersburgarea.org For 292 days in 1864 and 1865 some 125,000 visitors descended on the Petersburg Region. These guests arrived on foot and horse- 1861 and the spring of 1864, suffering back, in wagons, and onboard steamers, with runaway inflation and a crippling dressed in military uniforms of blue, gray, shortage of the necessities of life. But and butternut. They came in May of that year, a Union army from Texas and Maine; from landed at City Point (now a part of Illinois and Florida; and Hopewell) and Bermuda Hundred they made a mess. (in Chesterfield County), triggering a series of battles known as the One hundred and fifty Bermuda Hundred campaign. A years later, the impact of month later their visit still resonates the largest throughout the Petersburg armies in Virginia, Region both physically and commanded by psychologically. The Civil War Robert E. Lee and is inescapable in our corner Ulysses S. Grant, of Virginia and today’s began a contest Petersburg Region’s travelers are invited to for control of battlefields, museums, share with us a heritage Petersburg that and historic homes. that helps define us all as would extend Contemporary visitors Americans today. from mid-June can explore the scenes 1864 through of Petersburg’s most In 1861, Petersburg was April 2, 1865. important battles, such the second largest city in When Petersburg surrendered to as the Crater, Fort Stedman, and Five Virginia and the seventh largest Union forces the following day, war’s end Forks, at Petersburg National Battlefield. in the entire Confederacy (Hopewell and at Appomattox Court House was but six This sprawling unit of the National Colonial Heights are products of the 20th days away. Park system century and were a part of Prince George includes Grant’s and Chesterfield counties, respectively). The legacy of that Headquarters at The “Cockade City’s” industrial prowess, tragic chapter City Point where its location at the head of navigation of American travelers can learn on the Appomattox River, and, most history—events the fascinating importantly, its five railroads that radiated that cost more back story of in all directions of the compass made it a than 70,000 the remarkable point of enormous military significance casualties and logistical effort during the Civil War. untold misery required to for soldiers and Petersburg’s citizens lived on the uneasy sustain military civilians alike— margins of the shooting war between operations. lives today in the Pamplin Historical Park and the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier preserves the site of the campaign’s climactic engagement, known as The Breakthrough, that forced General Lee to evacuate Richmond and Petersburg on April 2. Much of the rest of the military story at Petersburg can be found by exploring the landscape in Dinwiddie County, where a self-guided driving tour leads motorists to pristine scenes of heroism, courage, and carnage. The Civil War is “felt history.” In addition to the museums and visitor strategic Cemetery Hill, Blandford Church centers at Petersburg National Battlefield is perhaps the most beautiful memorial to and Pamplin Historical Park, today’s the Confederacy anywhere in the world guests to the Petersburg Region with its Tiffany stained glass windows can learn about the hardships overlooking a landscaped endured by Petersburg’s graveyard filled with the citizens, black and white, Confederate dead. In a quieter at the Siege Museum in corner of the region, Poplar Old Towne Petersburg. Grove National Cemetery in Walking tours of this Dinwiddie County provides historic city lead past a the final resting place for remarkable collection thousands of Northern of commercial and soldiers who gave their lives residential buildings for the cause of freedom that played crucial and liberty. roles in the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln Visitors are fond of joking visited City Point twice that we in the South are still during the Petersburg fighting the Civil War! Of Campaign and course, such observations walked the streets of are more apparent than real Petersburg in early April, but we DO deeply remember passing buildings that that conflict of 150 years ago still stand witness to the that so defined our corner of President’s presence. Virginia and the nation. We Across the Appomattox treasure our Civil War past River, General Lee’s and have lovingly preserved headquarters at Violet large portions of it to share Bank in Colonial Heights with guests from around the offers insights into the Confederate world. When you visit our historic sites commander’s life on the front lines. you, too, will understand why in the Petersburg Region, the Civil War is There is no better place to experience “felt history.” how Petersburg citizens of the post Civil A. Wilson Greene War generation remembered the conflict Executive Director than at Blandford Church. Sitting atop Pamplin Historical Park A. Wilson Greene is the founding executive director of Pamplin Historical Park and the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier. He holds degrees in American history from Florida State University and Louisiana State University. Greene’s public history career spans 41 years and includes work with the National Park Service, Civil War battlefield preservation, and historic site administration. He is the author of six books and more than thirty essays and articles dealing with Southern and Civil War history. Visit www.PetersburgArea.org 1 To Charlottesville 150 95 295 288 195 156 195 To Williamsburg and Virginia Beach 76 Chestereld 28 Sycamore Richmond Towne Center Richmond 64 Square International 60 MIDLOTHIAN 1 Airport John Tyler Community Mid-Lothian In Hopewell, Visit College Mines 76 Appomattox PlantationHenrico 95 5 895 at City Point 25 County Beacon Theatre 60 360 City Point National Cemetery 288 150 67 City Point Open Air Museum Rockwood 22 Grant’s Headquarters Golf Park Falling Creek Ft. Darling Rd. Ironworks Park at City Point Chestereld Drewry’s Blu County Airport St. Dennis Chapel Charles City Fort Stevens Bellwood Rd. Henricus Weston5 Plantation 106 64 Historical County Park Old Stage Rd. Chestereld Pocahontas 288 State Park CHESTERFIELD 62 Dutch Gap 603 Chestereld Conservation Area Metro County County Museum Magnolia Richmond 655 Castlewood Bermuda Battery Dantzler To Williamsburg Zoo Grange 61 Triangle Rd. 655 10 CHESTER 15 WINTERPOCK Fort Ironbridge John Tyler Wead Sports Park 5 621 Community 10 Grant's Headquarters/ 626 College Bermuda Appomattox Plantation 654 Parker’s Orchard Ln. 602 Battery at City Point 144 106 James River 58 Point Weston In Colonial Heights, Visit 156 WALTHALL of Rocks Plantation 621 Fort Clifton Hopewell 156 Upper Brandon Eppington Old Brick House 10 Fort 36 Swift Creek Mill Theatre Colonial Heights Merchant’s Hope Church Violet Bank Museum Lee Hopewell–Prince George 620 Southpark Visitor Center 641 Keystone 9 106 54 Mall 156 641 Tractor Works Swaders 600 Petersburg U.S. Army Women’s Museum Visitor Center 53 Lee U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum Amelia Playhouse To Jamestown MATOACA 36 Scotland Ferry County Petersburg 106 609 623 36 52 National Battleeld 51 Prince George County 10 BURROWSVILLE Appomattox 600 River 50 Regional Heritage Center 708 85 295 Fork Inn 63 65 Prince George Banks Petersburg 48 3 SUTHERLAND Dinwiddie 61 House NEW BOHEMIA County Airport County 47 Pamplin Flank Rd. 156 Virginia Johnson Motorsports Historical Park and The National Richard 46 To Appomattox 460 627 Park Bland and Roanoke Five Forks Museum of the Poplar Rd. In Peterburg, Visit Battleeld 613 Civil War Soldier Grove College Surry National 45 Appomattox RiverTo & Norfolk and College Virginia Beach County 675 Cemetery Heritage Trail Rd. BatterseaDISPUTANTA 613 156 1 301 Blandford Church & Cemetery Centre Hill Museum Farmers Market 613 627 670 First Baptist Church 41 Old Towne DINWIDDIE 53 460 Dinwiddie Peter Jones Trading Station Dinwiddie County Courthouse 95 Petersburg Courthouse County 703 Pocahontas Island Museum 85 35 Siege Museum 40 CARSON SouthSussex Side Depot 37 1 619 Petersburg Visitor County Washington, DC Center at Carson 66 670 81 Visitor Center Lucky Lake Gem 623 & Mineral Mine Fredericksburg Airport Charlottesville 40 95 Exit Number MCKENNEY 64 64 Richmond 295 Williamsburg Visitor Center Roanoke Petersburg Region 64 Airport 77 40 85 95 Virginia Beach 301 Exit Number 2Visit www.PetersburgArea.org Chesterfield County • Colonial for heights special • d inwiddieevents County • hopewell • petersburg • prinCe george County3 Table ofContents History 4 Sports & Recreation 26 Petersburg National Battlefield 4 Virginia Motorsports Park 26 Bermuda Hundred Campaign 6 Metro Richmond Zoo 26 Pamplin Historical Park 8 Pocahontas State Park 27 Blandford Church & Cemetery 10 Appomattox River & Heritage Trail 27 Centre Hill Museum 11 Keystone Tractor Museum 28 Siege Museum 11 Lucky Lake Gem & Mineral Mine 28 Petersburg Courthouse 12 Swader’s Sports Park 28 Farmers Bank 12 Ironbridge Sports Park 28 South Side Depot 12 Rockwood Golf Park 28 Farmers Market 12 Golf Courses 29 Violet Bank 13 Petersburg Generals 30 Fort Clifton 13 Equestrian 30 Henricus Historical Park 14 Marinas & Boat Launches 30 Prince George County Regional 16 Heritage Center Arts & Entertainment 31 Merchant’s Hope Church 16 Beacon Theatre 31 Weston Plantation 17 Swift Creek Mill Theatre 31 St. Dennis Chapel 17 Lee Playhouse 32 City Point National Cemetery 18 Petersburg Area Art League 32 Fork Inn 18 Shopping 32 Dinwiddie Courthouse 18 Southpark Mall 32 Mid-Lothian Mines 19 Chesterfield Towne Center 32 Falling Creek Ironworks 19 Old Towne Petersburg 32 Chesterfield County Museum 19 Sycamore Square 32 & Old Jail Antiques & More 33 Magnolia Grange 20 Eppington 20 Accommodations 35 Battersea 20 Hotels 35 Peter Jones Trading Station 21 Bed & Breakfasts 36 Old Brick House 21 Campgrounds 36 Upper Brandon 21 City Point Open Air Museum 21 Dining 37 U.