VIRGINIA CIVIL WAR TRAILS How to Use this Map-Guide The main part of this guide suggests a driving tour that follows the roads and describes the events associated with the first serious campaign against the Confederate capital in Richmond. Follow the “Blue Line” tour that highlights some of the best known events in American history such as the “Battle of the Ironclads” in Hampton Roads. Travel Travelers enjoy one of the colorful, the roads the soldiers interpretive markers along the trail. used as they marched ever-so-slowly toward Richmond over the swampy ground of the Virginia Peninsula. Visit the battlefields in Newport News and Williamsburg and end the campaign in the suburbs of Richmond, where new Confederate commander Robert E. Lee turned back the Union threat. Visit the fine museums and historic houses along the way, including Lee Hall, the tour headquarters, and the Mariners’ Museum, now conserving parts of the famous ironclad, the USS Monitor. Tour north or south of the James River through Gloucester, Smithfield, Suffolk, Chesapeake and Franklin. Discover Old Towne Portsmouth and near-forgotten Civil War sites in Norfolk. For more detailed travel information, stop by any Virginia Welcome Center or local/regional visitor center or contact any of the attractions or visitor bureaus listed in this guide. For additional Civil War Trails information, visit www.CivilWarTrails.org. For more Virginia travel information, see www.Virginia.org. Cover sketch Courtesy of Virginia War Museum Follow these signs to more than 1,500 Civil War sites. “The Sinking of the ‘Cumberland’ by the Iron Clad ‘Merrimac’ off Newport News, Va. March 8, 1862. The “Cumberland” went down with all her Flags flying: – destroyed but not conquered – Her gallant Commander Lieut. Morris calling to his crew ‘Give them a Broadside boys, as she goes.’” 95 Beaver Dam Chickahominy Creek Gaines’ Bluffs Mill Eltham’s Savage’s Landing Station RICHMOND New Kent Seven Pines Court House 64 White Oak Swamp Drewry’s Glendale Bluff 1Malvern Hill 2 295 Harrison’s Landing Quarterpath Road WILLIAMSBURG Redoubt 12 Fort Magruder 95 HOPEWELL Wren Building Endview Gloucester Point Williamsburg Line Yorktown Waterfront Lebanon Church 85 Lee Hall Yorktown PETERSBURG Skiffes Creek Battle of Dam No. 1 Battle of Lee’s Mill Warwick Court House Young’s Mill NEWPORT Causey’s Mill NEWS HAMPTON Fort Boykin The Mariners’ Fort Monroe Museum Fort Wool Congress & Cumberland Overlook Monitor-Merrimack Overlook St. Luke’s Church HAMPTON 64 ROADS VIRGINIA NORFOLK BEACH PORTSMOUTH Gosport 3 4 664 Navy Yard 5 COURTLAND FRANKLIN SUFFOLK Peninsula Campaign Driving Route Seven Days Battles Driving Route Alternate Peninsula Campaign Driving Route 1862 Peninsula Campaign Site Other Civil War Trails Site National, State or County Park Information or Welcome Center H MARCH UP THE PENINSULA H H Fort Monroe – Largest moat encircled masonry H Endview – This 1760 house served as a Confederate and fortification in America and an important Union base for Union hospital. campaigns throughout the Civil War. H Lebanon Church – This 1859 church served as a H Fort Wool – The companion fortification to Fort Monroe. Confederate courier station and temporary headquarters The fort was used in operations against Confederate-held for U.S. Gen. W.F. Smith. Norfolk in 1861-1862. H Gloucester Point – Companion batteries to those at H Hampton – Confederates burned this port town to block Yorktown, these defenses helped block the York River to its use by the Federals on August 7, 1861. McClellan’s use during the Peninsula Campaign. • St. John’s Church – This church is the only surviving H Yorktown – A major link in Magruder’s 2nd Peninsula building from the 1861 burning of Hampton. Defensive Line and the focus of Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan’s siege April 5-May 3, 1862. • Big Bethel – This June 10, 1861, engagement was the first land battle of the Civil War. H Yorktown Waterfront – Once the Confederates abandoned H Monitor-Merrimack Overlook – Scene of the March 9, Yorktown it became a busy Union port. 1862, Battle of the Ironclads. H Redoubt 12 – Part of Magruder’s Williamsburg Line. H Congress and Cumberland Overlook – Scene of the March H Fort Magruder – The center of the Williamsburg (3rd) 8, 1862, sinking of the USS Cumberland and USS Congress Defensive Line and the scene of fierce fighting during the by the ironclad CSS Virginia (Merrimack). Battle of Williamsburg. H St. Luke’s Church – Built in 1632, the church was a H Williamsburg Line – These redoubts supported the Confederate campground. defense of Fort Magruder as well as repelling Union H Fort Boykin – This star fort was the southside anchor of attacks against the Confederate right during the May 5, the Warwick-Yorktown Line. 1862, Battle of Williamsburg. H Causey’s Mill – 1866 grist mill is located near the site of H Quarterpath Road – J.E.B. Stuart used this historic road the April 4, 1862 skirmish. trace while acting as a rear guard for the retreating Confederate army. H Young’s Mill – The earthworks located near this 1820 tide mill were part of Magruder’s defenses. H Wren Building – Confederate troops under Brig. Gen. Jubal Early encamped here prior to the May 5, 1862, H Warwick Court House – Built in 1810, it served as IV Corps Battle of Williamsburg. Commander Brig. Gen. Erasmus D. Keyes’ headquarters. The gas balloon, Constitution, was deployed at this site. • Jamestown Island – Fortified by Confederates in 1861 to defend the James River approach to Richmond. H Battle of Lee’s Mill – These fortifications were the scene of the April 5, 1862, engagement which prompted Maj. H New Kent Court House – Confederate and Union troops Gen. George B. McClellan to besiege Magruder’s Warwick- passed through here en route to Richmond. Yorktown Line. H Drewry’s Bluff – Confederate batteries above the James H Skiffes Creek – This redoubt is part of the Skiffes Creek River repulse Union gun boats, including the Monitor, on Line, built to defend Magruder’s Mulberry Island-James May 15, 1862. River flank. H Seven Pines – Scene of Joe Johnston’s attack against H Lee Hall – This antebellum mansion was used as a McClellan’s army on May 31, 1862. headquarters building by Confederate generals John • Dabbs House – Lee’s first headquarters (June 1862) as Bankhead Magruder and Joseph E. Johnston. commander of the Army of Northern Virginia. H Battle of Dam No. 1 – This April 16, 1862, engagement was McClellan’s only effort to break Magruder’s defenses. Courtesy of Casemate Museum “Bird’s Eye View of Fortress Monroe” H SEVEN DAYS BATTLES H H Chickahominy Bluffs – Served as jumping off point for H White Oak Swamp – “Stonewall” Jackson met strong Confederate advance into Mechanicsville. Union resistance here and failed to support Confederate H Beaver Dam Creek – On June 26, 1862, the Confederate attacks at Glendale. army unsuccessfully attacked the Union forces at H Glendale – At this crossroads on June 30, 1862, Lee’s Ellerson’s Mill on Beaver Dam Creek. greatest attempt to destroy McClellan’s army ended in H Gaines’ Mill – The largest of the Seven Days Battles, failure. the Confederate forces struck Union troops under the H Malvern Hill – This July 1, 1862, engagement was the last command of Brig. Gen. Fitz-John Porter. of the Seven Days Battles. H Savage’s Station – This June 29, 1862, engagement was H Harrison’s Landing (Berkeley Plantation) – The Peninsula part of the Seven Days Battles. Campaign came to an end when McClellan’s army arrived at this position on the James River. H RELATED TIDEWATER SITES H • Newport News POW Camp – Monument honors • Dismal Swamp Canal – The oldest operating artificial Confederate prisoners who died in the nearby Union POW waterway in America, it provided access between the Camp at Camp Butler, April-July 1865. Chesapeake Bay and the North Carolina Sounds. H Gosport Navy Yard – The oldest U.S. Naval shipyard, • Village of Deep Creek – An important commercial center it was here that the ironclad CSS Virginia (Merrimack) on the Great Dismal Swamp Canal. was created. • Village of Great Bridge – A strategic crossing of the • Portsmouth Naval Hospital – Used by Confederate and Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal. Union armies, 1861-1865. • Pleasant Grove Baptist Church Cemetery – A monument • Portsmouth’s Olde Towne Historic District – to the “Jackson Grays,” honors the regiment that was Revolutionary and Civil War homes can be found in this formed on the churchyard by Colonel William H. Stewart. one-square-mile historic district. • Glencoe – Home of Lt. William Wallace, of the • Battle of Smithfield – Confederates repulse the Union “Jackson Grays.” advance on January 31 and February 1, 1864, destroying • Piney Grove – Farmstead depicting domestic life during the Union gunboat, USS Smith-Briggs. the war. Fort Norfolk – Occupied by both Confederate and Union • • Gabriel Chapel & Cuffeytown Cemetery – African forces during the Civil War. American church with graves of thirteen U.S. Colored • Riddick’s Folly – This 1837 Greek Revival home was Troops who fought in Tidewater, Va. occupied by Maj. Gen. J.J. Peck as his headquarters • Mahone Tavern – CS Gen. William Mahone’s childhood during the 1863 Suffolk Siege. home. Siege of Suffolk – Lt. Gen. James Longstreet besieged Maj. • • Blackwater Line – Strategic defense-line securing Gen. J.J. Peck’s 25,000 strong Union force in Suffolk from supplies for Confederate Army. April 11-May 4, 1863. Courtesy of Virginia War Museum “Encampment of U.S. Troops at Newport News, Virginia” ) Map R R 1 c a 95 360 R m 1 o A t HANOVER o P P 301 P & 2 Enon Church A g H r 606 k A u e b Yellow Tavern e r N s C (J.E.B. Stuart y k Tot opotomo N c 295 Monument) P i 643 O r A C e M K d Polegreen Church 627 e 606 R r 627 U I F 628 606 N 30 V E , K R d E Bethesda Y o n Church R I m Meadow 615 632 V E h R c Bridge i Cold Harbor R 156 ( Old Cold Harbor e r R R Chickahominy i v ) Beaver Crossroads R Bluffs k White Dam Cold Harbor o r 1 Creek Y House 301 156 Hanover Park & 360 Gaines’ n d 606 195 Mill o Tunstall Dabbs h m Station Dispatch i c House Station 33 156 613 (R Eltham’s 161 609 Landing MEADOW 249 New Kent RD.