Spectacle of Appalling Grandeur: Artillery Use at Petersburg

Join the Petersburg National Battlefield and Petersburg Battlefields Foundation for their third annual sunset tour! This free and family-friendly event will discuss key events during the Petersburg Campaign. Cannons and mortars were used extensively throughout the Siege of Petersburg. Learn the tactics, see how they were fired, and understand why they were so terrifying. The program will start at the Eastern Front Visitor Center at 6:00 pm, and the types of artillery will be discussed. Then, we will caravan down to stop 3 on the Eastern Front to see a cannon demonstration. The next stop will be stop 5 and a discussion about the use of artillery at Fort Stedman. Lastly, we will go to stop 7 to discuss its role during the Battle of the Crater. Programs are 60-90 minutes and require a small amount of walking. Drinking water and comfortable shoes are recommended. All programs are subject to change. Changes or cancellations will be announced on Petersburg National Battlefield’s Facebook page (@PetersburgNPS). For more information or to determine the status of the programs, please call (804) 732-3531 ext. 201 or e-mail Ranger Eric Schreiner at Eric_Schreiner@nps.gov.