Civil War

Gallery

Petersburg 1864

Check out our collection of photos from the early phases of the Petersburg campaign.

(22 photos in gallery)

2012 Target Property at Petersburg

Douglas Ullman, Jr.

Located across the tracks from the National Park Service property, the Civil War Trust's 81-acre 2012 target property on Blandford Hill figured prominently in three of the Petersburg Campaign's key battles.

Earthworks on Blandford Hill

Douglas Ullman, Jr.

These works on the Trust's 2012 target property were an extension of Gracie's Salient, which is preserved on the adjacent National Park Service property.

Blandford Hill

Douglas Ullman, Jr.

In addition to being battleground for two of the Petersburg campaign's other key engagements, The Trust's 2012 target property on Blandford Hill saw heavy action during the July 30, 1864 Battle of the Crater.

Norfolk & Petersburg Railroad

Douglas Ullman, Jr.

The Crater Battlefield is bisected by the Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad, which did not exist during the Civil War. The site of tracks of the modern Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad--which did not exist during the Civil War--was a railroad cut at the time of the Civil War and figured prominently in the action on land saved by the Trust in 2012.

The Cockade City

Library of Congress

This historic photograph of Petersburg, with its spires rising against the horizon, depicts the city as it appeared during the 10-month siege.

Battery 5

Rob Shenk

United States Colored Troops from William "Baldy" Smith's corps captured this work during their June 15, 1864 assault on Petersburg.

Old Blandford Church

Library of Congress

With the rise of the Episcopal Church in the South, the Anglican Blandford Church was abandoned and had fallen into to disrepair by the time of the Civil War.

Blandford Church

Rob Shenk

This brick church, which was abandoned during the Civil War years, sat atop Wells Hill, the target of several of the Union Army's early attempts to capture Petersburg. After the war, the church was restored and became a memorial for Confederate soldiers that died in defense of the Cockade City.

Blandford Cemetery Arch

Rob Shenk

This arch stands over the graves in Blandford Cemetery, the final resting place of roughly 30,000 Confederates who fought during the Petersburg campaign.

Earthworks & Obstacles

Library of Congress

In the summer of 1864 both Union and Confederate armies constructed these elaborate earthworks, with extensive obstacles to deter and retard any infantry attack, all along the Petersburg front.

Bombproof Shelter

Library of Congress

During the course of the campaign, Union and Confederate troops devised a number of various shelters to protect them from the constant shelling they endured in the trenches. This bombproof shelter was erected at Union Fort Sedgwick, otherwise known as Fort Hell.

The Dictator

Library of Congress

With this 13-inch mortar the Federals could lob 218-pound shells up to 4,200 yards away. Despite these impressive statistics, the evidence suggests that the Dictator did far less damage than its mighty name suggests.

The Dictator Today

Rob Shenk

Visitors to the Petersburg National Battlefield can still see the original site of the Dictator and marvel at its impressive size.

Grant's Headquarters

Rob Shenk

General Ulysses S. Grant used this roughly-hewn cabin at City Point as his headquarters for most of the Petersburg campaign.

Grant's Staff at City Point

Library of Congress

General Grant's staff poses outside the cabin at City Point.

The Wharf at City Point

Library of Congress

City Point was the supply hub for all Union forces at Petersburg, receiving and distributing tons of supplies to the troops surrounding the city.

Petersburg Court House

Library of Congress

By the 1860s, this Greek Revival structure was a symbol of Petersburg's status as one of the largest and most affluent cities in the South.

The Siege Museum

Rob Shenk

This 1839 farmers' exchange building is now home to a museum which tells the story of life in Petersburg during the extensive siege.

Pontoon Bridges Over the Appomattox

Library of Congress

Federal pontoon bridges span across the Appomattox River near Petersburg.

Old Town Petersburg

Rob Shenk

Petersburg's historic district still retains much of its wartime character--so much so that it was used as the setting in Steven Spielberg's film "Lincoln".

Rifles on Bollingbrook Street

Library of Congress

Stacked arms line Bollingbrook Street in downtown Petersburg shortly after Confederate forces evacuated the city.

Dead in the Trenches

Library of Congress

Following the Union Army's successful breakthrough on April 2, 1865, photographers descended upon the scene of carnage and captured some of the war's most graphic images of dead Americans.