BAREFOOT BEACHCOMBING

Today I decided to drive to Petersburg, Virginia (about 2 hours away) to hike through the woods but to also check out the historical sites.

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This 2,700 acre park contains four units of Petersburg National Battlefield: General Grant's Headquarters at City Point (present day Hopewell), Virginia; The Eastern Front (where the initial assaults and the Battles of the Crater and Fort Stedman occurred); the Western Front, where intense fighting continued as Grant's Army encircled the city struggling to destroy the last of Lee's supply lines; and the Five Forks Battlefield, a battle in which the outcome would eventually lead to the Confederates' retreat to Appomattox.

 

The Siege at Petersburg was the longest military event of the Civil War.

I started at the Eastern Front Visitor Center where they have exhibits the 292 day event that occurred in and around Petersburg. The fighting was intense and life was miserable for soldiers living in trenches. I then continued down the park's four mile tour road where there are interpretations of where soldiers, including Native Americans, Blacks, and Whites, all fought for the fate of their nation.

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There's a really cool virtual reality video that has been produced by the American Battlefield Trust showing what life was like in the trenches. I have embedded it below. You can pan around in the video and see a 360 degree view.

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Along the tour road are the remnants of several earthworks from the battles along with the remnants of some fortifications. There also is an extensive reconstruction of one of the confederate batteries.

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Near the end of the tour road is a site called "The Crater". It is a large crater that was the result of the Union forces digging a mine shaft under the Confederate battle line and filling it with explosives and blowing it up. Unfortunately, Union forces ended up in the area (instead of going around it) and the battle ended up being a debacle for the Union forces instead of the triumph they were expecting. The depression for the explosion still exists on the site.

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I also hiked through the trails that weave through the woods in the park. Even if history isn't your things, there is lots of nature to be seen on the 10 miles of trails that wind along creeks and through the forest.

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I also visited City Point in Hopewell (just to the east of Petersburg). At the conclusion of the Overland Campaign against the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by General Robert E. Lee, the Army of the Potomac laid siege to the city of Petersburg, Virginia. It was at that time that General Ulysses S. Grant decided to make his headquarters at the port town of City Point.

Situated at the confluence of the Appomattox and James Rivers, the Appomattox manor, owned by the family of Dr. Richard Eppes, was conveniently located near the landing at City Point. General Grant, who was in command of all Union armies, made his headquarters on the lawn of the estate, where a number of (really small) cabins were built to accommodate the general and his staff.

Over the course of his stay at City Point, Grant hosted a number of visiting dignitaries, including Secretary of State William Seward, Vice President Andrew Johnson, and even President Abraham Lincoln.

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After the war, the Grant's cabin was moved to Philadelphia, where is remained on display for 116 years. In 1981, the National Park Service returned the cabin to City Point and reassembled it on its original site. About 10 percent of the structure is original.
 

It was a cold but sunny all day, and I saw some really interesting stuff that I had no idea existed. I'll have to come back in the future and check out the stuff on the western side.