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Petersburg National Battlefield is a National Park Service unit preserving sites related to the American Civil War Siege of Petersburg (1864–65). The battlefield is near the city of Petersburg, Virginia, and includes outlying components in Hopewell, Prince George County, and Dinwiddie County. Over 140,000 people visit the park annually.

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Petersburg National Battlefield
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Restored entrance to the mine destroyed in the Battle of the Crater
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Map showing the location of Petersburg National Battlefield
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Map showing the location of Petersburg National Battlefield
LocationSoutheast Virginia, United States
Nearest cityPetersburg, Virginia
Coordinates37°13′10″N 77°21′41″W
Area9,368 acres (37.91 km2)[1]
EstablishedJuly 3, 1926 (1926-July-03)[2]
Visitors213,261 (in 2011)[3]
Governing bodyNational Park Service
WebsitePetersburg National Battlefield
DesignatedOctober 15, 1966
Reference no.66000831[4]
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Park Units

Petersburg National Battlefield is composed of three major units and an additional managed component.

Eastern Front Visitor Center and Park Tour Road

Located off Virginia Route 36 east of Petersburg, the Eastern Front Visitor Center is the main visitor contact station for the Battlefield. Here, visitors can view exhibits and movies about the Siege of Petersburg as well as view Battery #5, an important early site in the Siege. From the Visitor Center, the park tour begins. The route runs from Virginia Route 36 to US Route 301. Sites on the tour include Fort Stedman and The Crater.

Five Forks Battlefield

Located in Dinwiddie County about 14 miles (23 km) southwest of downtown Petersburg, this unit contains the site of the Battle of Five Forks, which destroyed a sizable portion of the remaining Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. Sometimes called the "Waterloo of the Confederacy", Five Forks helped set in motion a series of events that led to Robert E. Lee's subsequent surrender at Appomattox Court House.[citation needed]

City Point Unit

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Battery XVI in the Main Unit
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Grant's headquarters at the City Point unit.

Sited next to the James River in Hopewell, City Point served as a major command and logistics hub for the Union Army during the Siege of Petersburg. It is located in the City Point Historic District.

Poplar Grove National Cemetery

The 8.72-acre (3.53 ha) Poplar Grove National Cemetery is administered by Petersburg National Battlefield.

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History

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Reenactors at Petersburg National Battlefield.

See also

References

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