The Confederate Fortifications-Pamplin Historical Park - Petersburg VA - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

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The Confederate Fortifications-The Breakthrough Trail— Pamplin Historical Park —The earthen wall in front of you is a part of the main Confederate defense line begun in 1864 and defended until April 2, 1865. You are standing behind the line facing southeast towards the Union positions about one mile away.

When Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant’s forces established a toehold on the Petersburg & Weldon Railroad in August 1864, General Robert E. Lee lost his direct communication and supply line to North Carolina. This break in the rails forced the Confederates to off-load supplies at Stony Creek Station, eighteen miles south of Petersburg, and transport them by wagon to Dinwiddie Court House. From there, the Boydton Plank Road (modern U.S. Highway 1) led directly into Petersburg.

In order to protect this new supply line, Lee expanded his defenses eight miles to the southwest parallel to the Boydton Plank Road. The well-preserved fortifications in front of you formed only a part of an extensive defensive network protecting Richmond and Petersburg that by the spring stretched some 45 miles in length.

Group that erected the marker: Pamplin Historical Park URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link] Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: 6125 Boydton Plank Road Petersburg, VA United States 23803

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Date Logged Log   10/15/2023 Don.Morfe visited it