Petersburg National Battlefield

09/08/2026

This September, Petersburg National Battlefield joins people across the country in remembering those who sought freedom from slavery. The Underground Railroad was a network of people, places, and routes that helped freedom seekers escape slavery. Some traveled by land. Others used rivers, roads, and ships.

During the years before the Civil War, Petersburg had a large and active free Black community. The Underground Railroad in Petersburg was a complex network of family members, friends, churches, workers, sailors, business owners, and other people who helped. Black churches were especially important places for communication.

The Eppes plantation at City Point adds another important layer to this story. A National Park Service study found no documented evidence that enslaved people at the site escaped to the North or Canada before the Civil War. However, the absence of documented escapes should not be interpreted as evidence that enslaved people were unaware of, or disconnected from, the networks and knowledge associated with the Underground Railroad. Enslaved people actively sought freedom in many ways, and the surviving historical record can never capture every attempt. The history of freedom-seeking at the Eppes plantation remains complex, with important questions that warrant continued research and exploration.

Today, the National Park Service's Network to Freedom helps preserve and share this history. The network includes over 800 sites across 41 states that have a connection to the Underground Railroad. These places help us connect with the people and communities who fought for freedom. We invite you to learn more about the Underground Railroad and the people connected to its story. https://go.nps.gov/NTFsites

Image: "The underground railroad / Chas. T. Webber." Library of Congress.

09/05/2026

Eleven of Lee’s infantry brigades at Petersburg hailed from North Carolina. These troops participated in nearly every major battle of the campaign. To learn more about the role of Tarheel soldiers, visit the living historians of the 26th North Carolina September 12-13. They’ll be encamped at the reconstructed earthworks at Stop 3 on the Easten Front Tour Road.

The camp will be open to the public from 9:30 am – 4:00 pm on Saturday and again from 9:30 am – 12:00 pm on Sunday. Historic weapons demonstration will occur at 11:00 am, 1:00 pm, and 3:00 pm Saturday and 10:30 am Sunday. Informal programs will occur throughout the camp's public hours.

Programs are weather dependent and schedule is subject to change. All programs at Petersburg National Battlefield are free to the public.

(Photo: NPS)

09/02/2026

Ranger program at Five Forks on September 4 at 7 pm.

At 4pm, April 1st, 1865, U.S. infantry poured across White Oak Road into battle. This led to the Battle of Five Forks. The battle lasted approximately 3 hours, resulting in an overwhelming U.S. victory. Come listen to Park Ranger Harry Caldwell tell the story on Friday, September 4 at 7pm. The program is free and approximately an hour long. There will be a campfire, and all are invited to bring their own marshmallows to roast after the program.

What: Ranger-led Campfire Program
Where: Five Forks Battlefield Contact Station
When: 9/4/2026 @ 7pm.

Additional Details: Free admission outdoors evening program, roughly an hour long. There will be a campfire along with the program. Bring your own marshmallows and roasting sticks if desired.

(Image: Philippoteaux, Paul Dominique. The Battle of Five Forks. 1885. Virginia Museum of History and Culture.)

Learn more about this painting here: https://virginiahistory.org/learn/battle-five-forks

08/28/2026

Ranger Program at Five Forks September 4 at 7 pm

Five Forks is a road junction in Dinwiddie County. During the Civil War, the terrain was densely wooded, marshy, and sparsely populated. This is as true today as it was back then. Five Forks Battlefield is unique in that it still retains most of the landscape from April 1, 1865. Come join Ranger Harry Caldwell by the campfire at Five Forks Visitor Center on September 4 at 7 pm as he tells the story of the Battle of Five Forks using ArcGIS Storymaps.

What: Ranger led campfire Program
Where: Five Forks Battlefield Contact Station
When: 9/4/2026 @ 7pm.
Additional Details: Free admission outdoors evening program, roughly an hour long. There will be a campfire along with the program. Bring your own marshmallows and roasting sticks if desired.

(LOC Image)

08/26/2026

Today, August 26, Petersburg National Battlefield recognizes Women’s Equality Day. This day honors the history of women working for equal rights. It also celebrates the progress made toward equality in this country.

Women’s Equality Day commemorates the 19th Amendment ratified in 1920, just a little over 100 years ago! This amendment gave many American women the right to vote. However, many women, including women of color, continued to face challenges when seeking equal rights and opportunities.

Women of all races, backgrounds, and cultures have helped shape our nation’s history. During the Civil War, women supported their families and communities, cared for wounded soldiers, worked in hospitals, managed farms and homes, helped organize supplies and support efforts, and raised money for the war effort. Their strength, courage, and hard work helped their communities during a time of great change.

Petersburg National Battlefield preserves the stories of the people who lived through the Civil War. Women were an important part of these stories. As we recognize Women’s Equality Day, we remember the many women who helped shape our nation and honor their lasting contributions to history.

(LOC Photo)

Learn more here: https://www.nps.gov/pete/learn/historyculture/women-at-city-point.htm

08/25/2026

Happy Birthday National Park Service!
Stop by Trapezium Brewing Company this evening at 7:00 pm for National Park Service Trivia Night 🎉
Hosted by our partners at the Petersburg Battlefields Foundation. Come grab a drink, celebrate the NPS, and put your park knowledge to the test. See you there!

For the places that inspire us. For the stories that shape us.

110 years ago, America had a pretty good idea: protect some of its most extraordinary places so all could enjoy them for generations to come. On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the act creating the National Park Service. Since then, parks have connected us to the landscapes, stories, and people that have shaped the nation, from towering mountains and wild rivers to battlefields, historic spaces, and sacred places.

For over a century, they’ve given us places to explore, learn, remember, and simply stand in awe. And, of course, plenty of reasons to lace up the hiking boots and say, “It’s just a little farther.”

08/23/2026

Today, August 23, Petersburg National Battlefield recognizes the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition.

This day remembers the millions of African people who were taken from their homes and forced into enslavement through the transatlantic slave trade. It also honors the strength and courage of those who survived enslavement and worked toward freedom.

Petersburg National Battlefield is deeply connected to this history. Before the Civil War, the land that is now part of the park included several plantations. These plantations depended on the work of enslaved men, women, and children who lived and worked on these lands for many years. Their stories are an integral part of the history we protect and share.

The Civil War changed these lands forever. The fight over enslavement became a major cause of the war and led to the end of slavery in the United States. In 1865, the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution ended slavery in the United States. Petersburg National Battlefield preserves places where the stories of enslavement, emancipation, and the Civil War are remembered. These stories help us understand the people whose lives were changed by the war.

Protecting & preserving these places and sharing these stories, Petersburg National Battlefield helps us remember the impact of the transatlantic slave trade. We honor the lives, struggles, and contributions of the people who shaped our nation’s history.

(LOC Image)

08/20/2026

Join us next Tuesday for a special National Park Service Birthday Trivia Night at Trapezium Brewing Company 🎉
Hosted by our partners at the Petersburg Battlefields Foundation, with trivia questions crafted by park staff. Come grab a drink, celebrate the NPS, and put your park knowledge to the test. See you there!

It’s only a week away – we hope to see you there! On Tuesday, August 25 drop by Trapezium Brewing for a Fundraising Night and a National Park Service trivia game (participate or just observe)! Show this flier (printed or digital) to your server to support Petersburg National Battlefield. Donations are used for public programs, events, and stewardship projects such as living history, education, volunteer support, Junior Ranger books, historical research, and artifact conservation.

08/19/2026

Ranger program at Five Forks on September 4 at 7 pm.

Late in the evening of April 1st, 1865, Col. Horace Porter of Grant’s staff raced into Grant’s encampment at Dabney’s Mill. After he shared the outcome of a recent battle, a skeptical solider accused him of playing an April Fool’s joke. A melancholy Grant simply asked how many prisoners were taken. The answer was 5,000. For a long moment, Grant disappeared inside his tent. When he returned, he held a handwritten note which he handed to an orderly. Walking up to the campfire, Grant announced, “I have ordered an immediate assault along the lines.” The next day, the Siege of Petersburg came to an end. The battle from which Col. Porter was returning was the Battle of Five Forks. There, a U.S. force under Maj. General Phillip Sheridan had scored a tremendous victory. Come join Ranger Harry Caldwell by the campfire on the evening of Friday, September 4 at 7pm as he tells the story of this battle and its impact.

What: Ranger Program
Where: Five Forks Battlefield Contact Station
When: 9/4/2026 @ 7pm
Additional Details: Free admission outdoors evening program, roughly an hour long. There will be a campfire along with the program. Bring your own marshmallows and roasting sticks if desired.

(LOC Photo)

08/16/2026

In the post-war history of his unit, Sergeant John H. Rhodes of Battery B, 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery wrote, “A gun detachment was like a machine. No one worked individually but all in unison and with the precision of clockwork, every man on time and in time.”

Want to see that “machine” in action and learn how artillery was used in the Civil War? Join us for an artillery demonstration by the park’s cannon crew on Sunday, August 30 at the Eastern Front Visitor Center! The program will run continuously from 1:30-3:30 pm.

This program is weather permitting. Petersburg National Battlefield’s interpretive programs are free to the public.

(NPS Photo)