Petersburg National Battlefield Park, Petersburg

A yawning crater still scars the site of Petersburg's Civil War battlefield. It was created when Union troops dug tunnels to detonate explosives under Confederates. The method killed thousands of men in an effort to break the line of defense. about a half hour Petersburg was under siege for ten months because it was strategic to taking the Confederacy and its capitol in nearby Richmond. A monument at the Park was recently erected to honor the contributions of African-American soldiers who served in both the Confederate and Union armies. Petersburg is 25 miles south of Richmond. Take I-95 south to Route 36 to reach the battlefield. No fee for Five Forks or Grant's Headquarters.