Encyclopedia alt 1

An Illustrated Encyclopedia
of the
Siege of Petersburg

Note: This encyclopedia focuses on the eastern front at Petersburg, at least for the time being. In the future, it will be expanded to cover the western, rear, and City Point lines and battles.

For an alphabetized index to this encyclopedia go [here]. For definitions of military and engineering terms see the [glossary].

the battlefield

the landscape
   terrain
   creeks and rivers
   roads
   railroads
         norfolk & petersburg
         city point
         u.s. military railroad
   special study: the railroad cut

the city of petersburg

churches
   blandford church
   special study: the spires of petersburg

houses
   avery
   dunn
   friend
   gregory
   hare
   jordan
   shand (webb)
   taylor (spring garden)
   griffith (clark, chiswell)
   gee
   gibben

miscellaneous structures
   the ice house
   the race course

siege warfare

siegeworks
     the general scheme of attack and defense
         special study: siege warfare in theory and practice, 1864-1865
     forts, redoubts, and batteries
     mortar batteries
     infantry lines
     infantry obstacles
     picket lines
     sharpshooters' posts
     communications trenches and covered ways
     dams
     headquarters

siege operations

   construction methods and materials
     sapping
     mining and countermining
     special study: attack & defense at gracie's salient

soldier life
     camps
     bombproof shelters
     wells
     latrines

the union lines

engineering and the union siege strategy
     special study: "the grand medicine pow wow" and the evolution of the lines

the appomattox river to the race course
     the early lines (june-july 1864)
     the later lines (august 1864-april 1865)
         fort mcgilvery
         battery ix
     the picket lines

the hare farm
     the early lines (june-july 1864)
     the later lines (august 1864-april 1865)
         battery x
         fort stedman
         batteries XI & XII
         fort haskell
     the picket lines

the taylor farm
     the early lines (june-july 1864)
        "fort durell"
         the 14-gun battery
     the later lines (august 1864-april 1865)
         batteries XIII and XIV
         fort morton
         battery xv
     the picket lines
         special study: the "horseshoe"

baxter road to the avery farm
     the early lines (june-july 1864)
         "fort willcox" (roemer's battery)
         the 18-gun battery
     the later lines (august 1864-april 1865)
         battery xvi
         battery xvii & fort meikel
         battery xix and fort rice
     the picket lines

the jerusalem plank road
     the early lines (june-july 1864)
         "fort tilton"
         the flank redoubts
     the later lines (august 1864-april 1865)
         batteries xx & xxi
         fort sedgwick ("fort hell")
     the picket lines

second-line works
     batteries iv & v
     "the dictator"
     fort friend
     fort avery
     "fort twitchel"

communications & logistics

the confederate lines

engineering & the confederate defensive strategy

the dimmock line
    battery 5
    the dunn house battery

the appomattox river to the norfolk & petersburg railroad
     from the river to the racecourse
     colquitt's salient
     gracie's salient
         special study: the mine at gracie's salient
     the picket lines
     retrenchments & rear batteries

the norfolk & petersburg railroad to baxter road
     the line along poor creek
     elliott's salient (pegram's battery) and the crater
   the picket lines
     retrenchments & rear batteries

rives salient
     baxter road to the old dimmock line
     battery 25
     battery 27
     fort mahone (battery 29)
     the picket lines
     retrenchments & rear batteries
     special study: "fort damnation"

communications & logistics

battles