Hare House Hill -- Key to the Confederate Defense of Petersburg on June 17-18, 1864, Focus of the Confederate Attacks of March 25 and the battle of Fort Stedman

Detail on the left shows Hare Buildings that were standing in early July 1864. Detail on right shows extensive reworking of fortifications and construction of Forts Stedman and Haskell by 1865. The Hare buildings at this point had been incorporated into the Union lines as building materials.

Alfred R. Waud drawings -- Hare House Hill

"Hare's House," drawing by A. R. Waud [DRWG/US - Waud, no. 294 (A size)]

"Hare House, Petersburg," drawing by A. R. Waud [DRWG/US - Waud, no. 909 verso (A size)]

"Trenches, Petersburg," drawing by A. R. Waud [DRWG/US - Waud, no. 1080 (AA size)] Sketch on Hare House Hill. Hare House in background.

"Battery of mortars and light twelves. Lt. Jackson. 1st Connecticut heavy Arty. 18th Corps," drawing by A R. Waud [DRWG/US - Waud, no. 170 (A size)]

"Siege of Petersburg," drawing by A. R. Waud [DRWG/US - Waud, no. 197 (A size)] Inscribed lower left: "on the front line of operations 18th Corps/protecting the gunners by mantelets."

"Union artillery at Petersburg," drawing by A. R. Waud [DRWG/US - Waud, no. 460 (A size)]

"Siege of Petersburg. 18th Corps. Right section, Comp. E 3rd N.Y. Arty. Capt. Ashby. 20 pounder parrots," drawing by A. R. Waud [DRWG/US - Waud, no. 495 (A size)]

LC 21358. "Petersburg Sept. 1864"

"Sharpshooters 18th Corps," drawing by A. R. Waud [DRWG/US - Waud, no. 359 (A size)]

"Aiming a Mortar in Jacksons Connecticut battery," drawing by A. R. Waud [DRWG/US - Waud, no. 451 (A size)]. Note the bayonets placed atop the parapet as aiming stakes.

Sharpshooters on the 18th Corps Front: "On some portions of the lines picket firing was soon discontinued. Genl. Warren considered it unnecessary to the safty [sic] of the 5th Corps front, and put a stop to it. The enemy did likewise. But where the practice was in vogue it was very dangerous to be exposed. A common plan of protection was that shown in the sketch, by a wooden tube widening outwards like a miniature embrasure buried in the crest of the rifle pit and protected by sandbags." [Waud's comments on a separate sheet.]
​Alfred R. Waud, Special Artist at Petersburg
Hare House

Photographs of Hare House Hill by Timothy O'Sullivan and William Pywell

LC00527 detail. "Petersburg, Virginia. Bomb-proof in front of Petersburg," left half of stereo view by O'Sullivan and Pywell (unattributed) of Hare House Hill taken in April 1865. Stedman is in the grove of hardwood trees. The house stood to the right of the fort but had largely disappeared by this point. The "Y" snag at the far left is visible in several other photos. This is basically the ground over which Federal troops counterattacked on March 25 to seal off and eliminate the Confederate penetration. If there is doubt of the O'Sullivan connection, William Pywell is posed in the doorway to the bombproof. This is one of a series of stereographs taken from Fort Haskell, the bombproofs behind Haskell, and from Gracie's Salient. Considered together, these photographs show much of the Fort Stedman March 25th battlefield. 

Pywell posed in the doorway of bombproof shown by LC 00527.

LC 00532 detail. "Petersburg, Virginia. Fort Meikle (named for Lt. Col. George Meikle, 20th Ind. Inf.) in front of Petersburg." One of the most egregiously mislabeled stereo views in the entire LOC Petersburg collection. This is a view of Fort Stedman on Hare House Hill taken from Fort Haskell, 600 yards to the south. Fort Haskell held firm during the March 25th 1865 incursion by Confederate troops. This is another of the O'Sullivan-Pywell series. Please note the "Y" snag at the far left of the detail. The hardwood grove is perhaps the only example of its kind along this section of the Petersburg lines. Why did they let the trees stand when so many thousands of acres were denuded? It was very hot; the soldiers liked the shade? 

LC 34402 detail. "Fortifications on the Petersburg lines," unattributed print but likely from the O'Sullivan-Pywell series. This is a front-on view of Battery 10 (on the left) and Fort Stedman (center and right), featuring the hardwood grove of Hare House Hill, thought to be taken first week of May 1865. Beneath the development flaw can be seen evidence of the March 25th fighting; here Confederates cut down the fraise to enter the fort through the embrasures. The Federals had not bothered to repair the obstacles. At the far left is the same "Y" snag visible in the previous photographs.

LC 00540 detail. "Petersburg, Virginia. Fort Stedman in front of Petersburg," stereo view from inside the fort looking out toward Colquitt's Salient, whence came the Confederate assault at dawn, March 25th.

A Union engineers' plan of Fort Stedman overlays a Lidar elevation model, showing surviving features. The Confederate attackers first overran Battery 10 (top left), which has largely disappeared over the years. 

Last Updated 07/22/2022