The Confederate Fortifications

This earthen wall formed part of the main Confederate defense line begun in 1864 and defended until April 2, 1865. After Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant’s forces established a foothold on the Petersburg & Weldon Railroad in August 1864, General Robert E. Lee lost his direct communication and supply line to North Carolina. The break in the railroad forced the Confederates to off-load supplies at Stony Creek Station, eighteen miles south of Petersburg, and carry them by wagon to Dinwiddie Court House, from which the Boydton Plank Road, modern U.S. Highway 1, led directly into Petersburg. To protect this new supply route, Lee expanded his defenses eight miles to the southwest parallel to the Boydton Plank Road. These fortifications were part of an extensive defensive network protecting Richmond and Petersburg that by spring stretched about 45 miles.

Virginia · United States