For nine months in 1864 and 1865, City Point was the nerve center of the Union war effort and one of the busiest ports in the world. Brig. Gen. Rufus Ingalls, chief quartermaster, called the depot at City Point the most perfect and commodious ever established anywhere for the supply of armies. Lieut. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's headquarters stood here, surrounded by a small city of huts and tents spread across the plateau. Ship masts lined the waterfront, wharves stretched along the riverbank, and gangs of laborers handled tons of supplies each day. All of the equipment, food, and ammunition that sustained the Union armies in front of Petersburg passed through City Point, making it the most important supply depot in Virginia.

Photo: Bernard Fisher

Photo: Bernard Fisher

Photo: Bernard Fisher

Photo: Bernard Fisher

Photo: Bernard Fisher

Photo: Bernard Fisher

Hopewell, Virginia · USA