Boston Resident Remembers the Men of the Petersburg Campaign

I’ve expressed more than once my disappointment at not being able to spend more time in Petersburg, Virginia this past year to commemorate the sesquicentennial of the war. Apart from my participation in the 150th anniversary of the Crater I’ve had to look on from afar. But about two weeks ago I was suddenly overcome with an urge to commemorate the men on both sides who lived in and braved the earthworks around Petersburg from June 1864 to April 1865.

At first I wasn’t sure what I was constructing, but a few days ago I had one of those Richard Dreyfuss/mashed potato moments of clarity. From that point on my work proceeded with great energy and focus. What you see here is the northwest side of what I am calling Battery 5. Its walls stand 10 ft. in height and 3 ft. thick. This morning I began placing palisades around the wall.

I assure you that other than our neighbors no impressed workers were used in the construction of this section of the line. There are rumors of tunneling activities by the enemy.

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7 comments… add one
  • Marian Latimer Feb 9, 2015 @ 21:59

    I feel your pain. I suspect that there will be dirty piles of snow still melting up there in the North in May. I won’t tell you that I had windows open yesterday and it was at least 70 degrees here in the NC Piedmont. I actually have missed winter until recently but take comfort in the fact that it rained all day here today and I did subject myself to the video part of the hearing on Jackson-Lee Day in Charlottesville. OMG, the Flaggers are comedy gold. Sadly so.

  • Mike Rogers Feb 9, 2015 @ 14:10

    It would be historically accurate to blow the thing to smithereens. But, there’s probably regulations against that sort of thing. Then again, in honor of the Patriot football team, you could just let it “deflate”.

    • Kevin Levin Feb 9, 2015 @ 14:22

      I would be happy with just a little melting, but that isn’t in the forecast any time soon.

  • Christopher Shelley Feb 9, 2015 @ 9:56

    Out west, we have a term called “cabin fever.” Perhaps you’re familiar with it?

    • Kevin Levin Feb 9, 2015 @ 10:03

      “All work and no play makes Kevin a dull boy.”
      “All work and no play makes Kevin a dull boy.”

  • Will Hickox Feb 9, 2015 @ 9:13

    While your Battery 5 looks to be a formidable work, something tells me it will erode much faster than the original works at Petersburg.

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