• Poplar Grove National Cemetery Luminary Event (photo courtesy of Joanne Williams)

    Petersburg

    National Battlefield Virginia

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  • Attn. GPS Users - Advice for Seeking Directions to the Park

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  • May 18 Concert Cancellation

    Due to rainy weather, the May 18 concert scheduled at the General Grant's Headquarters Unit in Hopewell has been postponed. "Johnny Jones and Friends" will perform at a later date once one has been agreed upon. Thank you.

Web Rangers Activity #4

Create Your Own Colors

Flags were important to soldiers from both the Union and Confederate armies. The flag meant everything to the soldiers, as it was a symbol of what they were fighting for during the Civil War. It was to be protected at all costs. If you would like more information about flags, before you create your own, visit Teaching Tools.

Songs were sung among the soldiers about the flag:

"Yes we'll rally 'round the flag,
boys, we'll rally once again,
Shouting the Battle Cry of Freedom,
We will rally from the hillside,
we'll gather from the plain, Shouting the Battle Cry of Freedom."

 
Flag of 24th USCT

Regimental flags represented the individual states of the soldiers. They were often decorated with states seals and symbols, as well as the regiment to which the soldiers belonged. The motto of this regimental flag of the United States Colored Troops was "Let soldiers in War be Citizens in Peace." To view other flags, visit the teaching tools page.


1. Now that you have learned the significance of regimental flags during the Civil War and the symbols that were used to decorate the colors, you can create your own flag.

2. Create a flag that represents who you are, where you come from, and your beliefs. Use your imagination to create a flag that you are proud to carry. Have fun!

Did You Know?

Blandford Church and Cemetery, 1865.

Those who died on the battlefields around Petersburg were left where they were originally buried until after the Civil War. From 1866-69 most Union dead were buried at Poplar Grove National Cemetery while thousands of Confederate dead were buried at the historic Blandford Cemetery. (Petersburg NB)