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

    Petersburg

    National Battlefield Virginia

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Portait of a Soldier

Students read primary source documents that tell stories of three different soldiers who participated in the siege of Petersburg. Confederate soldiers, Union Soldiers, and the United States Colored Troops who were a part of the Union army. While each of these men fought in the war for different reasons, they were all fighting for a way of life that they felt was just. This lesson explores where these men came from, why they fought, and what they were fighting for at Petersburg.


Pre-Visit Lesson Plan

Post-Visit Lesson Plan

Did You Know?

Lesser Siren

Hatcher's Run beaver pond in Petersburg's Five Fork's Unit is home to two unusual amphibians. The Amphiuma (Amphiuma means) can grow up to 3.25 feet and live almost 30 years. The Lesser Siren (Siren intermedia) is the most primitive salamander still in existence.