• Gaines' Mill battlefield -- Watt House area

    Richmond

    National Battlefield Park Virginia

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  • Road closings around Historic Tredegar May 17-19, 2013

    Friday, May 17 through Sunday, May 19, some roads around Historic Tredegar will be closed for Dominion Riverrock. The park's visitor center will be open. Details can be found on the Historic Tredegar website using the link here. More »

Embattled Capital, 1861 to 1865

Richmond's story is not just the tale of one large Civil War battle, nor even one important campaign. Instead, the park's resources include a naval battle, a key industrial complex, the Confederacy's largest hospital, dozens of miles of elaborate original fortifications, and the evocative spots where determined soldiers stood paces apart and fought with rifles, reaping a staggering human cost.

Did You Know?

Sketch of black men building earthworks during the Civil War.

The Confederate government hired slave labor from all around Virginia.  The slaves helped build earthen fortifications for the protection of Richmond; the government paid the slaves' owners for their work.