Place

The Angle - Five Forks

Close-up a wayside
Wayside at stop #2

NPS

Quick Facts

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Parking - Bus/RV, Wheelchair Accessible

The southerners built their breastworks here at a 90-degree angle to protect their left flank the line extended 150 yards north from White Oak Road.  Four cannons under Captain William McGregor and Brigadier General Matthew Ransom’s North Carolina Infantry were placed in the trenches to hold this critical position. After forming their lines near Gravelly Run Methodist Episcopal Church, the Union V Corps under Major General Gouverneur Warren moved against this Confederate position with an overwhelming force.  Brigadier General Frederick Winthrop, the highest-ranking officer to fall during the battle, was mortally wounded near the angle while leading the charge.

Petersburg National Battlefield

Last updated: April 10, 2022