Four men in blue uniforms fire a cannon.

Cannon Demonstration

Petersburg National Battlefield

  • Aug 30, 2026 at 1:30 PM
  • Free

In the post-war history of his unit, Sergeant John H. Rhodes of Battery B, 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery wrote, “A gun detachment was like a machine. No one worked individually but all in unison and with the precision of clockwork, every man on time and in time.” 

Want to see that “machine” in action and learn how artillery was used in the Civil War? Join us for an artillery demonstration by the park’s cannon crew on Sunday, August 30 at the East Front Visitor Center! The program will run continuously from 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. 

This program is weather permitting. Petersburg National Battlefield’s interpretive programs are free to the public.

Fees

This event is free to attend.

Location

Latitude and Longitude 37.243868, -77.356917

Schedule

Date:

Aug 30, 2026

Time:

1:30 PM

Duration:

2 hours

There will be multiple cannon firing between 1:30 pm and 3:30 pm.

Event Type

  • Living History
Tags: petersburg campaign, petersburg national battlefield, cannon demonstrations