Civil War

Overview

Located on the James River, only 110 miles from the Federal capital of Washington, Richmond was a symbol and prime psychological target throughout the Civil War. If the city were captured, southerners might lose their will to resist -- so reasoned leaders on both sides.
Source: Richmond National Battlefield Park

Between 1861 and 1865, Union armies repeatedly set out to capture Richmond, capital of the Confederacy, and end the Civil War. Three of those campaigns came within a few miles of the city. Richmond National Battle Field Park commemorates eleven different sites associated with those campaigns, including the battlefields at Gaines' Mill, Malvern Hill, and Cold Harbor. Established in 1936, the park protects 763 acres of historic ground.
Source: Richmond National Battlefield Park

Web Sites

This is the beginning of my photo journal of major Civil War sites in and around Richmond, Virginia.

• The Museum of the Confederacy: Richmond, Virginia
• National Battlefield Park: Cold Harbor, Virginia
• Belle Isle Civil War Prison: Richmond, Virginia