We met at the Petersburg Battlefield Visitor’s Center and viewed a brief but very interesting but short video on the 9-month siege of Petersburg, the skirmishes that were fought, the climax of the big explosion that caused the huge famous crater and the bloody battle afterwards that didn’t, but could have, ended the war early.

We left the Visitor’s Center and walked toward Battery 5, then down to the famous Dictator 17,000 lb mortar, largest of the war. We walked back to the visitor’s center and drove down the Park Tour Road to Confederate battery #9, toured the battery and tiny field houses and began our 6 mile hike.

The hike began by walking down Water Line Trail, connected to Birney Trail and then down to Taylor’s Creek Trail.  We then walked down Park Tour Road to the old ruins of Taylor Farm house (foundation and chimney still stands) and got a good, but far away view of the Crater.  We continued on Park Tour Road for another ½ mile and got to the Crater and the mine shaft that was dug by Pennsylvania miners to place the 8,000 lb. dynamite charge.  We walked back along the road back to the trails and picked up the Encampment Trail, back on the Birney Trail, but instead returning to the Water Line Trail, we dropped south a bit to pick up the Harrison Creek trail, then Attack Road trail and the last bit of the Water line trail.  Total mileage was about 6.6 miles.

We then drove to the Blandford Cemetery and toured the very old Blandford church, built in 1704.