Richmond National Battlefield Park, Virginia

The park preserves the landscape where Richmond rose from a thriving river town to the heart of the Confederacy, its iron foundries fueling an army and its streets becoming a symbol of Southern resolve. Visitors walk the very ground where political leaders chose the capital, where massive factories like Tredegar churned out cannons, ammunition, and even the first ironclads. The setting also frames the Union’s relentless drive to seize the city, a goal that defined much of the war’s eastern theater.

The story begins with General George B. McClellan’s massive amphibious effort in the spring of 1862, moving an entire army by water to the Virginia Peninsula. As troops landed at Fortress Monroe and pushed toward Yorktown, they encountered rain‑soaked terrain that turned roads into quagmires, testing the soldiers’ stamina and supply lines. This early campaign set the stage for the grueling struggle over Richmond that would shape the nation’s future.