Editing Petersburg, Virginia (section)

=== American Civil War ===
[[File:Essayons Dramatic Club - Siege of Petersburg.jpg|thumb|U.S. Engineer Battalion, during the Siege of Petersburg, August 1864]]
At the time of the [[American Civil War]], Petersburg was the second-largest city in Virginia after the capital, Richmond, and the seventh-largest city in the Confederacy. Petersburg's population had the highest percentage of free black Americans of any city in the Confederacy and the largest number of free blacks in the Mid-Atlantic region.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web | title=Proud, free and black: Petersburg – visiting the Virginia location of the largest number of 19th century free slaves | website=American Visions| date=1994 | url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1546/is_n3_v9/ai_15495032 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090305233514/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1546/is_n3_v9/ai_15495032 | archive-date=2009-03-05 | url-status=unfit | access-date=2019-08-28}}</ref>

When the Civil War began in 1861, Petersburg was strategic in supporting the Confederate effort. The city provided several infantry companies and artillery units to the Confederate Army, along with three troops of cavalry. In April 1861 more than 300 free black Americans of Petersburg volunteered to work on the fortifications of [[Norfolk, Virginia]] under their own leader. Slaveholders also contributed the labor of numerous black slaves.<ref>{{cite web | title=Petersburg Black Confederates | website=Petersburg Battlefield | url=http://www.petersburgexpress.com/Petersburg_Black-CSA.html | access-date=2019-08-28}}</ref>

==== Siege of Petersburg ====
In 1864, Petersburg became a target during the [[Overland Campaign]] of Union General [[Ulysses S. Grant]]. Its numerous railroads made the city a lifeline for Richmond, the Confederate capital. After his defeat at the [[Battle of Cold Harbor]], Grant remained east of Richmond, crossed the James River and moved south to Petersburg. Grant intended to cut the rail lines into Petersburg, stopping Richmond's supplies. On June 9, troops led by [[William Farrar Smith|William F. "Baldy" Smith]] of the [[XVIII Corps (ACW)|18th Corps]], attacked the [[First Battle of Petersburg#Background|Dimmock Line]], a series of defensive [[Earthworks (engineering)|breastworks]] constructed to protect Petersburg.

General [[Robert E. Lee]] arrived with his [[Army of Northern Virginia]], and the 292-day [[Siege of Petersburg]] began. Due to botched Union leadership and arrival of Confederate General [[William Mahone]], the Union forces suffered a disastrous defeat at the [[Battle of the Crater]], suffering over 4,000 casualties. In early April 1865, Union troops finally managed to push their left flank to the railroad to [[Weldon, North Carolina]] and the [[Southside Railroad (Virginia)|Southside Railroad]]. With the loss of Petersburg's crucial railroad lines, the Confederate forces had to retreat, ending the siege in a victory for the Union Army. The fall of Petersburg meant that Richmond could no longer be defended. Lee attempted to lead his men south to join up with Confederate forces in North Carolina. Hopelessly outnumbered, he was surrounded and forced to surrender at [[Appomattox Court House National Historical Park|Appomattox Court House]], Virginia, on April 9, 1865.