Defenses of Richmond

Nearby stood one of the outer Confederate defensive lines that guarded Richmond during the Civil War (1861-1865). A series of earthworks and fortifications was built to protect the city and to allow the outnumbered Confederates to make maximum use of their manpower. By war's end, the defensive system included three concentric lines of earthworks, batteries, and fortifications. A permanent Confederate garrison defended Richmond, often manning the lines in times of emergency. The proximity of the Union army during the final year of the war forced the Confederates to occupy the city’s defenses continuously.