Civil War site offers guided tours and living history demonstrations to mark sesquicentennial

Pamplin Historical Park will commemorate the 150th anniversary of the “Breakthrough” battle of Petersburg with a variety of special events, including guided tours and living history demonstrations on April 2 and 4. The park has also organized a sold-out five-day symposium that includes presentations by noted Civil War historians and tours of sites associated with the 1865 Petersburg campaign, Lee’s retreat and Appomattox.

Pamplin Historical Park is located on the site of the battle where Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s Union forces broke through Gen. Robert E. Lee’s defensive line on April 2, 1865, ending the nine-month Petersburg campaign. This breakthrough triggered the evacuation of Petersburg and Richmond and the westward retreat that would lead to Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865.

“The sesquicentennial of the Breakthrough battle is a good time to take a closer look at this decisive event,” said park founder and owner Robert B. Pamplin Jr. “Visiting the battlefield in person, accompanied by experts who can provide insight into the battle and its wider context, always brings new perspectives. History lovers and Civil War buffs won’t want to miss this opportunity.”

Special events at the park include the following.

April 2:

  • A guided tour of the Breakthrough battlefield, led by park historians
  • The dedication of a commemorative memorial to all British citizens who served as soldiers in the Civil War, sponsored by a group in England
  • The unveiling of a monument to the Vermont Brigade, which played a significant role in the Breakthrough
  • Living history demonstrations and other guided tours throughout the day

April 4:

  • Guided tours of the Breakthrough battlefield and other sites associated with the fighting on April 2, 1865
  • Living history demonstrations

These events are free with park admission, and no reservations are required.

Pamplin Historical Park’s five-day (April 1-5) Petersburg campaign symposium and tour program includes a predawn tour of the Breakthrough battlefield and bus tours to Petersburg and Appomattox, as well as presentations by a variety of historians. The event is sold out.

Symposium presentations will include “The Petersburg Campaign in Context” and “April 2, 1865: Day of Decision at Petersburg” by A. Wilson Greene, executive director of Pamplin Historical Park; “Lee’s Retreat: Myths and Reality” by Civil War historian William Marvel; “Lee’s Miserables: The Final Week” by J. Tracy Power, professor of history at Newberry College in South Carolina; “Searching for George Meade and Ulysses S. Grant” by historian and editor Tom Huntington; “Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee and Appomattox” by William J. Cooper, historian emeritus at Louisiana State University; and “The Real Legacy of Appomattox” by Elizabeth Varon of the University of Virginia.

The event will begin on Wednesday, April 1, at 6 p.m. and conclude at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 5. Reservations are required. Registration is $449 per person for park members and $499 for nonmembers. For more information about the tour and symposium, download the flyer at www.pamplinpark.org/pdfs/SpringTour15.pdf. To join the waiting list, call toll-free 1-877-PAMPLIN (726-7546). For more information about other Civil War sesquicentennial events at Pamplin Historical Park, visit www.pamplinpark.org.

About Pamplin Historical Park

One of “Virginia’s Best Places to Visit,” according to the Travel Channel, and designated as a National Historic Landmark, Pamplin Historical Park & The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier is a 424-acre Civil War campus located in Dinwiddie County, Virginia, offering a combination of high-tech museums and hands-on experiences. The park has four world-class museums and four antebellum homes. It is the site of the Petersburg Breakthrough battle of April 2, 1865, and hosts America’s premier Civil War participatory experience, Civil War Adventure Camp. For more information, please call 804-861-2408 or visit www.pamplinpark.org.

About Robert B. Pamplin Jr.

Robert B. Pamplin Jr. has earned eight degrees – including two doctorates – in business, economics, accounting, education and theology. He has been honored nationally as a businessman, philanthropist, ordained minister, educator, historical preservationist and author of 16 books and comic books, including two book-of-the-month club selections. Pamplin’s business interests include media (the Portland Tribune and 25 community newspapers), textiles, construction and agriculture. He has been awarded many honorary degrees and featured in national magazines, in newspapers and on television. He has served on presidential and state commissions, and he has been chairman of the board of trustees of three colleges. Pamplin is widely recognized as America’s leading historical preservationist and foremost diversified entrepreneur. For more information, visit www.pamplin.org. For more information about Pamplin’s preservation efforts, visit www.pamplincollection.org.

For R.B. Pamplin CorporationWendy Lane Stevens, 503-546-7897wendy@lanepr.com