Poplar Grove National Cemetery in the Western Front Unit of Petersburg National Battlefield
After an unsuccessful three-day attack on Petersburg from June 15-18, 1864, Union general Ulysses S. Grant realized that a frontal assault against heavily defended Confederate fortifications was just going to end in a blood bath, so he decided to isolate the city by cutting off its supply lines to the south and west. To do so, the Union army gradually worked its way west, south of the city, capturing major roads and railroads along the way. The Western Front Unit of Petersburg National Battlefield preserves a few areas where fighting took place south and southwest of the city over the following nine months.
A vehicle tour of the Western Front unit is the only activity in this section of the park. The tour stops at remnants of three earthen forts and at Poplar Grove National Cemetery where many of the Union soldiers who died at Petersburg are buried. There are no trails or picnic areas. See the following web pages here on National Park Planner for more information about the Western Front attractions at Petersburg National Battlefield:
Poplar Grove National Cemetery
Western Front Visitor Contact Station
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Last updated on March 29, 2023
