A History of Petersburg National Battlefield

Wallace, Lee; Conway, Martin

Exactly when the English settled at the site of Petersburg is uncertain, but we do know they were in the vicinity well before 1643, when Bristol Parish was created. Fort Henry was built at the falls of the Appomattox River in 1645 as a result of the Indian massacre the year before, and stood within the presentday boundaries of Petersburg. The fort offered protection for the settlers in the area and became a major trading center which served as a point of departure for westward expeditions. Closely associated with the story of Fort Henry was Major General Abraham Wood, one of the foremost figures in the history of 17th-century Virginia. Some have felt that Wood's name should have been given to the town that developed at the falls of the river, but that distinction, according to tradition, went to Wood's son-in-law, Major Peter Jones, who became prominent in the area as a soldier and operator of a trading post. An account published in 1833 says that Jones' business establishment was located a few rods west of the junction of what are now Sycamore and Old streets, and that "This position for trade was called 'Peter's Point,' subsequently changed to Petersburg." But Colonel William Byrd II of Westover is responsible for a more substantial record of the early beginnings of Petersburg. In 1733 he recorded, "We laid the foundation of two large cities. One at Shacco' s to be called Richmond, and the other at the Point of Appomattox River, to be named Petersburgh." Actually, by the mid-18th century, two towns, almost contiguous, had appeared at the falls of the river, Petersburg and Blandford.1

A History of Petersburg National Battlefield

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