From the onset of the Civil War, Richmond - more than any other city in the South - was targeted for capture. Richmond was the political capital of the fledgling southern nation and its most important industrial city, producing more materials for the Confederate war effort than any other. Tredegar Iron Works alone manufactured roughly 1,100 cannons, approximately one-half of all Confederate guns. Because of Richmond's vital role and strategic location along the James River, the city and the surrounding areas became one vast battlefield.
None more so than Henrico - where more than 50,000 casualties occurred, eight generals were killed or mortally wounded and produced 77 Congressional Medal of Honor recipients. Although a separate political entity from Richmond today, Henrico County surrounds the city to the north, east and west. The Civil War left an indelible mark on Henrico, where battlefields, monuments and cemeteries still preserve the memory of a war that nearly tore the country in two.
Glendale/Malvern Hill, Yellow Tavern, Savage Station and Seven Pines are among the many battlefields that remain in present-day Henrico.
Click here to learn more about the Civil War Trails in Virginia.