Chester in Chesterfield County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
1864 Federal forces under General Benjamin Butler began construction of a canal on the ditch site. This canal would cut off approximately six miles of river travel and protect Federal gunboats from the fire of Confederate land batteries. Federal soldiers labored 144 days under constant fire.
1865 The only remaining barrier to the completion of the canal was a large bulkhead. On January 1, the troops ignited the gun powder buried within it. The bulkhead exploded but the earth came back to rest in the newly dug canal. The project was abandoned.
1871 The U.S. Government completed the dredging of the gap, and opened the canal. The steamship
1930 The Army Corps of Engineers extended the canal to the Virginia Power plant. This created Hatcher’s Island and eliminated another large loop in the river.
Location. 37° 22.598′ N, 77° 21.63′ W. Marker is in Chester, Virginia, in Chesterfield County. Marker can be reached from Henricus Park Road 1.3 Click for map. Located in Henricus Historical Park 300 yards north of the parking lot. Marker is at or near this postal address: 251 Henricus Park Road, Chester VA 23836, United States of America.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The James River...Floating Through The Centuries (here, next to this marker); The Tides (here, next to this marker); Mount Malady (here, next to this marker); USCTs At Dutch Gap (a few steps from this marker); Dutch Gap Canal (a few steps from this marker); The Bermuda Hundred Campaign (a few steps from this marker); The Lightkeeper’s House (within shouting distance of this marker); Henricopolis (within shouting distance of this marker). Click for a list of all markers in Chester.
Also see . . . Henricus Historical Park. (Submitted on August 30, 2015.)
Categories. • Man-Made Features • Settlements & Settlers • War, US Civil • Waterways & Vessels •
Credits. This page originally submitted on , by Bernard Fisher of Mechanicsville, Virginia. This page has been viewed 151 times since then and 62 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on , by Bernard Fisher of Mechanicsville, Virginia. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016.