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City Point, Virginia, circa 1865. "Rear view of General Grant's headquarters." Photos from the main Eastern theater of war, the siege of Petersburg, June 1864- April 1865. Wet plate glass negative, photographer unknown. View full size.
During the seige of Petersburg, the supply center and HQ location did not move from mid June 1864 until Lee's line was broken April 2, 1865.
So there was plenty of time to run up a more permanent structure.
Would the headquarters be on the move? Was the building erected just for the General's use? That chimney looks pretty permanent. Of course maybe the Army engineers were pretty quick getting up chimneys and such things. Still its look of permanence surprised me.
I find it interesting to see two log cabins next to each other. One vertical log construction, one horizontal layout. Two very different construction methods and styles.
The two smaller structures that are shown, are they shelter for the guards or are they privies? Is the building on the left really all they could do for the person who was made General in Chief of All U.S. Forces in March 1864?
You don't see too many of them. Fast to build, but not the best design.
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