The ‘Fort Wadsworth’ wayside marker is at Stop One of the Petersburg National Battlefield Western Front Auto Tour. It is next to the Siege of Petersburg – Grant’s Fourth Offensive orientation marker and the Fight for the Weldon Railroad wayside marker. (see map)
From the marker:
Fort Wadsworth
Built following the Battle of the Weldon Railroad in August 1864, Fort Wadsworth anchored the extreme left of the Union siege lines for more than a month. It secured the the Union grip on the Petersburg & Weldon Railroad – a major Confederate supply line.
The fort’s size reflects its importance during August and September of 1864. Duty here was easier than in the works on the right of the line; the closest Confederates were nearly a mile away.
Immediately after securing the railroad on August 18, 1864, the Federals started digging works to protect it.
Fort Wadsworth was designed to resist an attack from any direction and included four large bastions mounting up to three guns each. This sketch, also shows a grave located on the east parapet of the fort.
For most of August and September 1864, Fort Wadsworth anchored the left flank of the Union siege lines.
From the caption to the map:
Union possession of the Petersburg & Weldon Railroad forced the Confederates to haul supplies by wagon 17 miles from Stony Creek Station into Petersburg.
Although Fort Wadsworth looks like a jumble of earthworks from the ground, this Google aerial photograph shows it to be a well-defined fort with four redans. Halifax Road is along the right. Flank Road runs east-west across the top and off to the right. The monument to Hagood’s South Carolina Brigade can be easily made out to the right of the fort.