Petersburg National Battlefield ⓘ

At the beginning of the Civil War, Virginia had a black population of about 549,000. This meant that of the Confederacy's total black population 1 in every 6 blacks lived in Virginia. Of those African-Americans in Virginia 89% were slaves. In Petersburg about half the population was black of which nearly 35% were free. Petersburg was considered to have the largest number of free blacks of any Southern city at that time. Many of the freedmen prospered here as barbers, blacksmiths, boatmen, draymen, livery stable keepers and caterers.

When Petersburg became a major supply center for the newly formed Confederacy and its nearby capital in Richmond, both freedmen and slaves were employed in various war functions. One of which was working for the numerous railroad companies that operated in and out of the city. In 1862 Captain Charles Dimmock used freedmen and slave labor to construct a ten-mile long defensive line of trenches and batteries around the city.

Once the siege began in June 1864, African-Americans continued working for the Confederacy. In September 1864, General Lee asked for an additional 2,000 blacks to be added to his labor force. In March 1865, with the serious loss of white manpower in the army, the Southern army called for 40,000 slaves to become an armed force in the Confederacy. A notice in the April 1, 1865, Petersburg Daily Express, called for black recruits with the statement, "To the slaves is offered freedom and undisturbed residences at their old homes in the Confederacy after the war. Not freedom of sufferance, but honorable and selfwon by the gallantry and devotion which grateful countrymen will never cease to remember and reward." It is not known how many responded to this challenge. The war ended before any major contribution could be made.

During the war a total of nearly 187,000 African-Americans served in the Union army. Of those the greatest concentration of U.S. Colored Troops (USCT) was at Petersburg. In the initial assault upon the city on June 15 , 1864 a division of USCTs in the XVIII Corps helped capture and secure a section of the Dimmock Line. The other division at Petersburg was with the IX Corps and it fought in the Battle of the Crater , July 30, 1864.

In December 1864, all the United States Colored Troops around Petersburg were incorporated into three divisions and became the XXV Corps of the Army of the James. It was the largest black force assembled during the war and varied between 9,000 to 16,000 men. Overall, in fighting associated with the Petersburg Campaign USCTs would participate in 6 major engagements and earn 15 of the 16 total Medals of Honor awarded African-American soldiers in the Civil War with 14 recipients earning their medals of honor at the Battle of New Market Heights in Richmond.

African-Americans served in varying capacities at the Union supply base at City Point. They served as pickets, railroad workers, and laborers "discharging the ships, wheeling the dirt, sawing the timber and driving the piles." Many also worked at the Depot Field Hospital as cooks.

In the Spring of 2020, a team of archeologists from the National Park Service (NPS) Northeast Archeological Resources Program (NARP) and Resource Management staff at Petersburg National Battlefield (PETE) began work on a detailed evaluation of the Whitehill Field Quarters archeological site at PETE. The Whitehill Enslaved Laborers Project, funded by the NPS Civil Rights Initiative (CRI), uses archeology, history, and community engagement methods to discover and interpret evidence of the lives of families enslaved at the Whitehill Plantation in decades before the Civil War.

In the initial field session, NPS surveyed the roughly two-acre landform believed to house the remains of one or more quarters inhabited by enslaved families. The NPS archeologists explored an area between a wetland and a tributary of the Appomattox River. They used a combination of geophysical research techniques -- ground penetrating radar, soil resistance survey, and metal detection – and traditional archeological survey methods – shovel test pits, or STPs.

We searched the area for material evidence of the lives and dwellings of enslaved workers. Early results of that survey showed clear signs that the area had been inhabited intermittently for perhaps four thousand years. Remnants of life in the 18th and 19th centuries – fragments of bricks, household pottery, nails, bottle glass, mingled with a dense deposit of stone artifacts produced by Native American people perhaps as early as the Late Archaic period (2,500 – 1,200 BC). Other artifacts, including pre-contact pottery, suggested occupations later in the pre-contact era and during the Civil War and World War I.

The initial survey also clarified that the site had been thoroughly plowed after its occupation, meaning that soils and artifacts from the pre-contact and historic occupations were thoroughly mixed. While this made it relatively easy to excavate, it also raised several questions.

Archeologists believe the quarters were temporary wooden buildings on small brick or stone piers; what would remain to find archeologically?

How could we disentangle the artifacts from the field quarters with those of a nearby stable, forge, and Civil War camp?

Further, the team wanted to know how we could commemorate the lives of the enslaved people at Whitehill. The story of the Civil War siege of Petersburg is the most well-known story that the park tells. Still, the battlefield landscape holds other narratives, including essential stories about the prevalence of the slave system in the years before the Civil War and tales of the lives of those enslaved and forced to perform agricultural labor on its plantations.

What could additional investigation tell us about the lives of people living at the base of the hill on the Friend Plantation?

Northeast Archeological Resources Program Archeologists do unit excavations looking for evidence of the enslaved field laborers quarters. August 2021

Records of the African Americans at Whitehill Plantation are lacking in detail. Their lives withhold essential stories about the slave system, of those enslaved and forced to perform labor throughout the United States before the Civil War. If you think you have a connection to those African Americans enslaved by the Friend family and the Whitehill Plantation, join the Descendant Community and share your stories.

In the years leading up to the Civil War, a substantial community of enslaved African Americans lived on the grounds of the Whitehill Plantation. Many of them made their homes in quarters distributed around the property. The Whitehill Enslaved Field Laborers Project is an ongoing effort by NPS Archeologists that have located some of these homes . Research continues into the lives of those who lived here. The Civil Rights Initiative of the National Park Service supports park efforts to expand the understanding and public interpretation of African American histories and heritage within the United States.

Records of the African Americans at Whitehill Plantation are lacking in detail. Their lives withhold essential stories about the slave system, of those enslaved and forced to perform labor throughout the United States before the Civil War. If you think you have a connection to those African Americans enslaved by the Friend family and the Whitehill Plantation, join the Descendant Community and share your stories. Several workshops or meetings are currently being planned to help strengthen and build community engagement with Petersburg National Battlefield.

If you are interested in participating in a workshop or have family stories you would like to share, please contact e-mail us at Petersburg National Battlefield.

Family history can be difficult to trace for many communities. The Descendant Community Outreach program is for anybody who feels a connection to the history of Petersburg National Battlefield and the area around Petersburg.

The Union siege lines around Petersburg were extended in a series of offensives launched westward around the city toward the South Side Railroad. In a methodical approach, Gen. Grant would use superior numbers to attack or threaten the Richmond defenses first and then send massed troops from the trenches around Petersburg out to attack the Confederate positions defending the southern and western approaches to the city.

If the Union forces were victorious in a battle resulting from one of these offensives or if the Confederates had stopped them but had not swept them from the field, the Union army would start digging in right there and extend their existing trench lines to connect with the new fort they were now building. As trenches were extended so was the Military Railroad which would be situated in the rear behind the Federal lines and forts.

If taken chronologically, one can see, with a few exceptions, that each battle occurred further west each time until the breaking point at Five Forks on April 1, 1865. These "above ground" battles punctuated the grueling and harsh routine of trench warfare at Petersburg and were the places where most of the 70,000 soldiers became casualties in the last ten months of the war. Major Engagements

1864 The Opening Assaults June 15-18, 1864 Jerusalem Plank Rd June 22, 1864 Battle of the Crater July 30, 1864 Weldon Railroad August 18 - 21, 1864 Reams Station August 25, 1864 Peebles Farm September 30 - October 2, 1864 Burgess Mill October 27,1864

1865 Hatcher's Run February 5-6, 1865 Fort Stedman March 25, 1865 Lewis Farm March 29, 1865 White Oak Road March 30 - 31, 1865 Five Forks April 1, 1865

In July 1862, Congress passed a law that allowed the president to buy land for cemeteries "for the soldiers who shall die in the service of their country." This law marked the start of the National Cemetery system. The War Department established Poplar Grove National Cemetery on May 7, 1866. Intended as a final resting place for US soldiers who died during the Civil War, the cemetery today holds more than 6,000 veterans from the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, and the Korean Conflict. The cemetery closed to new burials in 1957.

The land that now forms Poplar Grove National Cemetery sits on a natural divide between the plateau uplands and the tidewater region. Native American tribes hunted in this area long before European settlement. In the 1830s, the site was part of a large plantation known as the Clifford Tract. A 450-acre section of land changed owners until the Flowers family purchased it in 1856.

In 1864, U.S. forces extended their lines west of Petersburg. The Flowers family allowed the 50th New York Engineers to establish a camp on part of their farm. The engineers built a camp that included office quarters, company barracks, and a hospital, all connected by wooden plank walkways. They also constructed a large Gothic-style church at the edge of the parade ground. After the war, formerly enslaved people used the church as a meeting place. In late 1868, the church was dismantled.

In 1866, Lt. Col. James Moore selected the former 50th New York Engineers camp as the site for Poplar Grove National Cemetery. Over the next three years, a burial corps of 96 men undertook the difficult task of recovering soldiers’ remains. They searched the battlefields around Petersburg and locations up to 150 miles away. They also re-interred 269 soldiers from the prisoner-of-war camp in Lynchburg, Virginia. A soldier’s remains were buried in the order they arrived. As a result, US Colored Troops, Native Americans, immigrants, and a few Confederate soldiers were buried throughout the cemetery alongside white soldiers. Even soldiers from the same unit may not rest next to one another. By 1869, over 6,180 soldiers were buried at Poplar Grove, though only one-third of the names are known.

Veteran’s Day - Luminaries are placed in front of grave markers. (Saturday closest to November 11)

December - Wreaths are placed on the grave markers as part of the Wreaths Across America program.

Location, location, location During the siege of Petersburg General Grant's headquarters was at City Point, Virginia, eight miles behind Union lines. A small port town at the confluence of the James and Appomattox Rivers, City Point had been connected to Petersburg by railroad prior to the war. Its strategic position next to the railroad bed and the rivers offered Grant easy access to points along the front, as well as good transportation and communications with Fort Monroe, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. When he arrived at City Point on June 15, 1864, Grant established his headquarters in a tent on the east lawn of Dr. Richard Eppes' plantation, known as Appomattox.

Supplying the Army More important than being the headquarters for the United States Armies, City Point was the supply base for the Union forces fighting at Petersburg. Overnight the tiny village became one of the busiest ports in the world as hundreds of ships arrived off its shores bringing food, clothing, ammunition, and other supplies for the Union army. For example, on an average day during the siege the Union army had stored in and around City Point 9,000,000 meals of food and 12,000 tons of hay and oats. The only food not imported from the North was bread, which the army produced on site. In a bakery built on the grounds commissary personnel produced 100,000 rations of bread a day for the hungry soldiers fighting in the trenches.

Getting it There Bread and other supplies were sent to the front by train and by wagon. The U.S. Military Railroad Construction Corps rebuilt the line west to Petersburg, then extended it southwest behind Union lines. Twenty-five locomotives and 275 railroad cars were then brought to City Point by barge from Washington, D.C. to provide rolling stock for the line. In just 22 days the army had completed the first stage of the railroad and had trains operating on a full schedule. At Petersburg victory rode the rails.

Railroads were what made Petersburg famous during the antebellum period. By 1860 Petersburg was the 2nd largest city in Virginia and the 7th largest city in the South. During the war, the supplies that powered Confederate armies and industries in Virginia flowed by rail through Petersburg. Throughout the 9-month Petersburg campaign, railroads were center stage for both armies. Both armies fought, killed, and died over control of the railroads of Petersburg.

The 8-mile City Point Railroad was chartered in 1836 and opened in 1838. It connected the industrial hub of Petersburg to City Point, a deepwater port on the James River. Large cargo ships were unable to navigate up the Appomattox River safely. The railroad provided a critical link from Petersburg to outside maritime trade. The railroad suffered from high debt levels and was acquired by the Southside Railroad in 1854. During the Civil War, the Confederate army destroyed most of the track to prevent its potential use by Federal forces.

The City Point Railroad was rebuilt and used by U.S. Army forces to form the first leg of the U.S. Military Railroad (U.S.M.R.R.). The U.S.M.R.R. at Petersburg was a key supply line for the U.S. Army throughout the campaign, helping secure Federal victory. Learn more about the Petersburg Campaign .

The 22-mile Richmond & Petersburg Railroad was chartered in 1836 and completed in 1838. Connecting the two largest cities in Virginia, with a branch to the Clover Hill coal pits, the track was bustling in the antebellum period. By way of other tracks at Petersburg, it connected Richmond to the rest of the Southern United States. Interestingly, the track actually ended on the opposite bank of the Appomattox River from Petersburg. It was disconnected from the other rail lines in the city that went further South. A direct connection was built in August 1861 following the outbreak of the Civil War. Throughout the war, it formed part of the greater Confederate rail network that supplied Confederate armies and industries in Virginia.

During the Petersburg campaign, the Richmond & Petersburg track was extensively used by Confederates. As the Federals attacked both Richmond and Petersburg, the Confederates used the track to shift their troops around. Like other Confederate rail lines, the track suffered from a generally poor condition and limited sidings. The track remained in Confederate control until their withdrawal from the area on April 2-3, 1865.

The 123-mile Southside Railroad was chartered in 1846 and completed in 1854. The track connected Petersburg to Lynchburg, with a branch line to City Point. The Southside line formed part of a "trunk line" that stretched across the entire South. Lynchburg was a transportation hub and supply center for the Confederate war effort. The Virginia & Tennessee Railroad brought industrial goods and food from Southwest Virginia. These critical wartime materials then rode the Southside tracks to the Richmond-Petersburg area.

During the Petersburg campaign, the Southside railroad formed one of the Confederate Army’s primary supply lines. The track was the frequent target of Federal cavalry raids, such as the Wilson-Kautz Raid in June 1864. When the U.S. Army captured the Weldon Railroad in August, the Southside railroad was the sole remaining rail supply line for the Confederate defenders at Petersburg. It remained open throughout the long winter of 1864-65, keeping the Confederate army alive. After the Battle of Five Forks, U.S. Army forces seized the Southside Railroad west of Petersburg. The next day, Confederate forces withdrew completely from the Richmond-Petersburg area.

The United States Military Railroad was a Federal agency established in 1862. It gave the U.S. Army control and operation of railroads in occupied Confederate territory. Throughout the war, it actively reconstructed and refurbished Confederate tracks for Federal Use. At Petersburg, the U.S.M.R.R. constructed an entirely new rail line to supply the Federal troops. The track started in City Point, which was the supply base and headquarters of the Federal army during the Petersburg Campaign. The railroaders rebuilt a section of the old City Point Railroad and constructed about 21 miles of new track. The track's path followed wherever the Federal Army’s trenches extended. It allowed the rapid movement of supplies from City Point to the U.S. Army soldiers in their trenches. The U.S.M.R.R. track played a significant role in the eventual U.S. Army victory at Petersburg.

The “Weldon Railroad” was two separate railroads that connected Petersburg to Wilmington. The Petersburg Railroad opened in 1833 and connected Petersburg to Weldon, NC. The Wilmington & Weldon Railroad opened in 1840, connecting Wilmington to Weldon. At 161.5 miles, the Wilmington & Weldon was the longest railroad in the world at the time of its completion. The track formed part of the two trunk lines connecting Virginia to the rest of the Confederacy. During the Civil War, Wilmington was a busy seaport for Confederate arms smugglers. The Weldon Railroad moved these valuable weapons and supplies north to Virginia.

During the Petersburg Campaign, the Weldon Railroad was an important Confederate supply line into Petersburg. There were many major battles over control of the track. By August 1864 the U.S. Army seized control of the track into Petersburg. This hindered the railroad’s usefulness as a supply line but did not completely sever it. The railroad would remain in operation until the end of the Petersburg Campaign. Learn more about the battles around the Weldon Railroad.

Following the war, the many railroads of Petersburg had different fates. The tracks of the former City Point railroad line returned to the ownership of the Southside railroad after the war. The connection to City Point fell out of use after 1870. This was due to the Southside Railroad merging with the Norfolk & Petersburg and the Virginia & Tennessee. Thanks to the merger, the track of the former Southside Railroad was directly connected to the large deepwater seaport at Norfolk. This bypassed the City Point connection. The Richmond & Petersburg line stayed independently owned until 1898. It merged with 4 other railroad lines to form the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1900. The line ran from Richmond down to Tampa Bay. The new line used parts of the original track. The bridge spanning the James River was replaced (the ruins of the original bridge are still present). Today, part of the original track is still used by freight trains run by CSX Transportation. The Southside Railroad merged with the Norfolk & Petersburg and the Virginia & Tennessee to form the Atlantic, Mississippi, & Ohio Railroad in 1870. The AM&O was renamed Norfolk and Western Railway in 1881. As the N&W expanded, the tracks of the old Southside R.R. helped bring industrial goods, such as coal, to the docks at Norfolk. In 2004, the remaining original track ceased operation. In 2006, parts of the original track were converted into trails for a new state park (High Bridge State Park). The U.S. Military Railroad tracks at Petersburg were abandoned after the Confederates fled Petersburg on April 3, 1865. The U.S.M.R.R. refurbished City Point railroad tracks saw brief use by the Southside Railroad after the war. The rest of the tracks became abandoned. The two rail lines of the “Weldon Railroad” had similar fates after the Civil War. The Petersburg Railroad and the Wilmington & Weldon Railroad were part of the 5 railroads that merged to become the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1900. The entire Petersburg track and part of the Wilmington & Weldon track formed the main line of the Atlantic Coast Line. The Petersburg Railroad tracks are still used today by passenger and freight trains. The tracks of the Wilmington & Weldon today form parts of various freight train routes.

Although Petersburg National Battlefield was initially established to protect the historically significant areas around Petersburg, Virginia, the park also plays host to a diverse number of inhabitants and ecosystems. Located between the Atlantic Coastal plain and the Piedmont region of Western Virginia, Petersburg National Battlefield’s 2,659 acres varies from the wetlands of Hatcher's run at the Five Forks Battlefield to the combination of mixed hardwood/pine forests and open fields that encompass the park’s Eastern Front. City Point, a 22 acre unit at the confluence of the Appomattox and James Rivers, provides yet another uniquely beautiful asset to Petersburg National Battlefield. Overall, the park spreads out over four different localities; Prince George County, Dinwiddie County, the City of Hopewell, and the City of Petersburg. As part of the National Park Service, a component of Petersburg National Battlefield’s mission is to preserve the natural resources present in the park. These natural resources include the park’s waterways, wetlands, vegetation, and wildlife. The location of the park's Eastern Front, forming a pocket of undeveloped land amongst urban development, makes the park’s natural resources mission that much more important. Many visitors come to the battlefield to use the miles of trails that bisect the park. Virginia’s high rate of population growth, especially in suburban areas, will undoubtedly continue to make the presence of Petersburg National Battlefield's park setting even more valuable to many of the visitors that frequent the battlefield.

With so many irreplaceable cultural resources, the park has the important, and often difficult, task of achieving a balance between the cultural and natural aspects of preservation. Many of the Civil War earthworks, forts, and vistas are kept clear to protect the cultural resources and enhance the visitor’s ability to interpret the siege that occurred around Petersburg.

Wildlife is abundant, and, in certain cases, very visible throughout the park. Deer, rabbit, skunk, groundhog, opossum, and raccoon are some of the most commonly seen species in the park. A variety of avian species frequent the park during different times of the year. Many species of fish, reptiles, amphibians, and small mammals have also been documented within the boundaries of Petersburg National Battlefield. There are so many benefits to spending time outdoors so, when the inspiration hits, get outside and explore nature in your national parks.

From the majestic Bald Eagle to the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, 129 avian species have been recorded at Petersburg National Battlefield (all Units combined). Many of these species are migratory, stopping at the battlefield during the spring or fall as they travel along their migration routes. Others, like the Pileated Woodpecker, make their homes in the park year-round.

Osprey, Caspian Terns, Bald Eagles, Merlin, and the state bird of Virginia, the Cardinal, are often seen at the City Point Unit of Petersburg National Battlefield. Located at the confluence of the James and Appomattox Rivers, this area is the perfect natural habitat for these beautiful specimens. Birders can share the bird species they observe at http://ebird.org . Simply create an account, find the location (Birding Hotspot) you visited, and what species you observed. The City Point Unit is listed under: Location: Petersburg National Battlefield Park—City Point Unit, Country: US, State: Virginia, County: Hopewell.

The Eastern Front Unit’s grasslands and forests provide habitat for an abundance of birds. These include the Great Horned Owl, the Red-bellied Woodpecker, and the American Goldfinch. On http://ebird.org the Eastern Front Unit is listed under: Location: Petersburg National Battlefield--Eastern Front Unit, Country: US, State: Virginia, County: Prince George.

Even the 8.7 acre Poplar Grove National Cemetery Unit, where 6,142 soldiers (mostly from the Union side) are interred, plays host to many bird species. The Downy Woodpecker and Eastern Phoebe are two of the species that are known to frequent this hallowed ground.

In 2003, Bald Eagles were documented within the Eastern Front Unit for the first time. These beautiful animals nest on Colquitt’s Salient (once a Confederate stronghold) From December 15th to June 15th however, the Bald Eagles and their young must be viewed from behind the barriers constructed to protect the eaglets. A spotting scope or good binoculars are recommended to span the 100+ yard distance.

Petersburg National Battlefield consists of a number of different habitat types. These habitats include upland coastal plain, piedmont forest, old field, managed field, marsh, and riverine vegetation. This diversity of habitats allows for a large, varied plant population. To date, 170 species of vascular plants have been documented within the park.

Forests make up the largest portion of the park, and play host to a variety of tree species. These forests range from pine to mixed pine/hardwood in composition. In the marshy habitat of the park, many wetland plants have been inventoried.

The National Park Service, in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation and North Carolina State University, is in the process of creating vegetation maps of the park. Sample plots of areas will be intensively studied to identify vegetation type and the extent of cover for each species within the plots. This data will be correlated with aerial photos, topographic maps, and soil surveys to determine and classify plant communities according to National Vegetation Classification System descriptions. The end product will be a complete map of the vegetation classes for the battlefield.

One of Petersburg National Battlefield’s main problems is exotic and invasive plant species. Exotics documented within the park include Mimosa, Tree of Heaven, Japanese Stiltgrass, and Johnson Grass, to name a few. To find out more about the park’s battle against invasive and exotics, why these non-native plants are a problem, and what you can do to stop the spread of these harmful species, look in the Environmental Factors section.

Many different species call Petersburg National Battlefield home, although their presence is not always easily observed. In the fields where soldiers once charged forward, trying to avoid enemy fire, the White-footed mouse now searches for its dinner while trying to avoid the Gray fox and the watchful eye of the Red-tailed hawk. This mixture of cultural history and animal life make the battlefield an intriguing place to visit.

Deer, rabbits, opossums, shrews, foxes, and raccoons are some of the more visible residents of the battlefield. The combination of wooded and open field habitats attracts a variety of avian species such as Cardinals, terns, and hawks. Visitors can also observe Osprey along the Appomattox and James Rivers.

In 2003, a pair of Bald eagles came into the park to nest and raise their young. From mid-December to mid-July a section of the outer loop trail is closed to provide optimal conditions for the birth of this rare and majestic species.

There are also many different species of amphibians and reptiles in Petersburg National Battlefield. These include large communitys of Five-lined skinks, Eastern fence lizards, and Spade-footed toads. The Eastern box turtle and the Eastern worm snake also have very large populations within the park.

To date, the park has inventoried 20 species of mammals, 22 species of fish, 22 species of amphibians, 26 species of reptiles, and 142 species of birds. Inventories are ongoing, and adjustments will undoubtedly be made to these numbers.

Petersburg National Battlefield is host to a variety of mammals. Altogether, 20 have been documented within the park. Some of these animals are quite visible, while others are more difficult to spot. Some animals are active during the daytime hours, but many are active only at night. Even those that aren’t evident are there, though, and play as important of a role as the more conspicuous mammals.

Eastern White-tailed Deer and Gray Squirrel are two of the most obvious mammals that live in the battlefield. Their presence is easily observed during the day, as they forage for food throughout the park. Beavers are present in the park’s western-most battlefield, Five Forks. In this area, there is a large, still active, beaver dam located along Hatcher’s Run. This dam has created a wetland habitat, with standing water spreading out into a small pond.

Have you ever seen a Southern Fying Squirrel? Probably not, because these mammals, along with Raccoons and many others, are almost strictly nocturnal. Another example of a nocturnal mammal found at the Battlefield are bats. Our Resource Management staff have been conducting Bat Population Monitoring at the park. Find out why by visiting the Bat Population Monitoring page on the NPS website. https://www.nps.gov/articles/pete-bat-monitoring.htm. Petersburg National Battlefield is also home to several predators, including the Gray Fox, Coyote, and Bobcat. These predators are rarely seen, though, as they shy away from human interference and are very adept at remaining hidden.