Battle At The Crater Essay

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While visiting the battlefield I knew there were two major parts of the battle I wanted to discuss, the Battle at the Crater and the part that African-American soldiers played in the battle. After the initial attack on Petersburg that lasted until June 19, 1864, some of IX Corps picket line set up four hundred feet from Eliot’s Salient, which was a part of the main Confederate line. The Union soldiers then created a plan to construct an explosive mine under the salient to surprise the Confederates and hopefully shorten the siege. After weeks of planning and preparing the mine, it was exploded at 4:45 a.m. on July 30th. The Crater was 130 feet long, 60 feet wide, and 30 feet deep, only an incredible explosion could leave such a hole. 352 Confederate soldiers were killed in the blast, disorienting the outnumbered …show more content…

It is said that even some soldiers stood in amazement at the explosion and aftermath rather than advancing on it. Since the Union soldiers walked straight to the Crater they fought it difficult to advance or retreat, as they were faced with a steep hill and were now stuck in a killing field. The Fourth Division of the IX Corps made it furthest in the attack but were repelled by General William Mahone’s counterattack, which plugged the gap in the Confederate line. At 9:30 a.m. Union General Ambrose Burnside who commanded the IX Corps was given orders to call off the attack and support of the Union soldiers already in the Crater. For hours the Union soldiers were unaware of the halt in support, they were now sitting ducks. At 1:00 p.m. the gap in the Confederate Line was sealed and the soldiers were now advancing on the Crater. In one final push, the Confederate soldiers plunged into the crater, where they saw some of the worst hand-to-hand combat of the whole siege. The Union soldiers were forced to surrender, and taken to the

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