Civil War Battle of the Crater

Battle of the Crater

Battle Timeline

The Battle of the Crater was part of the siege of Petersburg. It took place on July 30, 1864. It was a union attack against the south's barricaded lines. The plan was to dig a tunnel under the Confederates and place 8000 pounds of black powder and detonate it. Then the union would charge to take the city.

What could have been a war-winning victory for the North turned into a catastrophic failure. About 4,000 Yankee soldiers (compared to 1,500 Confederates) were dead, wounded or captured. Following the Battle of the Crater, General Grant determined only an effective siege would topple Petersburg.

Digging begain in June, and Grant and Meade seen it as merely a way to keep the men busy, and doubted its strategic value.

On July 30th, the powder keg was ignited. The expolision created a hole 170 ft long, 120 ft wide, and 30 ft deep. 278 Confederate soldiers were killed with the initial blast.

The Union troops advanced, but made a deadly mistake. They used the crater as a new trench instead of advancing further. The Confederate troops simply fired into the crater.

Union Forces: Comanded by Maj. Gen. George G. Meade under the supervison of Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant.Confederate Froces: Comanded by Robert E. LeeThe Battlefield: Petersburg, Virginia

Context

Armies

Aftermath