Frank Leslie\'s 8/19/1865 Battle of the Crater / Post war hospitals For Sale

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Frank Leslie\'s 8/19/1865 Battle of the Crater / Post war hospitals:
$34.99

The Battle of the Crater, also known as the Battle of Petersburg, took place on July 30, 1864, during the American Civil War. It was a significant engagement during the Petersburg Campaign and was fought near Petersburg, Virginia.

Background:In 1864, Union forces under General Ulysses S. Grant launched an offensive against the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia. The city of Petersburg, located about 25 miles south of Richmond, was a vital supply and transportation hub for the Confederacy. Its capture was a key objective for the Union forces.

By mid-1864, the Union Army had laid siege to Petersburg, hoping to weaken and eventually break through the Confederate defenses. On July 30, Union troops made a daring attempt to break the stalemate by tunneling under the Confederate lines and detonating a massive mine, creating a crater in the earthworks.

The Crater:The Union engineers dug a tunnel, approximately 511 feet long, under the Confederate position known as Elliott\'s Salient. They packed the tunnel with approximately 8,000 pounds of gunpowder. The plan was to blow a hole in the Confederate line, allowing Union troops to breach the defenses and potentially break the siege.

The Battle:At 4:44 am on July 30, 1864, the Union soldiers ignited the powder, resulting in a massive explosion. The blast created a crater approximately 170 feet long, 60 to 80 feet wide, and around 30 feet deep. Unfortunately, the Union follow-up was poorly planned and executed.

As Union troops charged toward the crater, they became disorganized and bottlenecked within the crater itself. The Confederates quickly regrouped, surrounding the crater and firing down on the trapped Union soldiers. The terrain of the crater made it a death trap, and the Union forces suffered heavy casualties.

Confederate Counterattack:General Robert E. Lee, the Confederate commander, rushed reinforcements to the scene and launched a counterattack. Confederate troops led by General William Mahone moved swiftly and struck the Union forces at their weakest point. The Confederates easily overran the crater and drove the Union troops back, inflicting thousands of casualties.

Aftermath:The Battle of the Crater was a devastating defeat for the Union Army. They suffered around 3,800 casualties, while the Confederates had approximately 1,500 casualties. The Union\'s failure to exploit the initial advantage of the massive explosion and the ensuing disorganization resulted in a significant missed opportunity to break the siege of Petersburg.

The siege of Petersburg continued for several more months until April 2, 1865, when Confederate forces abandoned the city, leading to the fall of Richmond and ultimately hastening the end of the Civil War. The Battle of the Crater remains a tragic example of poor planning and execution during the war, resulting in heavy loss of life and a missed chance to change the course of the conflict.

Frank Leslie's American Soldier in the Civil War.(Frank Leslie). 1895

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19 Issues - Reissues Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspapers Civil War Chronicles

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Frank Leslie's 9/6/1856 Albany New York Panoramic View / Science Conference

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Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper JESSEE JAMES KILLED AT ST.JOSEPH MISSOURI

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Frank Leslie's Illustrated 12/15/1860 Mary Todd Lincoln cover/ early Colorado

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Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper The Late General Georges Boulanger 1891

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Vintage Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper NY Student Life  July 4, 1885

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antique original 1895 book Frank Leslie's Illustrated History of the Civil War

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