Battle of the Crater black troops

The Battle of the Crater: A Complete History by John F. Schmutz ... the first book to really have at least a secondary focus on the questions surrounding the use of an entire division of Black troops on the Union side, and the consequences of their presence on the battlefield. It had been some time since the explosion and the terrifying aftermath. As the black regiments rallied to tabulate their losses, the sight was sickening. Partly because of the heavy causalities suffered in the Battle of the Crater, in December 1864, all USCT around Petersburg were incorporated into three division and became the XXV Corps (approximately half) of the Army of the James. General Burnside was the commander of the Ninth Corps in the Army of the Potomac. All parties are tired of this monotonous slaughter of Yankees.\" The black troops had been trained to move quickly within the crater and push back the Confederates. They weren’t put in active service until the spring of 1865 when they were moved to the front lines between Petersburg and Richmond. Fourth Divison commanded by Brigadier General Edward Ferrero… by Dave Hunter. 1. Pleasants proposed to build a mine with a large gallery under Elliott’s Salient on the high ground in the Confederate line, pack the gallery with black powder, and blow a huge hole in the enemy line, opening a clear path to Petersburg.

What ensued on July 30, 1864, at the Battle of the Crater was one of the most mismanaged tragedies of the war. Third Divison commanded by Brigadier General Orlando B. Willcox 4.

The Battle of the Crater was a battle of the American Civil War, part of the Siege of Petersburg. On June 21, the Richmond Examineralready weary of the siegepresciently encouraged Grant to \"plunge with his whole force into the crater of the volcano and make an end of itLet not the campaign linger. There was a sense all around that the war was coming to a head. Unit after unit, most of whom were U. S. Colored Troops, charged into and around the crater, where most of them milled in confusion in the bottom of the crater. He had three white divisions and one black division under his command. Colonel Bates was the commander of one the aforementioned troops of black soldiers trained to go into the crater. It took place on July 30, 1864, ... Once they had wandered to the crater, instead of moving around it as the black troops had been trained to do, they thought it would make an excellent rifle pit and it would be well to take cover. Harry … The 29th U.S. Pleasants lit the fuse accordingly, but as with the rest of the mine's provisions, they had been given poor-quality fuses, which his men were forced to splice themselves.