The Crater - Part 2
July 30, 1864
Mine is Exploded
Just twelve hours from the planned attack, Meade ordered that the black troops who had trained for the first wave of the attack be replaced by a white division under Ledlie. At 4:40 A.M. on July 30th, the mine was exploded, killing and wounding 278 men and creating a crater 170 feet wide, 60 feet across, and 30 feet deep. The terrified Confederates then endured a barrage from 164 artillery pieces at the Taylor House.
Federals Attack
This is a view from the rear of the crater. The crater is visible as the fenced-in area on the left-center of the picture. Union artillery had bombarded the area from the distant hill on the right of the picture. Since ladders were not provided and obstacles were not cleared, men of Ledlie's division were disorganized as they attacked. These men advanced across the field on the right of the picture. Most of the men simply piled into the crater instead of advancing into the Confederate position. Potter's and Ferrero's divisions then followed, bringing the Federal strength up to 15,000 men, but many of them were either in the crater or stuck in no-mans land. When leadership was needed to get the men out of the crater to clear the Rebel lines and take Petersburg, Ledlie and Ferrero were in a bombproof consuming alcohol.
Approach to the Crater
This photo shows the area Union troops charged over toward the Crater. Off the picture to the right is the tunnel entrance. Union troops massed near here, climbed the hill, and advanced on the Crater. As further waves of Union troops advanced, many men went to ground in this area in front of the Crater and were subjected to fire from both flanks.
Back to Civil War Virtual Battlefield Tours