148th anniversary of the Battle of the Crater

[Guest guest]

Tomorrow is the 148th anniversary of the Battle of the Crater in the US Civil

War.

http://progress-index.com/news/the-battle-that-the-union-should-have-won-1.13500\

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This battle came about because some miners had an idea to blow a hole in the

Confederate lines. This eventually was approved and the tunneling began. At the

same time, Union units were prepared. One of these was the Fourth Colored

Division under Ferrero. It was a fresh, untested unit that was specifically

trained to lead the attack. It was to be backed up by two other white

divisions. The objective was for the Fourth to attack around the crater,

clearing the trenches, securing the flanks and front while the white divisions

rolled through around the crater and into the city of sburg beyond.

It didn't work out that way. Politicians and senior general like Meade feared

the fallout of the black troops were sent in and slaughtered. So, it was decided

one of the white divisions would spearhead the attack. This decision came

shortly before the attack and there was no time to train them for the mission

and indeed it is likely that most men in the division had no idea what was

happening beyond an assault on a strong enemy trench, something they knew would

mean terrible losses.

As it was, troops were stunned by the huge blast and the horror of seeing men

and horses flung into the air. Time was wasted rallying the men to the attack.

When they did charge it was initially again little resistance. However, the men

charged straight ahead and many went straight INTO the crater rather than around

it. They went into the steep-sided hole and were trapped. Some federal troops

did begin to get around the flanks and made some headway. Confederate forces on

the flanks recovered quickly and resistance mounted.

Confederate General Mahone rounded up all the troops he could and led them to

the crater through a fold in the ground concealing their advance from Union

observation. These troops burst out and surprised the Federals. The battle

quickly became a slaughter as Federals were pushed back. Many Federal troops

poured into the crater creating a dense mob barely able to move. Confederates

lined the top of the crater firing into the mass with rifle and cannon as well

as lighting the fuses on mortar bombs and pitching them down into the crowd. It

is also said that some of the Federal panicked and began killing colored troops

afraid that if they were captured with colored troops, the Confederates would

kill them all.

In the end, the attack failed. No further serious attempts at mining happened

though both sides took precautions against it. Some forts went so far as to dig

30 foot deep moats facing the enemy. As it was, the battle turned into a siege

with Grant reverting to his old tactic of hitting hard on the line then

extending the flank. Eventually the Confederate forces were overextended not

just because of the sburg line but the trenches running over 30 miles north

screening Richmond, the Confederate capital. It also didn't help that

Confederate forces were depleted by poor rations, desertions, the failed attack

on Fort Stedman, nor that two Federal armies were advancing on the flanks and

rear. These factors eventually allowed a Federal breakthrough of the lines,

something that likely would have failed had the sector been fully manned. The

Confederates then retreated to Appomattox where Lee finally surrendered.

It should be noted that roughly 1 in 7 attacks during the Civil War failed,

often with heavy losses. The odds were worse against prepared positions and the

Confederate works around sburg were good. Veteran troops would know this

and would not be inclined to attack too vigorously but instead would probably

take cover ASAP. Things would have been worse except that most troops did not

have adequate training with the rifled musket to take full advantage of the new

Minie Ball. If they had, losses would have been even higher.

It should also be noted that both of the generals of the white divisions were no

shows in the attack. At least one is said to have been found in a bombproof

bunker totally drunk.

" The Battle of the Crater " by Newt Gingrich and Forstchen mainly follows

a few troops of the colored division through their training and the actual

battle itself as well as the miners. It does a pretty good job of relating the

battle from the front line to the political maneuvering and infighting of the

Union generals. There are also a number of other history books on the subject.