|
Posted on 08/18/2004 10:39:16 PM PDT by SAMWolf
|
|
 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
|
| Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood and support. The FReeper Foxhole hopes to share with it's readers an open forum where we can learn about and discuss military history, military news and other topics of concern or interest to our readers be they Veteran's, Current Duty or anyone interested in what we have to offer. If the Foxhole makes someone appreciate, even a little, what others have sacrificed for us, then it has accomplished one of it's missions. We hope the Foxhole in some small way helps us to remember and honor those who came before us.
|
|
One day late in June, Lt. Col. Henry Peasants, commanding officer of the 48th Pennsylvania Volunteers, assembled his officers in an underground room near the front. "That goddamned fort," he said "is the only thing between us and Petersburg. I have an idea we can blow it up."  Lt. Col. Henry Pleasants, Commanding Officer of the 48th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment which dug the Union tunnel under the Confederate line. He made a sketch of his idea and took it to the commander of the 2nd division, Brigadier General Robert Potter. A few days later, the two of them presented the idea to the commander of IX Corps, Major General Ambrose Burnside. Burnside was well liked by the men of IX Corps, although this feeling did not extend to the rest of the Army of the Potomac. During of a brief stint of commander of that army, he had almost destroyed it in a frontal assault against an entrenched Army of Northern Virginia at Fredrickburg. For all Burnside's faults, however, he was open to innovation. The plan described to Burnside by Potter and Pleasants. A tunnel could be dug under Confederate lines, filled up with explosives, and detonated to breach Lee's defenses. This breach being properly exploited, the siege could be brought to an end. He said that he would take the idea up with Meade, but that Pleasants should begin work on his mine immidiately.  General Ambrose E. Burnside Meade was never completely sold on the idea of the tunnel. However, perhaps due to the influence of Grant, he allowed the project to go forward. During the entire project, Meade would not offer any help to it whatsoever. Grant appears to have been more supportive of the idea. The Lt. General was no doubt attracted to the idea that seemed the only possible way to avoid a protracted siege. Pleasants never got any help in his project. Meade's engineering staff told him this plan would be an impossibility. No such tunnel could be longer than 400 feet, due to the air supply problem. This tunnel was projected to extend for more than 500 feet. Pleasants had to work with what he could get.  Denied issue of picks, he had to make his own with the help of the regimental blacksmiths. He had to send off to Washington to get an astrolabe to measure where the precise location of the powder chamber had to be. Meade's engineers had plenty of these tools, but denied him any requisitions. Lacking any other method to haul away dirt, he used empty hardtack boxes. An abandoned lumbar yard became a source for planks to hold up the sides of his tunnel. To get around the air supply problem, an air shaft was constructed 100 feet into the tunnel, just behind federal lines. With these ingenious field expedient methods, Pleasants had the shaft completed on July 17. They then began digging side-to-side to build the chamber which was to hold 320 powder kegs weighing 25 pounds each (initially, Pleasants had asked for 520 kegs, but Meade ordered the charge reduced). Grant, finally gaining some enthusiasm about the mine, had decided to expand the operation. Immediately after the explosion, there would be a barrage from 144 artillery pieces. In addition, Hancock was to launch a diversionary attack north of the James. This attack was defeated, but did succeed in drawing defenders away from the scene of main effort.  Burnside had by now developed his plan of attack. He would first send in the most recent addition to IX Corps, the fourth division. Made up of two all African-American brigades, it was not only the newest but the most numerous of his divisions. For a week before the eruption, the two brigades drilled in advancing along a narrow front and deploying on both sides of what was expected to be a tremendous crater. It was here that the operation went awry. On the afternoon before the attack, Burnside received notice that the fourth division would not be leading the assault, on orders from Grant and Meade. They felt that, should the operation fail, the two commanders would be accused of callously sacrificing black soldiers to be slaughtered. These are understandable concerns, but the timing of the order left Burnside forced to choose which of his three other divisions, none of which had undergone the training the fourth had, would lead the assault.  Brig. Gen. James H. Ledlie Burnside's method of dealing with this problem can only be described as bizarre. He had his three other division commanders draw straws to see who would lead the assault. General James H. Ledlie, commanding the first division, drew the short straw. Ledlie was a notoriously horrible commander who led the most ate-up division in the entire corps. Burnside himself described the men as such, "They're worthless. They didn't enlist to fight." However, since Ledlie had drawn the position, he was to have it. Murphy's Law had been proven once again. Shortly after midnight on July 30, Burnside had his divisions in position. At 3:15 AM, the fuse was lit. Half an hour passed with no explosion. At 4:00, Pleasants sent in a couple of men to identify the problem. Finding the fuse burned out at the splice, they relit it and ran out of the tunnel as quickly as possible.  The explosion of the mine. At 4:45, an event which has claim to be the greatest man-made explosion up to that point occurred. First, there was a slow, deep rumbling, then, a massive swelling of the ground, followed by a tremendous rising, lifting the fort and its garrison high into the air. The fort then came crashing down. Confederate losses due to the explosion numbered 287. Now a barrage of 110 heavy cannon and 55 mortars opened up, with shells falling on either side of the crater. Ledlie's division began to advance, but were stropped by an unexpected obstacle. Burnside had ordered the Union defensive works to be cleared, but, while trying to determine who would lead the upcoming assault, had neglected to see if his orders had been carried out. Thus, although the Confederate works had been removed by the explosion, the Union works remained intact.  A contemporary sketch by Waud showing the Union charge to the Crater. While hacking out a passage through the Union lines, all order in Ledlie's division was lost. Upon arriving at the tremendous hole measuring sixty feet in width, one hundred seventy feet in length, and thirty feet in depth, they ran into the crater, rather than around it. Rallying quickly, the Confederates moved to the mouth of the crater and began pouring fire down into the pit. No one had thought to bring ladders, and the sides of the crater were far too steep to climb. However, the first division still might have been able to rally had its commander been present. Ledlie spent the entire battle safely behind the lines in a bombproof shelter with a bottle of rum.  Burnside sent his remaining divisions into the fray. However, they continued to storm right into the crater, where they soon found that the walls to too steep to climb out. General Ord attempted to launch an attack in support of Burnside, but found that way barred. Ferrero's fourth division was sent in at 0700. The deployed as they had been drilled, however, Confederate defenders had by this time established a firm presence on the rim of the crater and pushed the attacking black infantry into the crater. They, too, were without their commander. Ferrero had stopped off in Ledlie's bombproof to share a drink. The plan had failed long before Burnside had stopped sending troops into the fray. His behavior was reminiscent of his performance at Fredricksburg. He sent wave after wave into the death trap, expecting a breakthrough where none was possible.  Brig. Gen. Edward Ferrero Meade ordered a general withdrawal at 9:30. However, this was easier said than done. Federal troops were packed so close together, they could not even use their weapons. When some units attempted to break out and retun to their lines, they were mauled by Confederate infantry. Men began surrendering in vast numbers. Black soldiers who surrendered found themselves cut down by fire from the angry southerners. Cries of "Take the white man-kill the nigger!" were heard as the Confederates charged into the crater. Seeing that black soldiers were shot on sight, some officers lied about their units. Lt. Lemuel Dobbs of the 19th U.S. Colored Infantry was so angered by this practice that, when asked what unit he was assigned to, said "Nineteenth Niggers, by god!" Union Losses: 3,793 Confederate Losses (including those killed by the blast): 1,182  Brig. Gen. Robert B. Potter Ledlie was sent home on sick leave, never to return again. Ferrero was transferred to Benjamin Butler's command. What was the idea here? That all the worthless commanders should be gathered in one place, insuring they do the least amount of damage? A court of inquiry report on the battle was so damaging to Burnside that he requested a leave of absence from which he never returned.
|
After obtaining the permission of Burnside and Grant, Pleasants and his men commenced digging their mine shaft on June 25. The lack of proper equipment made it necessary constantly to improvise tools and apparatus with which to excavate. Mining picks were created from straightened army picks. Cracker boxes were converted into hand barrows in which the dirt was removed from the end of the tunnel. A sawmill changed a bridge into timber necessary for shoring up the mine. Pleasants estimated both direction and depth of the tunnel by means of a theodolite (old-fashioned even in 1864) sent him from Washington. The outmoded instrument served its purpose well, however; the mine shaft hit exactly beneath the salient at which it was aimed.
Work on the tunnel had been continuously pushed from the start on June 25. By July 17 the diggers were nearly 511 feet from the entrance and directly beneath the battery in Elliott's Salient. The Confederates had become suspicious by this time, for the faint sounds of digging could be heard issuing from the earth. Their apprehension took the form of countermines behind their own lines. Several of these were dug in an effort to locate the Union gallery. Two were very close, being sunk on either side of where the Pennsylvanians were at work. Although digging in the countermines continued throughout the month of July, Confederate fears seemed to quiet down during the same period. There were many reasons for this. One was the failure of their tunnels to strike any Union construction. Another major reason, undoubtedly, was a belief held by many that it was impossible to ventilate a shaft of any length over 400 feet without constructing air shafts along it.
Digging was finally completed on July 23. Four days later the task of charging the mine with black powder was accomplished. Three hundred and twenty kegs of powder weighing, on the average, 25 pounds each were arranged in the two lateral galleries in eight magazines. The total charge was 4 tons, or 8,000 pounds. The powder was sandbagged to direct the force of the explosion upward and two fuses were spliced together to form a 98-foot line.
Despite these eleventh-hour changes, a plan of battle had been evolved. During the night of July 29—30 the bulk of the IX Corps had assembled in the ravine behind the mine entrance. Troops from other Union corps were sent to act as reinforcements. A total of 110 guns and 54 mortars was alerted to begin their shelling of the Confederate line. A Union demonstration before Richmond had forced Lee to withdraw troops from Petersburg. Only about 18,000 soldiers were left to guard the city.
The awesome spectacle of the mine explosion caused a delay in the Union charge following the explosion. Removal of obstructions between the lines caused further delay. Soon, however, an advance was made to the crater where many of the attacking force paused to seek shelter on its steep slopes or to look at the havoc caused by the mine. The hard-pressed Confederates tallied quickly and soon were pouring shells and bullets into their opponents. Union reinforcements poured into the breach; but, instead of going forward, they either joined their comrades in the crater or branched out to the immediate right and left along the lines. By 8:30 that morning a large part of the IX Corps had been poured into the captured enemy salient. Over 15,000 troops now filled and surrounded the crater.
Successful as these devices were in halting the Union advance, Lee was aware that an infantry charge would be necessary to dislodge the enemy. By 6 a. m. an order had been sent to General Mahone to move two brigades of his division from the lines south of Petersburg to the defense of the threatened position. Then Lee joined Beauregard in observing the battle from the Gee house, 500 yards to the rear of the scene of strife.
Soon it was all over. The Union Army had suffered a loss of over 4,000 in killed, wounded, or captured as against about 1,500 for the Confederates. Again, as on June 15—18, a frontal assault had failed to take the Confederate citadel.
www.civilwarmuster.org
members.aol.com/siege1864
www.oldandsold.com
www.oldgloryprints.com
www.cr.nps.gov
www.hartford-hwp.com
cineclub.de
www.spiegel.de
www.civilwarphotos.net
| 'The disaster on Saturday...was the saddest affair I have witnessed in this war. Such an opportunity for carrying fortifications I have never seen and do not expect again to have.' U.S. Grant to Henry Halleck. August 1st, 1864 'It was a stupendous failure...all due to inefficiency on the part of the corps commander and the incompetency of the division commander who was sent to lead the assault.' From Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant 'Surely such a lot of fools did not deserve to succeed.' Col. Charles Wainwright, U.S. Army (Union losses at the Crater, among the Ninth Corps and the Army of the James troops and associated artillery engaged, were officially reported as 504 killed, 1,881 wounded, and 1,413 missing, for a total of 3,789. |
If you support the policies and character that our current President, George W. Bush, stands for, please drive with your headlights on during the day this coming Sunday.
If you support John Kerry, please drive with your headlights off at night.
Join us at the rally we call:
What: A peaceful remembrance of those with whom we served in Vietnam - those who lived and those who died.
We will tell the story of their virtues and how that contrasts with the lies told by John Kerry.
When: Sunday, Sept. 12, 2004 @ 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT
Where: The West Front of the U.S. Capitol Building, Washington, DC
All Vietnam veterans and their families and supporters are asked to attend. Other veterans are invited as honored guests. This will be a peaceful event--no shouting or contact with others with different opinions. We fought for their rights then, and we respect their rights now. This is NOT a Republican or a pro-Bush rally. Democrats, Republicans and independents alike are warmly invited.
Our gathering is to remember those with whom we served, thereby giving the lie to John Kerry's smear against a generation of fine young men. B.G. "Jug" Burkett, author of "Stolen Valor," will be one of our speakers. Jug has debunked countless impostors who falsely claimed to be Vietnam veterans or who falsely claimed awards for heroism. Jug recommends that we refrain from dragging fatigues out of mothballs. Dress like America, like you do every day. Dress code: business casual, nice slacks, and shirt and shoes. No uniform remnants, please. Unit hats OK.
Selected members will wear badges identifying them as authorized to speak to the media about our event. Others who speak to the media will speak only for themselves.
The program will be controlled in an attempt to stay on-message. Speakers are encouraged not to engage in speculative criticism of John Kerry but (1) to stick to known and undisputed facts about John Kerry’s lies while (2) reminding America of the true honor and courage of our brothers in battle in Vietnam.
Send this announcement to 10 or more of your brothers! Bring them by car, bus, train or plane! Make this event one of pride in America, an event you would be proud to have your mother or your children attend.
Contact: kerrylied.com
My goodness. These two and Burnside prove to be idiots. Glad to see that at least two of them never commanded again.
Good thread Sam. Thanks and good night.
Thanks Snippy. Good Night.
Sure Happy It's Thursday Bump for the Foxhole
Can't wait to read about the first battle on the MOON
Nights are fun
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
Mining required the digging of a tunnel below the foundations of the castle wall. Once these were reached, a large chamber was created underneath the foundations by excavating the soil; the wall above being temporarily supported by wooden props. Between these props the miners placed combustible material. Once the chamber was deemed to be sufficiently large, the combustible material was set on fire and the miners withdrew. The supporting props eventually burned through and the wall collapsed into the chamber. At this point, the attackers would rush the resulting breach in the castle wall. It is evident from contemporary accounts that mining was very much feared by the beseiged. Once a mine was begun, the only defence against it was counter-mining; i.e. the defenders would dig their own tunnel hoping to break in to that of the beseigers and halt its construction. To prevent mining, a castle required a wide and deep moat.
Upon turning on my computer this morning, The Automatic Update popped up to offer a download of XP SP 2. I unchecked the box and clicked close and then OK.
2. (Mil.) To pierce with saps.
3. To make unstable or infirm; to unsettle; to weaken.
v. i. 1. To proceed by mining, or by secretly undermining; to execute saps.
n. 1. (Mil.) A narrow ditch or trench made from the foremost parallel toward the glacis or covert way of a besieged place by digging under cover of gabions, etc.
Sap fagot (Mil.) a fascine about three feet long, used in sapping, to close the crevices between the gabions before the parapet is made.
Sap roller (Mil.) a large gabion, six or seven feet long, filled with fascines, which the sapper sometimes rolls along before him for protection from the fire of an enemy.
The term "sapper" has been associated with engineers for many generations. The origin of this term lies in the French word "sape," meaning undermine and the Middle French word "sap" that was a spade or a hoe. The dictionary defines a "sap" as a trench that is prolonged by digging away the earth from within the trench itself.
In medieval times, when armies laid siege to a fortification, one of the common methods of breaching the defenses was to dig a trench, or "sap," up to the base of the castle wall. A tunnel would then be dug under, or into, the wall. Prior to the introduction of explosives, a breach of the defensive wall would be accomplished by replacing blocks of stone with wooden supports. The supports would then be burned causing a section of wall to collapse. In the French Army, digging a trench under fire was known as "driving a sap" and the men who did this were known as "sapeurs." Thus, the terms "sappers" became associated with engineers. After the discovery of gunpowder, an explosive "mine" was used to breach the wall. This task was, of course, also the responsibility of the engineers.
Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside
Petersburg, Va. Confederate fortifications with chevaux-de-frise beyond
Petersburg, Va. Entrance to mine in Fort Mahone, intended to undermine Fort Sedgwick
The 26th South Carolina was positioned on the left flank of the crater with Elliot's Brigade. The unit lost 72 men in the initial mine blast. My g-g-grandfather was the first sergeant of Charlie Company and was promoted to 2nd Lt. after the battle. He continued the fight until he was shot and captured near Appomattox, Virginia on April 9th, 1865. His leg was amputated due to the wound but he survived and lived for another 33 years until 1898.
Petersburg, Va. Interior view of Confederate works
Petersburg, Va. Heavy gun mounted on inner line of Confederate fortifications
Read: Psalm 84:5-12
The Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. —Psalm 84:11
Bible In One Year: Psalms 103-104; 1 Corinthians 2
There's a circular path in the park where I walk behind our home in Boise, Idaho. When I've walked three times around, I've gone 1 mile.
It's easy to lose count of the laps on my 3-mile walk. So each morning I pick up nine small stones and put them in my pocket, discarding one each time I finish a lap.
I always feel good when there's one stone left in my pocket. It puts spring in my step. I pick up the pace.
It occurs to me that my walk through life is a lot like those daily walks. I've completed three-score and ten years and don't have far to go. That too puts spring in my step.
I'm in no hurry to leave this life, but my times are in God's hands. As the body is breaking down under the weight of the years, there is a grace within that sustains me. I go now "from strength to strength," and in good time I will appear "before God in Zion" (Psalm 84:7,11). That will be glory for me.
Our Lord gives "grace and glory," the psalmist says—grace for our earthly walk and glory when we have finished it. "No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly" (v.11).
Do you need grace today? God gives it with both hands. All you have to do is take it. —David Roper
Imagine the rats!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
