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This Wacky Idea Led To One of the Strangest Battles of the Civil War
The Battle of the Crater
In July of 1864, General US Grant’s army had been stalled outside of Petersburg, Virginia. The fortifications around the important Confederate railhead had been extensively dug and reinforced making any frontal assaults hopeless. After initial probing attacks failed in June 1864 the front had settled into a stalemate. Grant did not want to risk heavy losses in any direct assaults while an anxious, reelection bound, Lincoln looked on.
As the stalemate began to drag two of Grant’s subordinates came to him with an odd proposal. Why not dig a long tunnel under the Confederate lines and fill it with explosives? Grant’s interest was piqued. One of the men, Lieutenant Colonel Pleasants, was a mining engineer in his previous life. He assured him that a tunnel could be dug under the Confederate strong points.
Grant was skeptical but gave the plan a green light. At the very least, he thought, it would keep the restless men busy during the hot summer days.
Digging the mine
