Petersburg National Battlefield VA USA. 6/1988. How many men died in the Battle of the Crater? Losses: Confederate, 361 dead, 727 wounded, 403 missing or captured of 6,100; Union, 504 dead, 1,881 wounded, 1,413 missing or captured of 8,500. Finally, at 4:44 , the charges exploded in a massive shower of earth, men, and guns. A crater (still visible today) was created, 170 feet (52 m) long, 100 to 120 feet (30 to 37 m) wide, and at least 30 feet (9 m) deep. The mine was in a "T"-shape. The approach shaft was 511 feet (156 m) long, starting in a sunken area downhill and more than 50 feet
Petersburg National Battlefield VA USA. 6/1988. How many men died in the Battle of the Crater? Losses: Confederate, 361 dead, 727 wounded, 403 missing or captured of 6,100; Union, 504 dead, 1,881 wounded, 1,413 missing or captured of 8,500. Finally, at 4:44 , the charges exploded in a massive shower of earth, men, and guns. A crater (still visible today) was created, 170 feet (52 m) long, 100 to 120 feet (30 to 37 m) wide, and at least 30 feet (9 m) deep. The mine was in a "T"-shape. The approach shaft was 511 feet (156 m) long, starting in a sunken area downhill and more than 50 feet (15 m) below the Confederate battery, making detection difficult. The tunnel entrance was narrow, about 3 feet (1 m) wide and feet ( m) high. At its end, a perpendicular gallery of 75 feet (23 m) extended in both directions. Grant and Meade suddenly decided to use the mine three days after it was completed after a failed attack known later as the First Battle of Deep Bottom. Union soldiers filled the mine with 320 kegs of gunpowder, totaling 8,000 pounds (3,600 kg). The explosives were approximately 20 feet (6 m) under the Confederate works, and the T-gap was packed shut with 11 feet (3 m) of earth in the side galleries. A further 32 feet (10 m) of packed earth was placed in the main gallery to prevent the explosion blasting out the mouth of the mine. On July 28, the powder charges were armed.
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Location: Petersburg National Battlefield VA USA
Photo credit: © paul jones / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
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Keywords: .., army, battle, battlefield, civil, confederate, crater, national, petersburg, union, usa, va, war
