“A Stupendous Failure”

The explosion cleared the Union path to Petersburg, but instead of pushing through, the first waves of Union attackers stood at the Crater, staring at the scene. This hesitation allowed the Confederates to regroup as Southern batteries fired from right and left and Federal troops crowded into the Crater for protection. A thin line of Confederate survivors formed in the depression beyond the Crater, and although the Federals seized 150 yards of works on each side of it, they advanced no farther. Dazed, confused, and leaderless, they huddled for hours in and around “the horrid pit” while Confederate reinforcements prepared to counterattack.

Petersburg, Virginia · United States