The Somme Battlefield Tour

OPPOSING VIEWS OF THE 1864 BATTLE OF THE CRATER The explosion of 320 kegs of gunpowder at the end of shaft beneath the Confederate lines at Petersburg on July 30, 1864, was thought to be an easy victory for the U.S. Army. Instead, it proved to be a deathtrap for Union soldiers trapped in the blast hole. Here's two views of the battle, one Northern and another Southern. "Life on the Civil War Research Trail" is hosted by Ronald S. Coddington, Editor and Publisher of Military Images magazine. Lear

The Battle of the Crater was the American Civil War's biggest waste of life. Unionists attacked Confederate lines during the Siege of Petersburg in 1864. They dug a 511-foot tunnel under the Confederates and loaded it with 8000 pounds of gunpowder. They blew up hundreds of Confederate soldiers and created a massive crater. The Union's leadership made colossal errors. They poured troops into the crater instead of flanking the stricken Confederates. The Confederates regrouped and trapped the Union