Battle of the Crater at Petersburg, 30 July 1864

Background. The battle was part of the Siege of Petersburg, a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865. Although popularly known as a siege, it was not a classic encirclement and was not strictly limited to actions against Petersburg. During the siege, enslaved African Americans dug trenches for the Confederacy, while African Americans served in the Union Army of the Potomac as United States Colored Troops — siege-wide context rather than a detail specific to the Crater itself.

Mine Plan. Major General Burnside agreed to a plan suggested by the 48th Pennsylvania regiment, composed of former coal miners. The plan involved digging a mine under a fort named Elliot's Salient in the Confederate entrenchments to ignite explosives for a surprise breakthrough. This occurred during the stalemate of trench warfare in July 1864.

Aftermath. Ledlie was criticized by a court of inquiry into his conduct that September, and in December he was effectively dismissed from the Army by Meade on orders from Grant, formally resigning his commission on January 23, 1865. In early 1865, the Congressional Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War exonerated Burnside and condemned Meade for changing the plan of attack, but this did little good for Burnside, whose reputation had been ruined.