"a very black day"

Today was another big Civil War day for me, visiting the battleground of the Civil War's longest and most absurd battleground, Petersburg VA.  The site is huge, not walkable.  Drivable over a 20 plus mile range.  This area was the last stronghold protecting the capital of the Confederate States, Richmond from the Union Army.  Petersburg was determined, at all costs, to hold back the Union troops and it turned into a 9 1/2  MONTH siege.  That alone should give you an idea of the casualities and calamities facing both sides, not to mention the innocent people of Petersburg town.  From June of 1864 to early April 1865, 10's of 1,000s of troops did the death dance back and forth, gain some ground, lose some ground.  

It should've worked, it could've ended the war if it had but bumbling Burnside (who clearly invented the SIDE BURN) couldn't get his act together and instead managed to create one of the most horrific embarrassing loses for the Union.  But it could've worked....

Union troops, frustrated with the neverending battle dug a 500 yard tunnel directly under Confederate lines and packed that tunnel with enough dynamite to blow up a city.  On the early morning of July 30th, Burnside ordered the fuse lit and, as they hoped, the hole it blew was monumental (because the dynamite for the rebels was there too).  100s of feet in every direction which were filled with sleeping Confederate soldiers and supplies. (picture on top) And then the Union troops, INCLUDING A BLACK CORPS OF UNION SOLDIERS rushed in to finish the job.  BUT somehow things went so very wrong.  The Union troops were stunned at the damage inside this giant crater but were ORDERED to go into the crater to finish off the rebels there.  They did, MOSTLY the Black Corps IX.  Problem was, the walls were so steep from the blast that no one could get out!  That gave General Mahone (looking very wild west) of the Rebels a chance to organize and boy did he ever!  Like mad hornets, the rebels swept around the lip of that crater and killed anything that moved BUT THAT'S NOT THE WORST OF IT!!!!  (and this doesn't get much press but I have been assured it's true).  The UNION troops fighting with the rebels there turned THEIR guns on the Black troops!  They said they didn't want to be killed along with the Black Troops.  SO MUCH FOR EQUALITY FOR ALL.  

The good news is Burnside got sacked for the whole mess but it certainly didn't bring back those 2,000 Black Union soldiers and Rebels.  

Tomorrow is Richmond.  It will be a busy amazing day.  Hugs from the road.