Petersburg, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Wasted Valor
Photographed By Bernard Fisher, October 30, 2010
1. Wasted Valor Marker
“The field became a burning, seething, crashing, hissing hell, in which human courage, flesh and bone were struggling with an impossibility.…”
- Capt. Horace H. Shaw, 1st Maine Heavy Artillery
At 4:30 p.m. on June 18, 1864, this regiment of former garrison troops charged across this field toward the Confederate lines near Colquitt’s Salient. As they moved, their supports — veteran regiments who knew the folly of attacking entrenched positions — huddled under cover, leaving the 1st Maine to attack alone. Confederate musketry and artillery devastated the regiment.
For the next ten minutes, the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery lost the equivalent of a man each second: 632 men killed and wounded (out of almost 900 engaged), more than any other regiment in any other single battle of the war. The Confederates, behind earthworks, lost just 25.
Erected by Petersburg National Battlefield Park.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical month for this entry is June 1865.
Location. 37° 13.892′ N, 77° 22.329′ W. Marker is in Petersburg, Virginia. Marker
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Colquitt's Salient (within shouting distance of this marker); Lee's Last Offensive (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Colquitt’s Salient (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); First Maine Heavy Artillery Monument (about 500 feet away); Gracie’s Salient (about 600 feet away); Fort Stedman (about 700 feet away); a different marker also named Fort Stedman (about 700 feet away); A Final Effort (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Petersburg.
More about this marker. On the panel is a painting depicting the forlorn charge of the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery and on the bottom is a Petersburg Time Line.
Also see . . .
1. Petersburg National Battlefield. (Submitted on October 31, 2010.)
2. The First Maine Heavy Artillery. A Regimental History Website based on the book of the same name By Horace H. Shaw and Charles J. House (Submitted on October 31, 2010.)
Photographed By Bernard Fisher, October 30, 2010
2. The field over which the 1st Maine charged - their monument is visible in the distance.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 31, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,038 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 31, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.
