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Petersburg, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
 

Prelude to the Crater

— Petersburg National Battlefield —

 
 
Prelude to the Crater Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, April 23, 2007
1. Prelude to the Crater Marker
Inscription. “The mine is all finished, the powder in, the fuse all ready. I hope that the attack will be successful, for if it is, we shall have Petersburg in our possession.”
- Col. Stephen M. Weld, 50th Massachusetts July 28, 1864

The predawn darkness of July 30, 1864, shrouded intense Union preparations on this ridge. Thousands of troops filed quietly into the ravine and trenches in front. More than 160 cannon crowded the earthworks to your right and left. Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside, commander of the attacking force, took his place in the 14-gun battery (Fort Morton) behind you. By 3:30 a.m. all was ready. Only one detail remained: the explosion of the mine.

(map caption) The Federals massed nearly 15,000 men and more than 160 cannons for the attack. Most of the earthworks that protected them were plowed over by the Taylor family after the war.
 
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is July 28, 1864.
 
Location. 37° 13.105′ N, 77° 22.306′ W. Marker is in Petersburg, Virginia. Marker is on Siege Road, 2½ miles south of Oaklawn Boulevard (Virginia Route 36), on
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the right when traveling south. Marker is in Petersburg National Battlefield on the Auto Tour Road at Tour Stop 7. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Petersburg VA 23803, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. A Fatal Error (here, next to this marker); Waiting Their Turn (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Struggle Across Poor Creek (approx. 0.2 miles away); Digging the Mine (approx. ¼ mile away); Ventilation Shaft (approx. ¼ mile away); Joshua L. Chamberlain Promoted “On The Spot” (approx. 0.3 miles away); “A Stupendous Failure” (approx. 0.3 miles away); Confederate Counterattack (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Petersburg.
 
Also see . . .
1. Petersburg National Battlefield. National Park Service. (Submitted on April 12, 2008, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.) 

2. The Battle of the Crater: July 30, 1864. The Siege of Petersburg Online (Submitted on August 28, 2023.) 
 
Marker and Remains of the Taylor Kitchen image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, April 23, 2007
2. Marker and Remains of the Taylor Kitchen
Taylor Kitchen Remains image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, April 23, 2007
3. Taylor Kitchen Remains
All of the Taylor farm buildings were destroyed at the start of the siege. Only the foundations of the Taylor kitchen and slave quarters remain today.
Detail of Marker Map image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, April 23, 2007
4. Detail of Marker Map
Map shows the Confederate and Union fortifications in the vicinity of the marker.
Markers at Taylor Farm. image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, April 23, 2007
5. Markers at Taylor Farm.
There are two markers relating to the Crater at this location. The site of the Crater can be seen in the background.
View of the Crater from Fort Morton image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Bernard Fisher, October 30, 2010
6. View of the Crater from Fort Morton
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on August 28, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 12, 2008, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 1,158 times since then and 9 times this year. Last updated on August 19, 2021, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. Photos:   1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on April 12, 2008, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.   6. submitted on October 31, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.

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Mar. 29, 2024