October 27, Sunday, we leave at 8:45 and drive to the Petersburg National Battlefield. General Grant has to capture Richmond, capital of the Confederacy, but he has been stopped several times. Will he succeed in Petersburg? Petersburg was a railroad junction leading into Richmond. It was crucial to cut off the supplies so that General Lee could not feed his army.
The flag of the 200th Pennsylvania Infantry had 19 bullet holes in its last battle. This unit was one of the first from the Union to enter Petersburg on April 3.
The Confederate flag of the 12th Virginia Infantry was shot in half and had 75 bullet holes before it was repaired. This flag was surrendered at Appomatox.
The troops advanced up both of these roads, four abreast. These were typical roads at that time. The monument honors the "colored troops" who fought here.
National Park Service Ramdy Watkins, wearing a Comfederate uniform, explains the battle to us. The little building in the right background would have sheltered forty men. It looks big enough for four men. The chimneys were made of wood and often caught fire.
Bundles of horizontal sticks across the top of the barrier are called fascines. Vertical bundles (on the left) that look like wicker are called gabions.
A fence of slanted slats around a dugout area or wide ditch is called a frise, or cheval de frise to keep out the cavalry.
A similar fortification is called an abatis. It consists of branches of trees laid in a row with the sharpened tops pointed outwards towards the enemy. Sometimes the branches are laced with wire. This is a forerunner of barbed wire. It was used in Roman Imperial times and up to the American Civil War.
At the Battle of the Crater, a unit of Pennsylvania coalminers tunneled under the Confederate troops, filled the tunnel with gunpowder and lit it. They had to relight it. Then it exploded causing trmendous damage, but somehow the Union men instead of attacking around the crater created by the explosion, rushed straight ahead and were easy targets by the Confederate riflemen. It was called a Stupendous Failure. Grant said "it was the saddest affair of the war". July 30, 1864 Why did the Union soldiers rush ahead instead of going around the crater? The most likely explanation is that they heard enemy fire and went into the crater for protection.
Now off to Pamplin Historical Park, a wonderful museum and property including a crucial battlefield and a plantation, among other things. First we had a catered lunch of pulled pork, fried chicken, baked beans,potato salad, corn bread, biscuits, cole slaw and peach cobbler. A very typical Southern meal! The Pamplin Museum was created by Robert Pamplin who became wealthy as the CEO of Georgia Pacific. This property was his family's home.
The museum here is unique. Wonderful displays of army life, but the distinction here is that you assume the role of a soldier...there are about twelve to choose from. I chose Sgt. William Jeffrey Bull from Missouri. As I went through the museum, my audio device would tell me about Sgt. Bull's reasons for enlisting, how he joined, spent his days waiting for battle and how he fared in the battle. Bob selected a soldier from North Carolina and learned about his time in the war. You could easily send 2-3 hours here, but we had 40 minutes. You could also choose whether you wanted to go down the road where there was gunfire, or go around it. We each chose the road where there was fighting, and we could feel the shaking of the ground under our feet as the cannons fired.
Another example of a frise surrounding a trench
After that we visited a campfire and a man told us about the food and living conditions there. The food was hard tack, either bread or salt pork that had been compressed to preserve it. If it had mold on it, you scraped it off; if it had worms, you dipped it in your coffee and the worms float to the top and you skim them off. You had to learn to load and fire your musket rifle in 20 seconds, and it was about a four step process... First Biting the paper around the minie ball and gunpowder, which is why you had to have four front teeth...if you didn't, you were marked 4F and could not join the army. You put the ammunition in the gun, pulled the ram rod by the side of the gun, turned it around and rammed the bullet down into the rifle. Then you cocked the gun. But you did not want to go off half-cocked, you finished cocking, then you were ready to aim and shoot.
The battle fought here, called the Breakthrough, was a Union victory, allowing the troops to create an opening in the Confederate defensive lines, forcing the Confederates to retreat from their fortifications. This allowed the Union to cut off the railroads and the supplies going to Richmond, thus requiring evacuation of the Confederate capital. Lee retreated towards Appomattox hoping to connect with Johnston's Army of Tennessee coming from North Carolina, but Grant defeated Lee. The surrender was signed in Appomatox.
A hero of this battle was Captain Charles Gould of the 5th Vermont, the first man over the fortification, who received a bayonet through his cheeks. He pulled it out, then was slashed on his head. Eventually he was drsgged, bleeding, by his troopsback to his camp. He lived to be in his 80's!
It was not totally the end of the war. A few more battles were fought on other fronts.
Back to our hotel via Monument Avenue with its beautiful antebellum homes and dramatic statues. We try to find the one where we stayed in 1985, but it has been 28 years and we are not sure which one was our Bed and Breakfast. On to the hotel...dinner is on our own tonight. After many meals of fine dining, we opt to go to the hotel bar for a light supper. The bar is actually part of the wonderful Lemaire restaurant, somewhat like a sunroom with deep rose banquettes and large windows with views of people coming and going on the street. Still pretty sumptuous.
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