Today in History (general history)/ On This Day in Confederate History/ Confederate General Birthdays, July 30.

Click 👉 Today in History (general history) July 30.

On This Day in Confederate History, July 30.

1864: The Battle of the Crater at Petersburg, Va. took place on this day, one of the epic battles of the war. It was the culmination of Lt. Gen. U.S. Grant's plan to break the Confederate defense line. The attack was carried out by Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside's IX Corps with about 8,500 men. Confederate Maj. Gen. William Mahone led the Confederate counterattack with about 6,100 men. The Federals had a tunnel dug underneath the Confederate fortifications and packed the part underneath the Confederates with 360 barrels of gunpowder. The explosion was ignited beneath the part of the line held by the 18th and 22nd South Carolina and immediately killed 283 Confederates. The huge crater proved to be an obstacle to the Federal troops assaulting the line. Among those assaulted was the U.S. Colored Troops of Brig. Gen. Edward Ferrero, who was seen drinking behind the lines with Maj. Gen. James H. Ledlie. The crater was too deep and became a death trap for the Federals. Confederates under Mahone quickly manned the top of the crater and the battle of a "turkey shoot" for the Southerners. Mahone reinforced Maj. Gen. Bushrod Johnson's Division and some artillery. The Federals lost 504 men killed, 1,881 wounded, and 1,413 missing or captured for a total of 3,798. The Confederates lost 361 men killed, 727 wounded, and 403 missing or captured for a total of 1,491. 

Battle of the Crater by John Adams Elder 1899

It was under Brig. Stephen Elliott's part of the

 line, Elliott's Salient, under which the Yankee 

mine exploded in the Battle of the Crater. He was

asleep in a bomb-proof when it erupted and he 

led his two surviving 

regiments as part of the counterattack

 and was severely wounded in the chest and arm.

Confederate General Birthdays, July 30.

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