Wow!! Thank you for sharing this!!! What a time they lived and served in!!! We have our freedoms to enjoy thanks to so many like your 3rd great Grandfather!!! We owe so much to them and their bravery! Would today's boys and men have that same bravery in today's world!? Definitely not! Those who complain about our Nation and the rights that accompany all who are born on American soul need a little history lesson and need to think about who these brave soldiers were and those they left behind to serve and lose their lives if it was needed and many never came home or had horrible injuries in a time where medicine was not what it is today! Let's see how fast they run away and run home to mama in today's world!!! 🇱🇷🇱🇷🇱🇷🇱🇷🇱🇷
A truly awesome video!! I'm from Singapore and have a keen interest in the American Civil War. Your channel is amazing! Thank you for the videos, knowledge and insight. It's truly sad the way in which these men lost their lives. May they all rest in peace 🌷
This is why we don't destroy our history. Every American needs to be able to visit these places. We need to talk about what happened, and why, and talk about the people involved. I really enjoyed this video. I have been to three battlefields and I will visit more. A large price in blood was paid by young men for us to have a Nation. We should care about that.
I agree . How can we judge these soldiers by todays standard? It’s not right to erase history. We don’t feel what they feel and we didn’t live the way they did.
Things are very different now. Technology and those that are in control will be our enemy. It is inevitable and so is the singularity. I hope I'm wrong,and those we lost fighting for family and neighbors was not in vain.
I visited the Crater several years ago. I am so sorry that I couldn't have seen this program prior to that visit. I have been a member of the American Battlefield Trust and formerly the Civil War Trust for many years. It is a very worthwhile organization!
One of The Best Ever On The Crater , so well Done ...Better than a book you are there......Our History We Live Now Much Better Because we dont forget our History...Thank YOU .
Wow. Thank you so much for this video. I not only felt like I was "present", but your comprehensive and enthralling discussion taught me more than all the books I've ever read on the subject. Thank you!❤
Awesome to watch Garry (@17:15) an incredibly knowledgeable civil war historian watch Will speak like he was a 12 year old kid listening to his grandfather! So cool! NEVER STOP LEARNING!
Such an outstanding video. The moment he describes the Yankee staff officers raising their kepis to draw fire and him rising with a burlap sack on his head was incredible 😂
You guys are THE BEST tour guides. I've been on many Nat. Park Ranger tours but I hate to say it but some of them are so long winded and dull. You folks hit the important facts and make the war come alive. THANK YOU!
You help bring alive the events that happen at the Battle of the Crater. I love learning about US History. These brave men involved in the civil war should be remembered. Love the video guys, thanks for sharing.
I grew up in Prince George, on the southeast border of Petersburg. My boy scout troop would visit every so often. I remember that at certain stops on the tour you could push a button and hear a recording of what happened. At the entrance to the mine they placed the speaker inside the door and it was pretty cool to hear the story of how the fuse went out from inside the mine! That was back in the early 80's. That one guy may have still been a park ranger then. The main building at the beginning of the tour used to have a giant relief map of the area and would project Union and Confederate movements in different colored lights down on it. Kinda like a planetarium.
My son and I visited the Crater a few years ago. Too bad we hadn’t seen this video first. It’s so well done. I had read about the Crater, but not much the history you shared here. Thank you!
My 3rd great grandfather died of wounds received in this battle. Pvt William B. Northrop, Company H, 1st Michigan Sharpshooters. He left a wife and five children under ten years old. I, like many, had family on both sides in that terrible war. Your description is well told. So grim and so tragic. This is a place I feel compelled to visit one day.
My great great grandfather, Charles H DePuy was in 1st Michigan Sharpshooters as well. He also fought in this battle. I was never told about what happened there, just small snippets of what he did there (she excluded anything that would haunt a child). I can't imagine how terrifying it would have been.
Fantastic video series gentlemen (and Garry). My wife and I were fortunate to hear Mr. Greene at a Trust dinner where he spoke on Petersburg and his book. He is THE MAN for this Battlefield, thank you for doing this.
That was in depth and succinct lads. Being a Brit I'd only heard of the explosion on the Messine ridge in the first WW so this was an eye opener. Thanks for the work. Going to look into what happened to J Ledley hiding in his bomb proof hide hole where he was probably drunk. What a mess.
I love this channel, but the camera work is SO FRUSTRATING! When the presenter gestures toward something and say's "that's where such-and-such was" or "imagine the Union line on that bluff"- TURN THE CAMERA TO THAT SPOT! It's as if the camera guy is so enraptured by the speaker that he forgets the audience is not on the battlefield and can not turn their heads to see what he's pointing to. This is a consistent and frustrating problem with many of these videos and it really affects the viewer experience. If you worry about too many camera movements, then keep the camera on the speaker while he's talking, but AFTER he's done go back and take B-roll of the terrain he spoke of. You can edit that footage into the video later. Frankly, adding a lot more b-roll footage of the battlefield while he speaks would greatly improve the quality of this and other videos. Honestly, sometimes I think the presenters (especially the ABT regulars) consider themselves to be the subject of the video more than the battlefield itself. We appreciate your hard work, but a good video should include primarily footage of the subject (the battlefield) with video of the presenter being only secondary.
That’s a huge problem with TV in general. A few years back, I deliberately counted minutes of time spent on visual content against time spent on the presenters in 45 minutes of a travel programme. Just shy of 35 minutes of the program concentrated on 6 different presenters and just over 10 minutes concentrated on the place we were meant to be seeing..,.,., I loved this particular tour though!
Yes he has much passion for this!!! I wonder if he has relatives in his family tree who served on either side? This video and the one about the covered ways are the first two I've ever seen starting today! I will be watching many more! Thank you for your time and effort that goes into making this come to life! We really should never forget our wonderful country's history!!!!!!!
When I get a good chunk of cash (a couple of 10 thousand), I'm going to donate it to this group. Outstanding. O God, help us remember our past so we can live brighter futures. ☦️
Fantastic video. Using an aerial view of the battlefield with satellite imagery (i.e. Google Maps or Bing) is also very helpful while watching the video.
Yes absolutely Brilliant Video.... I seen the movie Cold mountain and now seeing the actual location gives a enormous understanding of the events that took place....❤️💯❤️💯❤️
Thankyou for presenting such a thorough and informative explanation of the battle. The American Civil War seems to have been excessively brutal and tragic and still has a rawness to it that hasn't faded greatly with time.
The federal forces blew up the mine directly under the Tramp Brigade's position (under command of Brig. Gen. Stephen Elliott). During the ensuing battle, the regiments of the Tramp Brigade were dispersed as follows: from left to right were the 26th, 17th, 18th, 22nd, and 23rd South Carolina with Pegram's Battery between 18th and 22nd. The mine directly under the 18th and 22th. I have ancestor of Private Richard O. Howe of Company H, 18th Regiment who was at the battle. He was seriously wounded and didn't fully recover until spring of 1865.
My g-g-grandfather was there with Company C of the 26th South Carolina Infantry Regiment, which lost 72 men in the mine explosion. He survived the battle and continued to fight until he was wounded and captured at the Battle of Sayler's Creek near Appomattox in April of 1865.
My GG Grandfather M.P. Hamilton was in the charge that took back the Crater. Co.B, 11th Ala. Infantry. He was wounded in his right knee but was able to keep his leg from amputation. I have a U.S. belt buckle that I wear daily and tell those who ask about it, that my grandfather took the belt off a dead Yankee to make a tourniquet with it.
Just visited there today June 29th was there 9 AM. By myself. And no other tourist. Was warm for 9 am mid 80s humid sunny. My hair stood up and got chills. I had to leave.
I have a 3rd great grandfather that died in battle on july 22 1864 .But there were no battles that i can find that were going on around Richmond on that day. He was with the 56th Va infantry.
The Battle of the Crater was the first time that Robert E Lee was dissatisfied and critical of Bushrod Johnson. Bushrod Johnson joined Longstreet's Corp, and went with them to Virginia. R E Lee was there to watch it, as Bushrod Johnson failed to act promptly; it was Mahone who acted decisively and saved the day.
Thanks again, your video filled in a lot of historical gaps I was unaware of. My second great grandfather, Corporal George Smith fought with the 100th PA regiment at the Crater and survived. I believe their regimental colors were ripped in half by the Alabama brigade.
My GG Grandfather was a confederate killed in the initial explosion from NC. I have a letter written from him 2 days before he died. He spoke of boredom and hard times. He left a wife, and three children only to wonder what has become of him.
Grant had done these mine shafts at Vixksburg and they didn't work then. He knew it wasn't going to work now but he didn't care as long as he kept his men busy doing something.
In his memoir Grant stated that he never saw such an opportunity wasted as the attack on the crater. He knew it could've had a better outcome than the one delivered.
Brilliant video. I only have one complaint, which is the assertion that we will never know if there are any remaining sections of the mineshaft. Even if we can only find a 5 or 10 ft section, it would be worth every last penny to attempt to preserve and document it, would it not? The technology exists. Why on earth are no attempts being made?
No point in preserving a dirty tunnel. I personally think a group like the American Battlefield Trust should acquire a portion of land not part oft he battlefield, but in the vicinity and recreate the crater to help visitors interpret the battle.
![ARGENTINA vs. BOLIVIA [6-0] | RESUMEN | ELIMINATORIAS SUDAMERICANAS | FECHA 10](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/C3wPtKNbAOA/mqdefault.jpg)
Brilliant, thank you, Will, Garry, and Doug. My GGGrandfather, GW Emmons of the 32nd Maine, has 'Captured at the Crater' on his tombstone.
Wow!! Thank you for sharing this!!! What a time they lived and served in!!! We have our freedoms to enjoy thanks to so many like your 3rd great Grandfather!!! We owe so much to them and their bravery! Would today's boys and men have that same bravery in today's world!? Definitely not! Those who complain about our Nation and the rights that accompany all who are born on American soul need a little history lesson and need to think about who these brave soldiers were and those they left behind to serve and lose their lives if it was needed and many never came home or had horrible injuries in a time where medicine was not what it is today! Let's see how fast they run away and run home to mama in today's world!!! 🇱🇷🇱🇷🇱🇷🇱🇷🇱🇷
God bless the stars and stripes forever and blessings "Old Glory" and America for eternity!!!
My last name is Emmons. I never come across any other's. I suppose I need to do some digging.
Your GGGrandfather is a true American hero.
2 of my 3rd great grandfathers was there in Wilcox brigade 8th Alabama infantry
A truly awesome video!! I'm from Singapore and have a keen interest in the American Civil War. Your channel is amazing! Thank you for the videos, knowledge and insight. It's truly sad the way in which these men lost their lives. May they all rest in peace 🌷
This is why we don't destroy our history. Every American needs to be able to visit these places. We need to talk about what happened, and why, and talk about the people involved. I really enjoyed this video. I have been to three battlefields and I will visit more. A large price in blood was paid by young men for us to have a Nation. We should care about that.
I agree . How can we judge these soldiers by todays standard? It’s not right to erase history. We don’t feel what they feel and we didn’t live the way they did.
Things are very different now. Technology and those that are in control will be our enemy. It is inevitable and so is the singularity. I hope I'm wrong,and those we lost fighting for family and neighbors was not in vain.
The man in the Bear's cap is one hell of a storyteller. He had me on the edge of my chair.
I visited the Crater several years ago. I am so sorry that I couldn't have seen this program prior to that visit. I have been a member of the American Battlefield Trust and formerly the Civil War Trust for many years. It is a very worthwhile organization!
Thank you for your continued support!
One of The Best Ever On The Crater , so well Done ...Better than a book you are there......Our History We Live Now Much Better Because we dont forget our History...Thank YOU .
Wow. Thank you so much for this video. I not only felt like I was "present", but your comprehensive and enthralling discussion taught me more than all the books I've ever read on the subject. Thank you!❤
Awesome to watch Garry (@17:15) an incredibly knowledgeable civil war historian watch Will speak like he was a 12 year old kid listening to his grandfather! So cool! NEVER STOP LEARNING!
Such an outstanding video. The moment he describes the Yankee staff officers raising their kepis to draw fire and him rising with a burlap sack on his head was incredible 😂
What a fantastic presentation of such a tragic, bloody and massacre part of our civil war.
Amazing!..love learning new tid-bits of US Civil War..love you guys! Tak from Denmark!
You guys are THE BEST tour guides. I've been on many Nat. Park Ranger tours but I hate to say it but some of them are so long winded and dull. You folks hit the important facts and make the war come alive. THANK YOU!
This is the best retelling of the events of this battle.
Absolutely beautiful tribute to this horrific battle.
Will Green is a born storyteller.
Thank you for a solemn, fascinating, presentation
When I was younger, my brothers and I used to run down into the Crater. No one protected the site in the late 1950
Great video: thank you!
It's interesting how those charging into the crater were planning to "give no quarter" and received none in return.
We only know they received none, anyone can claim anything and I wouldn’t trust much of a confederates word regarding slaves and rebellion
@@DarronMoe That's racist
You help bring alive the events that happen at the Battle of the Crater. I love learning about US History. These brave men involved in the civil war should be remembered. Love the video guys, thanks for sharing.
I grew up in Prince George, on the southeast border of Petersburg. My boy scout troop would visit every so often. I remember that at certain stops on the tour you could push a button and hear a recording of what happened. At the entrance to the mine they placed the speaker inside the door and it was pretty cool to hear the story of how the fuse went out from inside the mine! That was back in the early 80's. That one guy may have still been a park ranger then. The main building at the beginning of the tour used to have a giant relief map of the area and would project Union and Confederate movements in different colored lights down on it. Kinda like a planetarium.
You are the best teachers I’ve ever heard
This was superb. I learned several important points about the battle. I salute Will Greene. Masterful.
My dad dug in the crater back in the 70s. Crazy stuff there. Golf balls, trash, then animal bones and a marker in the center of the crater.
Outstanding history lesson. Thank You
Love the history lesson. I am a history buff and appreciate the work y’all have put into these videos.
This was a Brilliant battlefield tour. Well and truly appreciated. I’m now all set to delve deeper into this Crater. Thanks sincerely!
That was great. I can’t tell you how much I learned about this episode in The Civil War.
Thank you so much for the preservative of our united history
My son and I visited the Crater a few years ago. Too bad we hadn’t seen this video first. It’s so well done. I had read about the Crater, but not much the history you shared here. Thank you!
My 3rd great grandfather died of wounds received in this battle.
Pvt William B. Northrop, Company H, 1st Michigan Sharpshooters.
He left a wife and five children under ten years old.
I, like many, had family on both sides in that terrible war.
Your description is well told. So grim and so tragic.
This is a place I feel compelled to visit one day.
My great great grandfather, Charles H DePuy was in 1st Michigan Sharpshooters as well. He also fought in this battle. I was never told about what happened there, just small snippets of what he did there (she excluded anything that would haunt a child). I can't imagine how terrifying it would have been.
Wow, this video showed up and I'm only 10 minutes from the battlefield. Cheers for covering this!
Fantastic video series gentlemen (and Garry). My wife and I were fortunate to hear Mr. Greene at a Trust dinner where he spoke on Petersburg and his book. He is THE MAN for this Battlefield, thank you for doing this.
What a well done tour and history! Thank you.
That was in depth and succinct lads. Being a Brit I'd only heard of the explosion on the Messine ridge in the first WW so this was an eye opener.
Thanks for the work.
Going to look into what happened to J Ledley hiding in his bomb proof hide hole where he was probably drunk.
What a mess.
Thank you so much. I had never heard of this battle then saw it featured in the movie Cold Mountain. Very informative.
Already read volume I. Hurry up with Volume II Mr. Greene. :) Thank you!
Thank you all for your time and exceptional expertise. What a wonderful series of videos .
Great content! Thank You for sharing. ABT and it’s members doing awesome work preserving our history. 🤙
I love this channel, but the camera work is SO FRUSTRATING! When the presenter gestures toward something and say's "that's where such-and-such was" or "imagine the Union line on that bluff"- TURN THE CAMERA TO THAT SPOT! It's as if the camera guy is so enraptured by the speaker that he forgets the audience is not on the battlefield and can not turn their heads to see what he's pointing to. This is a consistent and frustrating problem with many of these videos and it really affects the viewer experience. If you worry about too many camera movements, then keep the camera on the speaker while he's talking, but AFTER he's done go back and take B-roll of the terrain he spoke of. You can edit that footage into the video later. Frankly, adding a lot more b-roll footage of the battlefield while he speaks would greatly improve the quality of this and other videos. Honestly, sometimes I think the presenters (especially the ABT regulars) consider themselves to be the subject of the video more than the battlefield itself. We appreciate your hard work, but a good video should include primarily footage of the subject (the battlefield) with video of the presenter being only secondary.
We hear you. Our production team is stretched thin and thus our main team is not at every shoot. We will continue to improve.
@@AmericanBattlefieldTrust Thank you for your response and for listening to the feedback of a viewer. And thank you for your hard work!
That’s a huge problem with TV in general. A few years back, I deliberately counted minutes of time spent on visual content against time spent on the presenters in 45 minutes of a travel programme. Just shy of 35 minutes of the program concentrated on 6 different presenters and just over 10 minutes concentrated on the place we were meant to be seeing..,.,.,
I loved this particular tour though!
Fantastic narration! Many thanks, Rob, Far North Queensland, Australia
I like this guy, he speaks as if he were there....very engaging.
Yes he has much passion for this!!! I wonder if he has relatives in his family tree who served on either side? This video and the one about the covered ways are the first two I've ever seen starting today! I will be watching many more! Thank you for your time and effort that goes into making this come to life! We really should never forget our wonderful country's history!!!!!!!
He grasps that these events though not in our lifetimes were yesterday.
Excellent tour.
All of you at the American Battlefield Trust (videos) are MARVELOUS....sorry, but my fav is Garry. Thank you!
Wow , what a great presentation of this battle , thanks for the efforts on making this video
Outstanding description - I’ve read about the crater in numerous books and you did a great job explaining it...
When I get a good chunk of cash (a couple of 10 thousand), I'm going to donate it to this group. Outstanding. O God, help us remember our past so we can live brighter futures. ☦️
Nice to see my hometown like this..Very historic place..Am a Dinwiddie boy...GOOOO GENERALS!!!
Excellent presentation.
This is undoubtedly one of the best videos I have ever seen on RUclips. Informative, entertaining, harrowing and extraordinary. Well done.
Well done!! I look forward to more videos like this and keep up the GREAT WORK!!
Best rendition of the battle I've ever seen. Well done.
Superb war guide. No hoorah, just great re-telling.
Thank you for all you do; Hubbardton Battlefield here in Vermont would certainly benefit from one of your videos. Stay well.
My Great, Great , Great, Grandfather was here. Pennsylvania Union Corps. Battle of Petersburg. Command of General Meade . Philadelphia. Native.
This was a great tour. Thank you.
Absolutely outstanding content
Excellent video tour!
A great lecture. Thank you
So well done and such eloquence by Mr. Greene.
I live on crater road! I was here just a week before yall
i loved this and recognize the cemetery of lost soldiers ...doing their best
Thank you
Fantastic video. Using an aerial view of the battlefield with satellite imagery (i.e. Google Maps or Bing) is also very helpful while watching the video.
awesome video thank u so much
Yes absolutely Brilliant Video.... I seen the movie Cold mountain and now seeing the actual location gives a enormous understanding of the events that took place....❤️💯❤️💯❤️
I enjoyed your presentation and you made the battle understandable, thank you.
You guys are great.thank you!
wonderful story telling, thank you
Thank you as ever. Always revelatory and erudite
You guys are the best!
Thankyou for presenting such a thorough and informative explanation of the battle.
The American Civil War seems to have been excessively brutal and tragic and still has a rawness to it that hasn't faded greatly with time.
Excellent! Thank you.
The federal forces blew up the mine directly under the Tramp Brigade's position (under command of Brig. Gen. Stephen Elliott). During the ensuing battle, the regiments of the Tramp Brigade were dispersed as follows: from left to right were the 26th, 17th, 18th, 22nd, and 23rd South Carolina with Pegram's Battery between 18th and 22nd. The mine directly under the 18th and 22th. I have ancestor of Private Richard O. Howe of Company H, 18th Regiment who was at the battle. He was seriously wounded and didn't fully recover until spring of 1865.
My g-g-grandfather was there with Company C of the 26th South Carolina Infantry Regiment, which lost 72 men in the mine explosion. He survived the battle and continued to fight until he was wounded and captured at the Battle of Sayler's Creek near Appomattox in April of 1865.
BEST video yet. By far. Far.
Wow fantastic guide work. I could watch and listen to him narrate the entire war. 👍
My GG Grandfather M.P. Hamilton was in the charge that took back the Crater. Co.B, 11th Ala. Infantry. He was wounded in his right knee but was able to keep his leg from amputation. I have a U.S. belt buckle that I wear daily and tell those who ask about it, that my grandfather took the belt off a dead Yankee to make a tourniquet with it.
Thank you for these
A terrific documentary of this battle. My Ggrandfather fought with Mahome’s Virginians.
Thank you, Sir, for a very informative and interesting lecture. Mr Will Greene knows his subject well.
Just visited there today June 29th was there 9 AM. By myself. And no other tourist. Was warm for 9 am mid 80s humid sunny.
My hair stood up and got chills. I had to leave.
This was great! I was just there and this really added to my experience and appreciation of the battlefield, Thanks!
I have a 3rd great grandfather that died in battle on july 22 1864 .But there were no battles that i can find that were going on around Richmond on that day. He was with the 56th Va infantry.
Battle of Atlanta happen July 22 1864
Amazing video. Thanks so much for what y’all do.
The Battle of the Crater was the first time that Robert E Lee was dissatisfied and critical of Bushrod Johnson. Bushrod Johnson joined Longstreet's Corp, and went with them to Virginia. R E Lee was there to watch it, as Bushrod Johnson failed to act promptly; it was Mahone who acted decisively and saved the day.
Wonderful video, great job guys
Eloquent and sensitive recounting of a miserable few days in American history. Well done.
WOW! So Very Interesting!!! Thank you!
Thanks again, your video filled in a lot of historical gaps I was unaware of. My second great grandfather, Corporal George Smith fought with the 100th PA regiment at the Crater and survived. I believe their regimental colors were ripped in half by the Alabama brigade.
Company H
Any word on when Mr. Greene's next volume on the Petersburg campaign is expected to be completed???
My GG Grandfather was a confederate killed in the initial explosion from NC. I have a letter written from him 2 days before he died. He spoke of boredom and hard times. He left a wife, and three children only to wonder what has become of him.
from a son of the union, respect to your Grandfather and his struggle
Very Informative and well done 👏
I remember going here while on vacation with my grandma in the mid 1990s when I was about 10 or so.
IT'S A TURKEY SHOOT......
WHAT!!!???
Well done.
This is cool!
My GG Grandfather was there 51st Pa. Great presentation
Very interesting ,thank you.
Grant had done these mine shafts at Vixksburg and they didn't work then. He knew it wasn't going to work now but he didn't care as long as he kept his men busy doing something.
In his memoir Grant stated that he never saw such an opportunity wasted as the attack on the crater. He knew it could've had a better outcome than the one delivered.
A very excellent explanation of this battle and it makes me sick what Congress, and others are doing about this defining war.
Brilliant video. I only have one complaint, which is the assertion that we will never know if there are any remaining sections of the mineshaft. Even if we can only find a 5 or 10 ft section, it would be worth every last penny to attempt to preserve and document it, would it not? The technology exists. Why on earth are no attempts being made?
No point in preserving a dirty tunnel. I personally think a group like the American Battlefield Trust should acquire a portion of land not part oft he battlefield, but in the vicinity and recreate the crater to help visitors interpret the battle.