The Crater

The Crater (HM4B2)

Location: Petersburg, VA 23803
Buy Virginia State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 37° 13.115', W 77° 22.65'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 511 views
Inscription
"There was utmost consternation. Some men scampered out of the lines; some, paralyzed with fear, vaguely scratched at the counterscarp as if trying to escape. Smoke and dust filled the air."
- Col. William McMaster, 17th South Carolina Infantry

At 4:40 a.m. on July 30, 1864, the men of Captain Richard Pegram's battery and two South Carolina regiments lay sleeping here at Elliot's Salient. A moment later, this place turned into a smoking hole 170 feet long, 80 feet wide, and 30 feet deep. Two hundred and seventy-eight Confederates died in the blast. Two 1,700-pound cannons were hurled completely out of the works.

The depressions of four of the magazines (rooms that held the powder) exploded by Colonel Pleasants's men are still visible inside the Crater.
Details
HM NumberHM4B2
Tags
Placed ByPetersburg National Battlefield - National Park Service - Dept. of the Interior
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Tuesday, September 16th, 2014 at 8:37pm PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)18S E 289050 N 4121769
Decimal Degrees37.21858333, -77.37750000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 37° 13.115', W 77° 22.65'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds37° 13' 6.90" N, 77° 22' 39.00" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)804, 434, 757
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 18276 Siege Rd, Petersburg VA 23803, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Nearby Markersshow on map
Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. Is this marker part of a series?
  2. What historical period does the marker represent?
  3. What historical place does the marker represent?
  4. What type of marker is it?
  5. What class is the marker?
  6. What style is the marker?
  7. Does the marker have a number?
  8. What year was the marker erected?
  9. This marker needs at least one picture.
  10. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  11. Is the marker in the median?