Thought this might intrest someone. Sent to other lists. Joy Bracewell Barnwell County, SC Researching Georgia: BRACEWELL/CROSS/DIXON/PORTER/LEWIS and many of their braches. HistoryDaily.com - An Entertaining Look Back By Charles Smith and Trevor Smith July 30, 2002 on this day: In 1864, during the American Civil War, the Battle of the Crater occurred during the Union siege of Petersburg. Facing a Confederate artillery position, the 48th Pennsylvania regiment persuaded General Ulysses S. Grant to allow them to dig a tunnel and place explosives under the Confederate position. Many of these men were miners and were convinced that such an explosion would devastate the rebels. They succeeded in blasting a crater sixty feet wide in the Confederate line. After that, however, everything went wrong. Union solders rushed into the crater, but were disorganized and their commander was in the rear drinking rum. Many of the rank and file were among the first African-Americans to fight for the Union. Once in the crater they became easy targets for the Confederates, who surrounded them. Almost all of the Union soldiers were killed.