The lieutenant and commanded the first Nato Training Mission in afghanistan before retiring. He was a very animated and energetic speaker. He always made it interesting. He was first person who ever actually make history something that i wanted to go sit down and talk to because he didnt really teach history nearly as much as he told stories. Isnt that what history really is . Its a story. Its our story. Its the story of what got us here today. So we commemorate the battle crater which is just one story of our nation. Now as i said earlier im not a great story teller so i will leave the details of the battle up to more qualify personnel than myself. And liewis oecpening and introduction of comments thanks for setting the bar so high. Very powerful words. It was awesome so im not going to attempt to tell the story or amplify it or offer any insightful details on how it unfolded but what i would like to talk about is the people. The soldiers who played the parts of the story as it unfold
Runaway slaves and, of course, people come and look for them and take them back into their ownership. Some people dont come looking because they dont live in virginia. Theyre maryland runaways or delaware slaves. Of course, there are free blacks from the north who have enlisted. So theyll be kept in these slave pens right down here in shockoe bottom. And theyll be there if they survive until the war ends. Some of these people rejoin their regiments and they go from missing in action to, you know, what happened to you . So we get the details of what happened to them. Not very great details but at least, you know, which slave pen they may have been held in. And as far as why the confederates dont actually implement their may 1863 law, its the law, i think people forget this. White officers had to be executed if theyre found leading black men to combat, and blacks when captured, which already suggests you dont really need to take them prisoner, are going to be turned over to the state aut
Watching recalled, they made two attacks and they fell like autumn leaves. The georgians leave us some of our best accounts of their anger at the sight of armed black men, such as james verderi of the 48th georgia infantry sharing with his dear sister the day after the battle, the prisoners came leaping over our breastworks by 50 but our men took none, for they, he underlined this part, were niggers. Burnsides ninth army corps. As fast as they came over, the bayonet was plunged through their hearts. The muzzle of our gun was put on their temple and their brains blown out. Others are knocked in the head with the butts of their gun. Few would succeed in getting to the rear safe. Dorsey binian, also the 48th georgian, someone who ought to know about beating black bodies since he had been over he was an overseer before the war began, told his dear sister, mary, just 11 days afterwards, when we got to the works it was filled with negroes and yanks crying out no quarter. When a handtohand co
God the inkarnate. The god who lived as one of us. God who is with us. God who looks like us, god who frees us, god bless you now, may god the life giver, god the devine breath, doed the hogod t maker, the community creator, may the peace revealer, god the comforter of all. May god who moves among us all, god who lifts us into eternal life, god lead us forward today. May god the earth maker, the pain barer, the life giver, bless you and keep you now and always. Amen. Just from me personally i want to thank you all for being here today with us today on 150th anniversary of the battle of crater. Once again superintendent rogers. Just want to be very short and thank you all for coming. I learn when its time for things to be over its time for them to be over. I want to thank fort lee for coming us. People dont realize that people e petersberg used to be a part of fort lee. We were actually cut out of fort lee to be created as a battlefield created by one union and one confederate soldier.
150th anniversary of the battle of the crater, thank you, and welcome to those who have not attended the program this evening. I want to, before we get started, thank yous, specifically for st. Pauls church for allowing us this wonderful venue for our programs earlier today and for the one were about to have here this evening. I would like to thank the rector of the church, rick greenwood. I would also like to thank this evening the senior warden of the church, steven tuck, and steven is in the back, so give him a round of applause because hes keeping this open for tonight. But again, its one of the things we try to do with the programs that weve been offering, especially today, and i dont think we could have had better venues being indoors today with the weather, but we were at Guilfoyle Baptist and i see, mr. Powell, youre here this evening and we appreciate the courtesy we were given this morning with your congregation and here tonight at st. Paul. We chose these two locations becau