Tonight watch as the National Park service commemorates 150th anniversary of the battle. Well also take a look at how the attack failed and why the u. S. Colored troops were unjustly blamed. Author kevin levine on the contribution of the u. S. Colored troops and immediately following the civil war. Here are some of the highlights for twheekd. Friday on cspan and prime time, well visit important sites in the history of the civil rights movement. Saturday night at 8 00, highlights from this years new York Ideas Forum including cancer biologist andrew hessel. On sunday, q a with new york congressman charlie wrangle at 8 00 p. M. Eastern. Friday night at 8 00 on cspan2, indepth. Saturday on afterwards at 10 00, retired neurosurgeon and columnist ben carson. And saturday, Lawrence Goldstone on the competition between the Wright Brothers and glen curtis to be the predominant name in manned flight. American history tv on cspan3 on friday at 8 00 eastern. A look at hollywoods portrayal of slav
Believe that if those black regiments had been allowed to lead the assault, that would have been it. In other words, we can imagine black soldiers marching, charging over blanford hill, right, into petersburg. Thats a very soothing image. I think that tells us more about how we want to remember the war than the battle itself, because anyone who has studied civil war battles, they never go as planned. Right . Theres always something that goes afoul. So is it any surprise that given this massive detonation that no one really can predict what it will do to the landscape and whats beyond it. Remember, its not just that front confederate line they have to deal with. This is a complex sort of maze of bombproofs, traverses. Part of the problem is in the 1920s, the crater battlefield was an 18hole golf course. So a lot of that battlefield has been smoothed over in one way or the other. You really are hardpressed to get a sense of what it would have looked like in the 1860s. So would it have ch
Our invocation will be given by dr. George w. C. Lions. He was pastor here in petersburg. Pray with me in your own tradition as i pray loud in mine. Gracious god, after 150 years of reflection and remembrance, we invoke your name so that you would prod our hearts to remember the lives lost in battle so that we might seek peace in our time. We acknowledge your reconciling presence always at work. Even through battles. Which has brought women and men together from all walks of life from every station and culture. 150 years later in harmony as community. Out of this place of sorrow, make this day a celebration. A celebration of the community of humanity. Our plea remains and all feelings of sexual strife be entirely forgotten and blotted out. In the name of the one who is our ever lasting fortress and peace, amen. Were very fortunate this morning. Weve worked very hard not only is National Park service unit but weve also worked with the u. S. Postal service this morning to make this event
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
Good morning ladies and gentlemen. We thank you this morning for being with us here at Petersburg National battlefield on the 150th anniversary of battle of the crater. My name is chris price. For those of you who were with us this morning at 5 30 we thank you again and welcome you here to the park. I was remarking a few minutes ago, much like it was for the soldiers 150 years ago who were in the oberlin campaign that started in 1864, it has been a long road to petersburg. We started this 150th event for three parks on may 3, at spotsylvania courthouse. We have moved south ever since. It has been quite a feat. It is the first time three parks within a process of these commemorations have shared programming where we have tried to make a continual program of the oberlin campaign rather than look at it as the wilderness, spotsylvania, that this was one continual process for the soldiers 150 years ago. For some of you in the audience we have senior faces before. We know you have been on th