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
Cohesion of a battlefront is lost on both sides, north and south. And so its unclear how many people are stuck in the crater. Theyre stuck in there well enough for one survivor to say that the men who were dead couldnt fall and the living were squirming beneath their feet and blood is running into the tops of their shoes. So i dont know how many that is, but most people on the outside trying to move forward but the problem is they didnt know that these honeycombed bombproofs were behind the battery or a whole other line of confederate earthworks there or that the confederates have just right positioned their artillery to have this enfilading fire, crossfire directly into what had been elliots salient. They thought they knew were all cannon were. Disclaimer. This may be a controversial question. Yes. When the black soldiers were captured and they were going to be sent to prison camps, how come confederates didnt reslave them since they were considered property and there was a proclamati
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
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