Its about an hour. Good morning. I will prewarn you today you will hear language that we fould repulsive. Im not going to cut it out because it makes us quiver. Well get started. On june 12th, 1864, after fails to defeat robert e. Lees army of northern virginia, Lieutenant General ulysses s. Grant accompanying Major General george g. Meades army of the potomac and a portion of the army of the james pulled away from the fortifications at cold harbor and began the Movement Toward petersburg. Some troops to the bermuda region north of petersburg to begin the attack on the city the following day of june 15th. Petersburg in 1860 had been virginias second largest city. With a population 18,266 folks. Since the war of 1812, it had been referred to as the four railroads radiated from the city by 1860. The Petersburg Railroad which ran south to weldon, north carolina. The richmond in petersburg, obviously connecting those two places. The south side which ran from city point, modern day hopewell
Are spending much time at all training for the crater. I think it gets back to how we tend to want to remember this story. The story of the black Union Soldier is front and center. I couldnt be happier about that. I think theres been a danger in the way the story has been pushed over the last few years. It is the moral narrative of our civil war memory. We want to correct for forgetting about them for so long. I think we tend to gloss over some of the darker sides of black soldiers. I dont think were comfortable talking about black soldiers massacrering others. That doesnt fit into our minds right now. I think we want to believe if those black regiments had been allowed to lead the assault that would have been it. We can imagine black soldiers charging over brandfield hill into petersberg. Thats a very soothing image. Anyone who has studied civil war battles, theres nothing that goes as planned. Is there any surprise given this massive detonation. No one can really predict what it will
The line in defense of our nation is the 1 i want to be apart of. Thats the 1 im proud to be apart of so the next time you see that brand new private or lieutenant, no that they were among that our society had to offer. They had more ability and potential than most of their peers and they still chose to put that uniform on and to help the sacrifices that come with it. They are tomorrows generals and command sergeant majors. They are the future of our nation. I thank you again for the honor of being here to stand in this hollow ground with all of you and to remember this chapter in our history and the people who lived in it and people who died in it. Have a great day. God bless america. [ applause ] our benediction this morning will be given by reverend rick gre greenwood. I fail to mention with pastor lions are gillfield. Both churches represented here this morning were war time congregations here in petersberg. Again, this morning our benediction reverend greenwood. May god the earth
Eligible population, dont even meet the basic requirements to get into todays army. 99 of todays recruits have a High School Diploma or equivalent. An era where 79 of High School Students graduate. Thats 21 times lower rate of dropouts than the national average. Overall, todays recruits are healthier, more physically fit than the vast majority of peers and must adhere to zero tolerance policy on drugs and criminal issues. It is actually statistically easy tosh gier to get into coll enlist, not become an officer, but enlist in the army. Life of a soldiers no secret to them. They join knowing they will endure hard times then will endure sacrifice. They will be charged to keep us safe. The few that make the cut to get in, are willing to make that sacrifice, they are not always easy to find. If it was easy to find, we one need an entire command to recruiting. Those that get in, those that make the cut to get in and make the next cut, to get through training and into a unit, they become par
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