The 48th Pennsylvania in the Battle of the Crater

In June 1864, Grant attempted to seize the Confederate rail hub of Petersburg, Virginia. General P.G.T. Beauregard responded by rushing troops to Petersburg to protect the vital supply lines. A stalemate developed between the entrenched armies. Union commander General Ambrose Burnside advanced the idea of allowing the 48th Pennsylvania--a regiment from the mining town of Pottsville--to tunnel under Confederate entrenchments and place explosives there. The plan should have guaranteed Union victor