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 do to the landscape and whats yon it remember its not that confederate front line that theyll have to deal with. In the 1920s, the crater ed about battlefield was an 18 hole golf course. Youre really hardpressed to get a sense of what it looked like in the 1880s. Would it have changed anything . I dont know. No idea. I have a question about mahone. Im quite fascinated with him as i am benjamin butler, too. My question to you is about mahones ability to influence, communicate, what you found out about that. You must have been quite charismatic because i see how you can pull off being on one side of the war and then turning around and running under a republican ticket and also getting the Africanamerican Community to back him after screaming fort pillow on the battlefield. So i want to know more about hi, pers his personality. Im assuming he must be ca charismatic like a clinton. Thats an interesting question. For me reading of what i could read of his letters and especially what others wrote about him, hes kind of difficult to really decipher. I found him kind of this theres this wall in front of mahone. I will say this much about him. He hes very adept at utilizing his war record to get what he wants. Its not surprising because after the war mahone he becomes hes the president of this huge conglomerate of railroads very controversial here in virginia. Hes got to play to the virginia government for permission to do things and assuage the concerns of local communities. He does this primarily by pushing his war record. He goes to reunions, the most popular popular reunions. Its interesting pause he doesnt fit the mold of the lost cause confederate. Hes not concerned about whether or not the war was about slavery or not. He was concerned about the future of virginia. That comes through loud and clear not concerned about refighting the war. He does love his veterans thats for sure. So i dont have a sense of his emotional life at all. I think in part is because so little of his writing is accessible. Im sort of brushing off your question but i hate to do so but i think thats the kind of thing that explains his success. He makes concern political alliances. They take full advantage of this. I know there was passed around the black Community Giving him a cane with a gold tip. The context of that is very important. Of course you can see that as kind of playing to mahones ego a little bit. We really love you. Right . To everyone loved mahone in the black community so it goes without saying. Maybe i can give you references but thats the best can i do. In your research of general mahone did you find any writings where he reflected back upon surviving the south ham ton slavery revolt in 1821. Thats a great question. Nothing explicit. I think its important to remember that he probably would have grown up. He was born in monroe so hes not from the large slave holding class. So Nothing Specific but theres to doubt that mahone and others in that pat of virt of virginia have grown up hearing stories about gnat turners rebellion or violent slave rebellions throughout the early part of what i tried to do was to fit that response into the broader context of slave rebellions. Those that actually happened and those whoa were rumors. It didnt matter if it actually took place, if there was a ruer they dont need to hear cries of remember fort pillow. They know whats done on the morning of july 30th. They do it. In fact if you look at the numbers of black soldiers who were mass kacremassacred. It falls into line of the numbers that are usually killed in the aftermath of state rebellions in the states and beyond in the caribbean. So its a measured response on the part of confederates on july 30th. Its at least worth about. Great questions, thank you very much. Not to keep on the mahone band wagon but reviewing of the 9th corp archives, it was clear that a lot of stuff did not make it into the official records. It was a great camp by henry thom thomas, who they finally allowed them to bury the dead he got turned around and walked into the confederate lions by mistake and was captured and immediately put on a blind fold so he couldnt get accused of spying. Colonel loring who was burnsides chief of staff writes an adademdum say he is a commanr of usct regiment and treated him horribly and then finally mahone comes through and he hears that the confederate officers are putting mhim down as rescuing black troops and it really shocked me. The other thing going through some of these records that you dont read about too much is in the 9th corp area which is the park where they talk about the confederates kept up sniper fire day and night because they are so ticked off. Both sides. The colored troops are in the area. At least the Union Officers feel that thats why its worse there. In the history that i learned growing up, i didnt hear of that level of nastiness. Mahone had something in him that was a little bit more decent than some of the others. It is true that after the 4th division is consolidated later that year, the snipering does slack off a little bit on that particular front. The other thing i want to mention is after the battle about 1,100 black and white prisoners were taken paraded through petersberg up and down the streets but they are not just paraded. Its the way they organized the prisoners. They interspurs them. One of the reasons they are doing it is to stick it to the wh white soldiers. Theres another thing going on. I think they were actually sending a message to the remaineding civilian population. Here is what is at stake in this war. Slavery kept the races separate. In we lose this war here is a visual example of whats in store for us. I dont think there i donthink that was reason theyd this not just to insult the white prisoners. Thanks for the comment. Where were the black dead soldiers buried. Many were buried on the battlefield. Sorry . Many were simply buried on the battlefield afterwoardfterw mass grave . Yes. I dont know what happened to all of them. Im sure some of them 18ed up in tem cemeteries. I done know but i know a large number. They were finding bodies well up to the post war period. Just to add what happened to the bodies of everybody, union did a removed by the Memorial Association here in the city and the 1866 through early 20th century so poplogrove cemetery. There was 331 almost all are unknown from the crater battlefield. Thanks emmanuel. Every talk i have on the crater i would bring emanuel with me. Thanks. I hope that im the last person to speak because im not speaking as i should. I think my presence here tonight has been fulfilled. That is to listen to you. Thats fine. But my mind goes to many other things that have no relationship to our being here tonight. I was born in south side virginia. Once a year from my being a boy going to a one room school, once a year i felt good about being a black person. It was on april 9th. We. Wkvy celebrated emancipation. We talked about lincoln. We talked about freedom. Thats when i really felt good. The other times was an existence as if we were pushing a barrel up a hill. Thank you everyone. I really enjoyed that. Thank you for your questions and your time. [ applause ] once again, kevin, thank you very much for you spending time with us and i want to again, thank st. Pauls episcopal search for this venue. I think this was the perfect setting for this venue. I want to thank you for taking time out of your day and evening to be with us. We hope that you were fulfilled tonight. That you were stimulated somewhat tonight by kevins words. We encourage you to continue learning about petersberg, the american civil war, and where weve come over the last 150 years as a nation but again, thank you all very much for your time with us this evening. [ applause ] with live could havage of the house here on cspan 3 we compliment the coverage by showing you the most relevant congressional hearings and Public Affairs events of the on weekends cspan 3 is the home to American History tv with programs that tell our nations story including six unique stories. The civil wars 150th anniversary, touring sites to discover what artifacts reveal about americas past. Historys book shelf. The presidency looking at the legacy and policy of our commander in chiefs. And our new series real america featuring archival government and educational films from the 1930s through the a round of applause for them. Thank you. [ applause ] with live coverage of the u. S. House on cspan and the will of the crater. Union forces detonated xploes toifz create a gap in the defenses but at tack failed with heavy losses for union troops. 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 slavery. Saturday night at 8 00, the 200th anniversary of the battle of blade ensberg and the burning of washington. And the former white house chiefs of staff discuss how president s make decisions. Find our Television Schedule one week in advance at cspan. Organize and let us know about the programs youre watching. Call us or email us. Join the cspan conversation, like us on facebook, follow us on twitter. Next, an event commemorating the 150th anniversary of the battle of the crater and honoring the role of the u. S. Colored troops. The battle of the crater took place july 30th 1864 as part of the siege of petersburg. This ceremony includes the unveiling of a stamp and remarks by James Blankenship who details the major events of the battle. Held at Petersburg National battlefield this is an hour and 15 minutes. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. For those of you with us at 5 30, we welcome you goen the park. I was remarking a few minutes ago to one of my colleagues much like it was for the soldiers 150 years ago who were in the Overland Campaign that started in early may of 1864, its been a long road to petersberg. We started this we started our 150th events for three parks on may 3rd at spotsylvania courthouse, part of Fredericksburg National military park. And we have moved south ever since. And its been quite a feat for the National Park service. Weve tried to make tanl program of the Overland Campaign rather than looking at it as the wilderness, spotsylvania, north an yashgs cold harbor, petersburg. This is one continual process march for these soldiers 150 years ago. And i know for some of new the audience this morning, weve seen your faces before. We know youve been on the road with us and we certainly appreciate that. [ applause ] this morning id like to introduce the superintendent of Petersburg National battlefield lewis rogers. Lewis began his park Service Career in 1984. Seasonal interpretive park ranger at allegheny portage railroad. First permanent position at those same sites the following year in 1985. Serving as a park ranger and later as a Resource Management visitor Protection Specialist at the sites there. 1990 he moved to the Blue Ridge Parkway here in virginia. While there, he served as a Law Enforcement ranger with the added duties of supervising Law Enforcement and the interpretive seasonal rangers along the parkway and also responsible for a living history appalachian farm and seasonal visitor contact stations. He became the chief ranger of booker t. Washington in 1992 whereas the chief of interpretation he was responsible for the interpretation, visitor protection, Resource Management, Fire Management and feat collection operations. He became a supervisory park ranger of Law Enforcement. And then moved to valley forge in 1997, first as a supervisory park ranger and later as the chief ranger where he managed Law Enforcement and interpretation and in 2009, took on the role of interim superintendent at st. Gaugz Historic Site in new hampshire. He became superintendent of National Battle kneeled 2010 and most recently he served as our acting deputy regional director, the chief of staff to our regional director here for the northeast region. He holds a bachelors degree in parks and recreation and Slippery Rock university in pennsylvania. He also have a graduate of the federal Law EnforcementTraining Center with both basic Law Enforcement and criminal investigator background. Its my privilege to introduce you to the superintendent, lewis rogers. Thanks, chris. I appreciate that introduction. I am very, very honored to be here today. And i want to take some time while im here to let you know just what this means to me. When i was a child, i can remember sitting in front of the tv. And this goes back a ways back when black and white movies still dominated tv. This goes back a ways, you know, when 12 00 came and the tv actually went off. I can remember sitting in front of the tv late at night and i remember watching those old war movies. I remember watching the ledger necks john wayne as he flew through the air. I remember watching those guys as they fought in battle. And as the soldiers fought and cried and died and fought for freedom, i can remember all those things. And i fell in love with those movies. It inspired me. It motivated me. But then one day a peculiar thing happened. I can remember during that time that we began to intergrate our schools. I can remember the forced bussing. I can remember how it affected me and how i watched the social and racial unrest that plagued our country. I can remember the American Flag being carried in the hands of ku klux klan members. I remember as it waved at the beginning. These images began to enter my mind and poisoned my imagination. When i began to watch my fighters on tv again, a small quiet voice echoed in the back of my mind. It told me, if you were there, you would not have done these things. These images were not for you. Perhaps you would have been a porter or a dishwasher. But if you were there, you never would have flown those planes. Because of these images, i believe that. I believe that i never would have fought in combat. I believe that i never would have served on a naval ship. I served in any position of distinction and honor. And that voice had a peculiar effect on me. I found myself drawing away from america. Although i faced the flag, i would not repeat the words. I felt this country rejected me. I felt i was lost. A stranger in a strange land. I could not understand why i was here. When i saw the stars and stripes waving in the breeze, when i saw the stars and stripes on porches of peoples houses as i pass by or in the fourth of july parade, i believe that that flag did not wave for me. It stood for a Different Society and a different people but it did not represent me. And then one day i picked up a book. It was a small magazine. It was put out by a man of tony brown. It was called tony brown as journal n that book, he dedicated that entire book to the story of the tuskegee airmen. I read that book and learned about the 332nd fighter group, the 100th and 301st and 302nd fighter squadrons. I learned that the 322nd flew the kobe raz and thunder bolts and the than north american p51 mustang and a peculiar thing happened to me. I began to dream again. And i began to learn about all the accomplish. S of after the can americans had made over the years. I could now see myself in history and perhaps i could have served in the first rebelling men at valley forge under general George Washington because now i knew they were there. Perhaps i would have served a board the u. S. Constitution in the war of 1812. I fought off the british in louisiana in 1815 because i could see myself there. Or perhaps i could have served right here in petersburg in 1864 in the u. S. Chs color troop and 2930th, 31st or 34th infantries or in 1866 i could have helped settle the west as a buffalo soldier fighting in the ninth or tenth caval