Today on the 160th anniversary of the Battle of
the Crater, July 30th 1864. I remember Brevet Brigadier General Henry Pleasants. Henry Clay
Pleasants was born on February 16, 1833, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Pleasants
moved to the United States at the age of 13. He later became a mining and civil
engineer in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, a profession that would significantly
influence his military career.
When the Civil War broke out, Pleasants enlisted as a second
lieutenant in the 3-month 6th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry.
By July 1861, he had joined the 48th Pennsylvania Infantry.
Pleasants quickly rose through the ranks, becoming a captain and later a
lieutenant colonel. He along with the 48th fought in most of the
significant battles of the eastern theatre.
Pleasants’ most notable contribution came during the Siege
of Petersburg in 1864. Leveraging his engineering expertise, he proposed and
executed a daring plan to dig a tunnel beneath the Confederate lines and fill
it with explosives.
With no help from other federal forces, he and the other men
from the 48th dug a 500 foot tunnel with makeshift and hand made
tools. A feat that many (including the head of Engineering for the US forces)
said couldn’t be done.
This ambitious project culminated in the Battle of the
Crater on July 30, 1864. Although the explosion created a massive breach in
the Confederate defenses, poor coordination led to a failed Union assault and
heavy casualties.
Despite the setback, Pleasants’ ingenuity and leadership
left a lasting legacy. His efforts demonstrated the critical role of
engineering and innovation in warfare, highlighting the unique contributions of
the 48th Pennsylvania Infantry under his command.
He is buried in Charles Baber Cemetery in Pottsville
Schuylkill County. His tombstone is very humble and carries the words “UNTIL
THE DAY BREAK AND THE SHADOWS FLEE AWAY”
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