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A Confederate boy, age 14, lies dead in the trenches of Fort Mahone at Petersburg. (53rd NC, my great grandfather's and great uncle's regiment.)
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The Attack On Fort Stedman, And (My Great Grandfather)
Lee's Surrender, By My Great Grandfather
Lest Darkness Fall
"While walking along Harrison Creek, where the advance from Ft. Stedman stalled in the face of overwhelming numbers, my thoughts turned to what we have lost. American Liberty, the very founding principles of the United States were following the advance and retreat of this battle.
The results are very sad. When this line of Grey crumpled and began retreating, I am sure sadness was felt by men such as Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry and George Mason, for their great sacrifices and wisdom was what was at stake. Looking down upon the ebb and tide of this battle, they would have known that their creation, American Liberty, had lost.
Today there are US flags fluttering in the wind, gloating over the blood and defeat of the defenders of American Liberty, our Confederate forefathers. No where to be seen, was even one token Flag in memory of the men who died in their effort to preserve American Liberty for us, their future generations. Mind you, not a single Flag in their honour, not one single Flag in honour of our country. Not a single Flag to remind us of what our forefathers fought for and to show respect.
I am very proud to state that before the end of the day, our Flag of Honour and Distinction was very obvious on the National Park Service Petersburg Battlefield. All around the “Keep Off” signs at Fort Stedman, where one last effort was made against overwhelming odds, flew our Battleflag.
Across the very ground tread in the desperate effort to break the line of the invaders of our country, around The Crater, in the homestead of residents burned out in typical yankee style, along the breastworks where our Confederate forefathers gallantly made their stand.
Briefly, perhaps very briefly, Confederate Flags greatly outnumbered the US flag. Yes for a brief time our Flag honoured the men who fought for our Liberty. Despite the glares, threats and protests of current day suppressors of American Liberty one gross of 4 inch Flags covered this hallowed ground.
Walking along the march taken in the advance on Fort Stedman, counting the 228 paces, I could not help but wonder what was going through the minds of these men. Surely by this late in the War they were aware of the odds they were facing.
They knew they were outnumbered, out gunned. But on they came, pace by pace. Taking Fort Stedman, they marched on, facing even greater numbers, then slowly falling back. The odds had just been too great to overcome. Walking along the Confederatebreastworks, where the retreat from Ft. Stedman would have been visible, I could imagine how the soldiers felt standing there, watching the failure of the attempted breakthrough and knowing what it meant."
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On Saturday and Sunday, Petersburg National Battlefield will conduct special walking tours and programs commemorating the 146th anniversary of the Battle of Fort Stedman. A 60-minute walking tour of the Fort Stedman battlefield will be offered at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Living historians will portray members of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in March, 1865 and will present firing demonstrations at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday and 10:30 a.m. on Sunday. In addition the "soldiers" will express their feelings and concerns regarding the Army of Northern Virginia as well as the general state of the Confederacy.
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