The Battle of the Crater

A high-stakes courtroom drama sheds light on the tragic errors and unexpected heroism of one epic Civil War battleground in this ground-breaking, exhaustively researched new historical novel from New York Times bestselling authors Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen.

August, 1864: A court of inquiry convenes at the Union Army headquarters to investigate the Battle of the Crater, one of the worst disasters endured by a disaster-prone army. The eyes of the world are on it, and much is at stake: the military news of that spring had been full of unrelenting frustration and outright catastrophe. Lincoln is losing the election, and with it, the war. Fearing the worst, the President calls on his old friend, reporter James O’Reilly, to cover the resulting court of inquiry and file a confidential report on what really happened.

The battle could have turned the tide in favor of the North and changed everything. Fort Pegram, the closest point between the Union and Confederate lines surrounding Petersburg, was the most vulnerable point on the Confederate line. General Ambrose Burnside's plan of attack was brilliant: dig a tunnel forward from the Union position underneath the fort, pack it with powder, and explode it. Burnside intended to give the brand-new African American division of his army the honor of leading the assault that would end the war. But instead of a glorious victory, the Battle of the Crater became a miserable failure—a debacle which led to the deaths of thousands of Union troops.

At first, O’Reilly is reluctant to accept this job as Lincoln’s “spy” at court; he’s bitter over the loss of his brother in battle. But as the courtroom drama unfolds, unveiling new insights into the battle, he realizes that the answers are crucial to salvaging the war effort: Why did an attack with such promise fail? Was it Burnside, his superior Meade, General Grant, the troops, all of them, or none who fell short, and if so why?New York Times bestselling authors Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen unravel a fascinating and actionpacked story in their newest novel.