“’Battle Hymn of the Republic’ and The Battle of the Crater”

“’Battle Hymn of the Republic’ and The Battle of the Crater,” Dr. James Largay,7 pm.  Julia Ward Howe’s famous “Battle Hymn of the Republic” points to the fight for freedom and the immense casualties in the Civil War. As an example, in the tragic Battle of the Crater (July 1864), Pennsylvania miners tunneled under the Confederate lines at Petersburg, VA, detonating explosives that blasted a huge crater in the middle of the lines.  Assaulting Union troops ran (incredibly) into the crater and became easy targets for the Confederates regrouped above. $5 donation appreciated.