October 2025 Header Image: Battle of the Crater by John Elder
This month’s header image comes to us courtesy of Sean Michael Chick. The painting is titled Battle of the Crater by John Elder, and we’ll be featuring it on the cover of Sean’s upcoming book Unparalleled Horror: The Battles of Jerusalem Plank Road and the Crater, June 19–July 31, 1864, co-authored with John F. Schmutz. It’s the second volume of Sean’s ongoing study of the Petersburg Campaign for the Emerging Civil War Series (details coming soon!).
The painting shows men of the 12th Virginia Infantry counterattacking against Brigadier General Edward Ferrero’s troops at the edge of the Crater.
This image was later used as the basis for a postcard (see more background info here).
On the back: “The two opposing Generals at the Siege of Petersburg, known as the “Battle of the Crater,” were General Robert E. Lee for the Confederates and General U.S. Grant for the Federals. In this memorable battle there was great loss of life.”
Bully image ! Thanks Marse Chick.
Tom Lovell’s Battle of the Crater is another good one … it shows the action looking down into crater and captures the ferocity of the fighting … one thing both paintings have in common is that large piece of earth in the background.