The New York herald., 1864-08-06
EXPLOSION or the NINE At PETERSBURG.

A Military Spectators Statement Of
tho Causes oE the Failure or the AS
saule.
TO THE EDITOR or THE HERALD.
Iwl eudeavor to give the real version Of the
failure before Petersburg
Four i've days prior to the explosion (eperai E,p
cocks Sec md army the river
panied by Sheridan's cavalry corps-soe twelve thou
s1nd men. Hancock was first across, and, after tbe
fighting, took Malvern BILLS and four large siege guns
placed there by the rebels.
REBEL INFANTRY ToeBIRr's CAVALRY
Two days afterwards rorberts division OF cavalry
Whipped divsion of rebel nfantry-s thing unheard Of
in shs annals OF this war; Hancock then established
himself within elaven mss Of Richmond. What was the
eject OF this crossing the rebess They sent over
HAs and Lcogstreet's Sorps-thek largest corps
imagining We had abandsaed Petershueg ana were max
'-Ou tne'zsrnry,sr,r @
Tyfvh corps received orders about ten O'Clock This
diysion -four thousand sight hundSea strong being in
reserve wac strike camp and be 10 the cut OF
the Petersburg and Suok Raread three O'Clock u the
morning; tat the minSon Busnside's front would be
rcd at half past oclook apa to hold themselves In
readiness charge after Burnside and the Eighteenth
The orders also enoinea neres should be lighted
but Burns men dsrcgardcd this and constructed
rebels cosM plainly 500 the in Burnsdcs CORPS
taking their sheser tents and packing their KNAPP
SACKS This fortunately sth farther carried out the de
fusion that we were Gboul the James. and &C
cordinglz the rebels running rains all night and
TnE xxr.sslo~ Sor ur nxS
Owing to some hitch at mrnside's, the mine did not
explode until twenty minutes past four
GRANT TIE GROUND
Al .so o'clock Generals Grant and Meade wero, with
their stas al Burnses headquarters Immediately on
the explosion Of tho re every gun and mortar on our
whole line opened and the grandest artillery firing a
on cur side began that have ever heard
IT TOOK The RxsKIs ooMTETe sURPRisF.
me rebels from their beds in the greatest husIy
cad cousernatioa Down went their shelters, srl,
rIay feeble came from afew OF their batter -
We sepced oil tasir batteries but one, which, owin
ts peculiar posi-, on could not get accurate rpse
or As soon as mine was blown M, which enguIco
seven companies OF the rebels and TOUR cannon hs ng
gers and brigade OF white men were 70 charge. But
< ANOTHER UNFORTUNATE DELAY occJRRED. .
Five minutes delay took place in moving up Ter the
! mine had gone up. Tue reason was the
| cowkRDIcE TIE NIGGBRs
The brigade In advance, whchswas eompossd oi nig
gers, laid dopa their arms and refused 70 co9s nene
raj Ayres In speaking Of this Afterwards. waa neaa !,
saw that X he had been In Burnsides plaza ne wonis
have run down guns, double sbotted Win canister
ana given chem alternative OF charge OF canister
making csa,Se Inc second archeS oye
them, followed by brigade Of white men one 'housan'
two h2adred strong.
In they went TO where the mine had been blown, AM
which was on the rebels front line, meeting no resist
ance few shells rnther wildly thrown rom reoe
batteries the TANKS. ward they went, ALu pan'o
| their colors on the second line.
rungE HUNDRED Rour THREE zhouaASD NiGGkRs
| when they reached the second Limo q mere squad
three hupdred rebes made their Appearance, and 10
nggers hou ringa single shot, by showing TO the ie
pushed the thousand two hundred white men on the
lott the mine, and then turned tall and ran away "
they got clear back into our lines These thousan
two hundred drove back twce those three hunde
nrst by themselves, and tben when they came down =
there was retreat. Their position was 10 rear on VI
rebel main ine that the rebels wore between tnei
and us Their position was thus