The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-08-12

- rf-A p
which could be got into position after th,
opening of the battle, was 10 advance % oppor
tunitY offered and bring their batteries Into
play. Upon this awful fire of heavy guns |,
was natural that great stress should be placed
10 the expectation that the shock of it's sudden
ness would have demOraliSing effect. and sc
make the way of the infantry easier. So far oil
was well arranged success was promising
and much confidence was felt in the result.
| The time fixed for the assault was half past
Three o'clock, when without any moon an al.
most Cimmerian darkness would effpctually
smut out from the enemy the unavoidable stir
| and hustle of the troops as they got into posi-.
| ton But just here the first misfortune of the
day occurred Upon attempting to fire the
mine the fuse or slnw-match failed and another
was tried, l am told, with similar result.
The third fuse was successful In its mission.
but the hours delay made it broad daylight,
and in consequence the enemy's suspicious
were aroused, ct least along portion of his
frOnt.) and we were robbed of the advantage
of a surprise. M gjn-0-,
This was very great misfortune. The ar
my felt it to be such as they stood in suspense
and silent Impotence in the cold gray of the
morning crouching on their arms OF the ef
fect OF the explosion you have been ALREADY ap-
prised The mine had been talked of in the
army for weeks but only talked of with bated
breath. although whsperings concerning it
have been waited over from the rebels. Clear
~ they did not know its precise locality. and
few on our side, suspect were any " Ger. 1t
has been tacitly acknowledged as an improper
subject for converse iOn and the most curious
have appeared to feel the propriety Of check
ing themselves The noise of the explosion
was dull rumbling thu1, preceded, am told
by few seconds swaying and quaking of the
ground in the immediate vicinity. The earth
was rent along the entire course of the excava.
ton heaving slowly and majestically to the
surface, and folding sideways to exhibit o
deep and yawning chasm, comparable, as
much as ANYTHING else, to q river gOrged with
ice and breaking up under the influence of q
freshet. But there was q graDder effect than
this observable also. Where the charge in the
burrow was heaviest, directly under the rebel
work. an immense mass of dull red earth was
thrown high in the air, in three broad columns
diverging from single base and to my mind,
assuming the shape ola Prince of Wales fea-
Their. of colossal proportions. Those near the
spot say that clOds of earth weighing at least
ton. and cannon, ana human forms, and gun
carriages and small arms. were all distinctly
seen shooting up in that fountain Of horror
and fell again in shapelsss and pulverized
atoms.
The explosion fully accomplished what was
intended. 1t demolished the six gun battery
and its garrison of one regiment of South Car
Olina troops and acted as the wedge which
opened the way to the assault. Our men were
to rush through this breach and 60 beyond up
on the second line of works which crown the
crest of Cemetery Hill. thus compelling the
enemy to evacuate the first line, or what was
more probable, to surrender under The fire of
our artillery.
The awful instant of the explosion had scarce
~ passed when the duh morning air was made
stagnant by the thunder of our artillery. From
ninety-6ve pieces niched in every hillside COM
handing the enemy's position there belched
out sheets OF flame and milk-whito smoke,
while the shot and shell sped forward screech-
ing, bowling, rumbling like the rushing of
hundred railroad trains But why attempt to
give an idea of such indie cribable and awful
sound 2 The sudden transition from utter ST.
lence to fefcest clamor was terrible. So the
huge combat ragged wi bout sign of slackening
for two long hours. At first the enemy was
slow in replying to our fire, but gradually
their pieces were brought into action and in
less than half an hours time banks of angry
smoke partially yelled the view from both
sides.
In accordance with the plan of battle, the
first division of the Ninth corps Uedlie's) was
made the assaulting column. Gen. Ledlie
formed his troops in three lines of battle, hav-
ing each front of about six hundred. The
second brigade of this division (Col. MarshaD,
led the assault followed by the first brigade
(Gen. w. F. Bartlett). and the third line made
up of the third brigade (Col Gould's). The
left of Ledlie's division was supported by Brig.
Gen. Hartrauff's brigade of the third division
(Wilcox's), and his right by Gen. Griffins bril-
gade of Potter's division. The fourth division
of the Ninth corps (all negoes) was placed d.
rectly in the rear of the assaulting column. to
press forward whenever practicable. The 18th
New York heavy artillery were first to enter
4 nrvx oh, 10 xyxh na
ed forward at the word in the midst of the
shock of the artillery, through the dense
clouds of flying dust, and clambering over the
debris found themselves violently pushed down
into the yawning crater. The sight which
there met them must have been appalling
Bodies of dead rebels crushed and mangled
out of all resemblance to humanity, writing
forms partly buried, arms protrudiug here and
legs struggling there-a very hell of horror
and torture, confined to a space fifty feet in
length and half as many wide. But the time
was not favorable to the play of humane
prOmptings. This chaos OF mangled human
ity mixed with debris of implements and mu-
nitions of war must be UNDECIDED. Enough
for the storming party to do was found in ex-
huming two pieces of rebel cannon with their
eaissons, and, i'll obedience to the law of self
preservation, turning these guns upon the
enemy, who was throwing into the crater q
shower of shells and minnie balls from the
hill beyond, and from points on either side
which they still held OH this first line Getting
these pieces into position promptly, and un-
der cover of their fire. the assaulting column
was reformed. and at the word Of command
dashed forward once more to storm the crest
of the hill. 1t was a task too great. They
gallantly essayed it, and nearly gained the
summit. subjected all the time to a whitening
fire, which increased in ferceness at every
step, until they became the center of con-
verging storm Of shot and she'll. Attacked on
the right flank and the left flank, in front and
rear. they were compelled to fall back to the
partial protection of the crater, leaving their
course thickly strewn with the dying and the
dead.
The colored troops, upon the heels Of this
repulse, were ordered to charge, and they
moved out gallantly. A hundred yards gained
and they wavered. Then the seth Maryland
regiment, which led, became panic stricken
and broke through to the rear, spreading de-
moralization swiftly. Their officers urged
them, entreated them, threatened them, but
failed to rally them, and, the mass, broken and
shattered, swept back like a torrent into the
crater which was already checked with white
troops. The confusion incident to this whole
sale crowding and crushing of the negro SOL
diers into the ranks of the white troops very