Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-08-04
H[Correspondo of Then. Y. World.l
Iu TUE ErEID REFORF PETERsRIrRC.


In THE FIELD BEFORE PETERsBURG,l
July 30, via Washington, Aug. l.
The long talked of, often-hinted-at, pa
tiently-waited-f for, and finally successful
springing of a mine, under rebel fortifica-
ton, was accomplished this morning at
daybreak causing almost as much surprise
in our ranks, where it was not expected, as
il must have calsed among the enemy's.
Lest some of your readers may notun-
derstand the principle of mining, will sim
ply state itconsists in running an excavation
orburrow through the ground to point di-
rectly underneath the work to be blown up.
Having so burrowed to the proper point,
the size of the excavation is increased to
the capacity required. Such an amount Of
gunpowder as will be requisite to blow up
the work overhead is then placed in this
receptacle, train or fuse Is then laid
to the mouth or starting place, and when
ready this is ignited, the fire soon running
to the secreted magazine, exploding 1t, and
utterly destroying any thing over it. In
this instance the fortification blown up was
five hundred feet from and opposite Burn
sides center division, commanded by Cen
eral Potter, contained six pieces OF artillery,
and was held by the Eighteenth South Car
olina volunteers.
AS near as l can understand, the reason
for demolishing this work was, thatit would
prove great obstacle to an assaulting par
ty were an attack to be made on what this
was otherwise deemed to be the enemy's
salient point. The removal of this obsta-
Gle, then, was only part of grand pro-
gramme for the capture of this position;
the destruction of the fort being complete,
our troops were to rush over its ruins, and
by vigorous assault, cut the center OF the.
1.,,a Sxf ,rtlyo cit, ta1
the crest of hills beyond, and thus force
them to abandon at least the works in our
immediate front; but fate, or the great
guns, or an alliance of the two, proved too
powerful, and we were unsuccessful. ~ u
As a preliminary, we have done consid-
cradle maneuvering the past week, endeav-
oring TO weaken this front by drawing men
from it for the protection of other points; !;
and If a report that they have but three di-
visions on this side OF the AppomattoX river
be true, l think we must have succeeded
very effectually. And, again, If it is true
that the impregnability of the enemy's
lines is proven fact, suppose the artillery
firing of which 1 speak in this mornings
dispatch as having been almost unceasing
during the night, may be termed another
preliminary, serving, as 1t must have done,
to annoy the enemy, and consequently leave
shock. ".
In pursuance of the order of attack, the
First, Second, and Fourth divisions of the
Ninth corps were massed opposite the
doomed fort, the First, under General Led
lie, being the assaulting column, supported
by the Second, while the Fourth brought
up the rear. The latter division, it will be
remembered, is composed entirely of col
ored regiments. All being in readiness, the
Fourteenth New York heavy artillery
crouching close to our works, ready to
spring out at the signal, fire was applied to
the fuse, and shortly after four o'clock dull
rumbling explosion, terrific quaking of
the earth, and sudden beclouding of the
atmosphere in the vicinity of the fort, told
our men the time was arrived when they
should start to the attack. l r.'H
Away bounded the Fourteenth, followed
by the remainder of the division. Fierce
ly opened the rebel artillery on them. AS
fiercely was their fire replied to by our
gunners, and amid this internal din, and
the yet unsettled dust, our brave soldiers
reached the edge Of the crater formed by
the explosion, ere the astonished enemy
had recovered from the confusion into
which they had been thrown. Some who
were evidently puzzled to account for the
strange doings, were taken prisoners; but
those who realized the facts of the case es-
capped as speedily as possible.
q The spectacle presented in the crater
would have awed most men. but our SOL
diers are Injured to scenes Of horror, and are
but slightly affected by them. In this era
ter, which is of an elliptical form and about
fifty feet long, were to be seen men, man
gled, dusty, and stunned; limbs, arms, feet,
and heads of men protruding through the
crevices in the earth, mixed up with frag
ments of splintered and half-buried imple-
ments of warfare.
To say the truth, our men had but little
time to moralize. There was work before
them. The dead must be buried, the wound
ed dragged from their premature graves,
and two pieces, all that were visible of the
original complement of six pieces of artil-
Iery, must be exhumed; being perfect, they
could be used against the enemy, who were
busily engaged throwing shot and shell
against them from such points as covered
this part of their own lines. Gn y1r l
Details quickly performed these duties,
while the attacking columns were reformed
for the assault on the enemy's second or rear
line of works. The formation being COM
pleted, found them i'm much the same posi-
ton in column as when they left our works.
Presently the order Forward was sound
ed, and as the infantry marched quickly to-
ward the enemy, two guns, served from the
crater, told the fact that the rebel guns had
been turned against their late possessors.
Onward moved the attacking column
through heavy fire--a fire each moment
becoming hotter, as heretofore unseen bat
teries opened on them from front and flank.
Still onward, and still more CALLING became
that terrible fire, which, now that they
neared their destination, was poured in on