Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1864-08-10
sPRIHG1NG a NINE.

OF the desperate contest Which took pace Oh
Saturday:
sPRITGING a NINE.
For several days past, prisoners and de:er-
ter, have stated that the enemy was INNING,
and our,oflicees and mcn have hcep convlnc-
efs that the statement was correct, but wheth
er appr;scd OF The exact locality at which tho
cacmy WAS conducting his mining operations,
we have no means Of ascertainins. All doubts
OF this point, however, if any existed, we're
removed Saturday last at an carly hour.
About Il clock, a dull heavy sound was
heard, amt this WAS followed By several other
SIMILAR soul;ds tie enemy at the same time
opening with their batteries along their lines.
1t was then discovered that the enemy had
sprung mine on one of our sahenfs, near
the centre of the lines, and fen 100 yards
beyond the Blandlord Cemetery. The chie
sufferers by the explosion, were tegrams
Battery, formerly Brench's.) from this city,
and three companies of Elliott's South Caro-
lina Brigade which occupied position i'm
mcdiately to the left of the battery for its
Support. The l:a.!ery lost % men missing.
twu commissioned officers inc!nded. Some
OF ;aese men, list Of whom we publish else
where, are known to be killed, their bodies
having been recovered, but Others whose
bodies havesnot been found, it is hoped are
prisoners in the enemy's hands. Prisoners
taken subsequent TO the explosion, from the
enemy, and uear the spot, state that several
of our men were dug out Of the RUNS alive.
They describe one OF the men, Lieutenant,
50 lninutely; and the description is SO nearly
like that. or Lieutenant Ha,nlin, one oi the
missing, that there are strong grounds l'r
hope that hogs yet alive and in the sne'ny'S
hands. The remains OF the bomb proof under
which he slept, and where Lieutenant Chan
dlcr was seen arousing hi:a TO go on duty,
are vet to be seen near the edge OF the chasm
created by the explosion, and the prcsump-
tion is, that be WAS not very deeply buried
in the earth. Lieut. H. WAS young member
Of the Petersburg bar, and his many friends
feel great anxiety regarding his fate.
OF the casualties in Gen. Ellio.ts former
ly Eyans') South Carolina Brigade, we have
no information except that Gen. Elliott was
severely wounded by q ball through the breast.
lie was doing well yesterday, and hopes were
entertained that he would recover.
As soon as the nature oil the disaster was
made known, Gen. Hill despatched C. courier
20 Gen. MahoneS headquarters, and that Ylg-
liant officer moved of Immediately at the
head of his own brigade, with instructions for
Saunders iAla.) brigade, and Wright's Geor-
gia) to follow.
Arriving upon the ground, Gen" Malone
found twelve of the enemy's flags waving
upon the ralnparts Of that portion of our line,
carried by the explosion, and the, whole VI.
cinity swsrIIing with white and black Yam
kee troops
Getting his troop. Into position, Gen. Ma
h0ae ordered his brigade 10 retlke a.porton
O! his works, and instructed Wright's brigade
to come up i'll such position as would ensure
the recspture of the remaining portion. un
der command OF COL Weis!ger, acting Brig
adler, Mahone's brigade formed into line, and
,yere about to move up, when the enemy sal
lied out and made charge. The Confede-
rates reserved their fire, until they could see
the whites of the cncmy's eyes, when they
poured into them such a. storm of bullets,
that the enemy rccoilcd and fell back i'll con-
fusion. 4 charge Was now ordered, and
Weisise-'s mon dashed forward with yell,
driving the eHemy up TO and over the breast
works. On the works our men halted, aud
delivered plunging FIRE, which proved so
destructive that the enemynever again rallied
on this Portiou of the line, but lett our men
in uudis,urbed possession.
In the meantime, Wright's brigade, COM
,nandcd by COL Hall, instead Of coming di-
rec,lv w, hy some means dcployed, and came
around, and thus failed to .rctake that portion
of the line assigned TO them.
sbly commanded by the young and Intrepid
Saunders, came gallantly up 10 their work,
and by charge drove the enemy from the
remaining portion Of the works, and thus
enabled US to re-establish our lines, precisely
as they were before the explosion.
Theenemy finding escape impossible, rushed
for safety into the immense hole or chasm,
made by their explosion, and around the
edge ofthis great basin our men closed and
fought hand to hand. This was done chiefly
by Mahones old brigade, and Saunders Ala
bama men. Here the slaughter was terrific,
and here, too, many gallant Confederate fell
to rise no. more. AS an evidence of the des-
perate pature of the contest around and in
this chasm, we would state, that Gen. Saun-'
dcrs' men after removing a large number OF
wounded, buried in. the hole on Saturday
night, 55 Yankee negro troops, and IT'S
whites.
Alta lata bcar Saturday evening, we visited
the chasn caused by the enemy's explosion.
1t appeared to be about DO feet IN depth, and
some 200 feetin circumference, and resembled
more what one would imagine to have been
the eff cts of a terrible earthquake than uay
thing else to which we could likcn it. I'm
,nense bculIers Of earth were piled UP rude
" ore aboTe the other, aud great fragments
OF bomb-proo:s, gun carriages, limbers, ETC.,
were lying promiscuously in every direction.
One man was caught between two bouldess
near the surface Of the ground and literally
crushed between them. lie still remained in
this painful position, with only his head ard
neck visible, our men not having had the time
to extricate him. Life had long been extinct,
but the ghastly looking face was unmarked
bya scratch, aud the head perfect, but slight
ly reclining on the shoulder.
The sides and bottom of the chastn, were
literally lined with Yankee dead, and the
bodies lay in ever, conceivable position. In
one spot We noticed corporal Of infantry, a
eoro,ant of srti)lery and q hir tbnrly ncoI o.