Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1864-08-02
burg; now can say that the plan was carried

first line OF earthw in front Of Genl Burn
SIDES Corps, was fired. The explosion was
the signal for the discharge Of every piece of
artillery that we have In position from the APP
pomattox to our extreme left. The effect was
magnificent Ninety. five pieces of ordnance
were fired so simultaneously that 1t seemed as
itney might have been discharged by the pull
OF one lanyard
The firing thus fiercely opened was followed
up In the same manner, with scarcely per-
ceptible lull, for at least an hour and a half,
when it slackened to some extent The result
OF the explosion of the mine was almost to an
initiate one Rebel regiment, the 22d South
carolina, and burying three guns. Under
cover OF the artillery, and pushing our advan-
tage ground, by the suddenness of the assault
the Ninth Corps advanced taking posse ssion of
tne works through the gap made by the explo-
sion. and driving the enemy to the second line,
which crowns the hill tops eastward of the
town.
Nineteen Of the 22d South Carolina, buried
by the explosion, have been dug out alive
They are badly bruised and scratched, and
some OF them are, doubtless, mortally hurt.
The attack they pronounce surprise.
The mine was 400 feet long, constructed with
two galleries diverging from the main passages,
making three chambers, in which q train of
powder fifteen inches wide and deep was laid.
The effect Of the explosion was very disas trous
l witnessed the assault from splendid
point of view in front of the 5th corps head
quarters on our extreme left. The grandeur OF
the artillery fire have never seen surpassed
although saw the naval attack at Fort ROYAL
S. c., the passage by Farragut's squadrons of
the forts below New Orleans, and the assault
upon Fort Sumter by the iron. clads on the 9th
Of April, 1863 In this instance, however un-
like the other, the heaviest firing was done on
our side. The enemy's artillery played but
tee BILE. very few minutes elapsed before the
rebel lines were entirely shut from view by
be guided In their works by having obtained
the proper range before. Many OF the shells
from the front of the 18th corps must have
struck far into the streets OF Petersburg From
direction M
arose soon after the opening of fire, evidently
from the burning buildings.
From General Warrens front came down
TO the center OF our lines, and at General Burn
sides headquarters found Generals Grant and
Meade. General Grant rode out from City
Point in time to see the explosion.
After the rebel lines were pierced, they made
hurried movement to their left, and suffered
heavily from an enfllading fire. General
Ledhes division of Burnside's corps led the
attack, the 14th New York heavy artillery
having the advance. About one hundred pris-
oners have so far been brought into Burn.
sides headquarters. The cannonading is still
hot, and the rebels hold their position obsti-
Dately. Our infantry has just received orders
The work was commenced on the 25th of June
last, as pre- viously stated Such was the secrecy
with which it was conducted that for q long
time the project was unknown even to those at
whose side 1t was going on. 1t is true that
reports were in circulation Of a mine; but
nobody could speak certainly of the matter.
So much doubt was there, indeed, that for q
time it was disbelieved that any such under
taking was on foot. One soldier ia the breast
emerged, told his comrades, in the most sur
prised manner, that "there was lot of fellows
under him doing something, he knew there
was, for he could hear 'em talk"
To guard against indiscretioa on the part of
the pickets, to prevent any meeting of our sol.
diers with the rebels whereat the secret Of the
mine might be boastingly or imprudently dis.
closed, our pickets were ordered to fire con-
tinually. Hence the never ending fusilade on
the front of the Ninth corps, 30 in incomprehen-
sible to the other corps, and which was often
referred to in newspaper paragraphs. The
enemy, doubtless, suspected at first that the
undermining was going on, but when several
weeks elapsed without any demonstration,
tne engineers must have thought the plan un-
The progress of the work was necessarily
very slow, and it was not until the 25th in.
stant-jast one month after inception-that il
was completed. At the outset, one Of the most
distance and bearing Of the rebel fort Work
ing underground is literally working ip the
dark. BY that particular process Of survey.
ing m ealied an ed characterization" these were arrived
off upon the ground, behind our works From
these lines as bases, and with the angles formed
by lines extending in the direction Of the fort,
simple geometrical problem was formed, the
solution Of which gave the required distance,
Five different triangulations gave a result of
i've hundred and ten feet. The excavation
our exterior line OF works runs. The tunnel
or to use the technical term gallery" is about
four and half feet high, nearly as many feet
wide at the bottom and two feet wide at the
top;
The usual army pick was not suited to the
work, as its fukes were too broad to permit
their swinging in the tunnel. The difficulty
was easily overcome by filing down the fiukes
to the size of the regular mining pick. Water
was met with not far from the entrance and
for time gave no little trouble. The floor,
hnxx mo v,1o rod md xhae a
ing showed up. A quicksand was met with,
and, to obyiate it, the range of the tunnel was
curved upward, so that the latter half was sew
eral feet higher than at the entrance. The
ooZing of the water formed mud in several
places, so that the regiment came from their
daily labor bespattered and stained. In fact
a 4sth man by his muddy boots. The earth, as
fast as eXcavated, was conveyed in hand bar
rows made Of cracker boxes or half barrels, to |
the mouth, where it was emptied into bags, |
which were afterwards used on the top Of the |
breastw orks. In this manner no betraying &C.
cum ulation of earth took place. |
The ventilation OF the tunnel was most inge.
niously effected. Just within our exterior line
Of works shaft was sunk to the side Of the |
tunnel, at its junction with which q fireplace |
was built, with grating opening into the gall |
lery. One end OF a series Of tubes, made of |
pine boards, was inserted through the earth |
into this fireplace, where, as the air became |
rarifed and assembled, it created "suction"or |
draft in the tubes connecting with the gallery
tubes was jointed on, and followed the work. |
men step by step. The smoke from the fire |
could not OF course be concealed; but to with. |
draw attention from it, first were kept burning |
at various points along the line. The lighting OF
the tunnel was effected simply by placing |
candles or lanterns along the walls at dis |
tance OF about twenty feet apart. |
At length the end was reached, and the tri- |
was abundantly verified in the |
noises overhead. The mailing of timber and |
planks could be distinctly heard, and left no |
dOnbt up Ia
rebel fort. The enemy were evidently making |
a flooring for their artillery. As near as could |
be ascertained, the distance from the tunnel to
the fort was twenty feet.
After 1t was sufficiently evident that q point
directly under the fort was reached the CON-
struction of the mine was commenced. The
angle OF the fort projects toward our lines, and
under this angle the tunnel diverged into two
each running, as near as could be
under each side. 1t was the In |
tention to make the mine consist OF eight mag
aznes, placed at intervals along these branch |
so that the entire length Of the tort |
might be blown up, in place of one spot. Pre-. |