, 1864-08-07
THE PETERSBURG DIE.
ASIER,
4 Vivid Account of the Affair from
Unc who took Part III II.

Hattie FIELD N tIstS1 IF FETEHeEtEQ,(
SATURDAY. Evening, July 80, 1851.
On the bloody field In front of where am
writing one Of the most desperate and hotly
contested battles has inst closed that our
war has witnessed, ard 1t has been the scene
OF some ot the most heroic deeds OF yalos
aud daring. -.
Of our rIae Tits, aad about 5 a. NJ the Cd d.
vision, 9th corps, took position exactly; in
front Of the fort and in rear Of our pits. This
was the hour tic fort was TO he blown up,
but there was the usual unavoidable delay,
and it was 4:50 d. m. when the ground trenl-
bled around us, and the fort, ~ith its valuable
artillery aud magazine and filled with rebel
troope, were all blown to atoms, The con-
cnaaiotl was severe, aud It seemed and felt
very much like an earthquake. The moment
the fort was blown up the air for half mile
around was filled With dust and broken ffag..
ments Of the wood works Of tue parapets and
attillesy caissons, &c, Aaeene followed that
no peu can describe. Every officer anl man
rushed, cheering and yelllng over the rife
pits and the plain In front OF our works. No
rcpimcDt1l Organization was preserved, aud
the men TINT could run the fastest mixed IN
with other regiments, and au went pell nell
! into the monst1ons c.sity IN the earth's sur.
face where the fort was lately existing. The
| 9th md 18th rcgiments New Hampshire Vol
| uutecra were about the first to enter In a
body. Their colors were planted on the par
apets OF the further side OF the fort amid the
| hur1ahs and cheers that even rose aborc the
| eternal din Of muekctry aud roar Of artillery.
The centre OF the hole made By the explo,
| sion was perhaps sixty feet below the surface
! Of the ground, ard the s1oping sides were
| flled With dead rebels blown to fragments,
and the sight vas tIniy hofrid to behold;
nnes1th bodies Of rebels, naaay Of them
s1notbcred to death in the dirt. A vide
trench OF .sap" led to the rear Of the fort,
and from that audtwo Others divesging from
it our troops, with wild hnrrahs, commenc.
| ed diving The .sJohnnies," who ran without
nehting much, for they seemed to fear that
each man had . powder magazine In bis
troweere, from the noise the advancing col
umn made About torty pieces Of artillery
opened on this point and double that mum
her Of rebel guns, aud the rosr seemed to re-
icksbu5g. Our troops drove everything ou'
Of the trenches beyond the fort and took pos
etEsIop With smiling faces. We then fonni
that fort Just South OF US had trenches run
ming parallel with these, and rebel "sap t
} the right was flied with :" "Johnnies." and Ii
, thick US s'leaves In Va'ambrosa !"
We are surrounded On every side but tAt
rcsr, and get our troops could be hardly KEEP
back; they wanted 10 prcss on. never SAW
30 much impatience to advance, Soon tn
order came for the 9th and nth New Hamp
, shire volunteers. the 18th Vermont and S1s
Maine to charge, Before they could be 50
together ready, the 21st Maszaehusetts, O
I q part Of 1t, charged over the works, Hen
: met with murderous enfladtng fire, and re
t | treated hastily, but In good order, to IN
j. trenches, losing their colo1s.
: At this moment there WAS yell Went ul
!. in our resr, that grew louder aud louder
!. Until It seemed as though the whole Hofit y
; bad resolved Itself into one general squs!l
We looked to the rear, aud the plain oaeh U
l 4y1Ht II NIL o. IL. 1tS,NR n
y IN the cceap, with negroes rushing on tor
l. charge, their officers waving their colofs, IN
a many Of them dfspla5ing true courage: !
Mes the 4th Division, 9Th Corps, bE1s; @ t,e1
Z FeTrro's, better known here as the ~Das
p IN %sa Sf on 1h ss g q pvson s. na ~ q
- CORPS, and one Brigade Of the 18th Gosps
In and supposing It SO fur In advance that
le must be hled with rebels, fl ed on our meu
who waved our eolors and tloaaly stop2e
1t their assault. They then charged ~ goo
;, order to the right, and were there receiye
y with TREMENDOUS volley from the rife pth
They staggered under the fire, retutnea !
"a snd were then opened on BY an enaaaa!n
!! fire; the column broke, aud they rnsnes
paric stricken across to our pits: Maa5
rear; Our pits were then filled Eftn ti n nen =
Ep the I'd and Sd Divisions, and as full as M a
III could be; set these negroes came over =
psrspets md over the pits, pen msA, w, W
e h1ed eayoneta. They rushed into our eis e
~ naapy Ct them tumbllng in,. and b. basonsl.t
en- the white men on WHOM they fell three
w four deep.
Our officers tried to etop them coming i
nd but It was Ike stopping the tide comlng :,
ne from the ocean. The panic aud conlRs,t
r! that eusued csn better 6e Imagined than as
on cribed. On came the rebels In fonf lines
'zs battle, and the negroes had hardy tnnni
Into our llsea Of trenches before the pay
r. flags Of several rebel regiments were pant
0| OF the sides Of our trenches. TWO elS :
esoes had jumped down on my shoalde
W" one bad tra1npled me TO the earth, !.
AN ever3body's experience seemed 10 oe
10 ZANE ~ mine Agrand rush to the resr
BE-. tnie line Of trenches came on, and hsa
r. arms, legs, black and white al seemed
point In that direction. Under such ctseu
'of stances panic Was Inevitable, Our otflc
tried in vain to raliy the men, but It was
81 sMs LET'S until they had retreated back toward
~ ~ fort where the second trench intessected
3sst Thsrc few brave officers and
AZ. held the rebFt column IT bay nearly 81 no
rst but NO Feintorteneats coming, they Wers
l lac Nd