Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1864-08-18
From the Raleigh Conservative
g.
We are permitted to publish the following extracts
OF letter written by gallant young officer in Potts
Battery, Branch Artillery from this State:
BRANCH ARTILLERY,
Dpfnrnhnrn Ann 1874

OF letter written by gallant young Clcer IN Potts
Battery Branch Artillery from this State:
BRANCH ARTILLERY,
Petersburg, Aug 8, 1864.
As We have very lately been engaged in battle,
write 70 inform you that through the protection of
kind Providence, while many of brave soldiers fell
the 3Oh very different from any ever saw BEFORE
| will give you some of the particulars.
Our battery was in position on the Jerusalem plank
road, in OF regular line Of breasworks about
four hundred yards, and about half mile from Peters.
bu G. Ga lasf Saturday morning, about i've o'clock
was awoke by the report of tremendous explosion !;
the earth seemed to rocz beneath l being LETT in
command OF he battery, jumped out OF my bonn proof
as quickly as possible, and arousing the men, placed
them around the different guns. Just in front OF me
perceived large volume OF smoke arising and l soon
found that tie Yankees had sprung mine under one
of our batteries which supported by infantry. AS
the smoke CLEARED away, | saw that we were
having hand to hand encounter with the enemy in
the breach made by the ex plosion.
A large force was thrown through the opening and
gave way to the right and left and the Yan-
KEGS came marchDg down our battery. Knowing I
had no support, [ perceived that we must fight and
fight hard o ourselves, and pera pa the city, as
there no troops between battery and Peters
burg and the Yankees were pouring through the breach
Prisoners say they surprised at fading any force
n rear CT cur maiu line.
Oar guns all being loaded with CAMS er as the enemv
came out into line, we fred two rounds into them,
which 30 asoDished them that those who were not
killed or wounded broke and fed back to the works. -
Numbers of them threw down their arms and ran into
cur lines, among them many negroes. They into
my gun pits crying out, Massa, havnt done any
thing" An CID negro ran up TO me- the exact coun-
terpart of old George, the drummer in -. He
showed me his cartridge box and said he had ICED
SHOT. L eXnmlned and found but Cartridge mis-
sing, and that in bis gun. He said be was slave
IL may be harmless creature, but our men say that
ot his Comrades fOu ght like dogs Well as sooa
as our battery brck th' ir lines, the Infantry took ad
vantage OF it and drove them from our works with
slight loss to US, but ith great loss to the enemy
Ina negroes slaughtered sight by our uen and
General Malone had TO Issue order 10 stop the
bloody work before they all killed
On Eloaday norling truce beng granted the Yan
KEGS to bury tneir dead, went down to the place
where the explosion occurred aud there vas one of the
most appalling aud heart TcndlGg have wit
E>ssed. Tie cbasm was about seventy FIVE Yards ia
circumference aud forty feet deep Some of our men
we're blown TO peCs ana O. hers crushed to DEATH some
L,irey buried aat some with tCeir limbs prorudng
cut OF the EARTH ! party Of digging cut the
dead bodies and others we're standing around ready
lecOg1z4 their frieDls they were taken oat. The
tWo pieces ot artlery IN position here. thrown
To rty feet outside works and but two of the artil-
lei y men were eft alive. I locked outs de and saw a
sgot that conviu led that the 7ankees bad just
relr6ution for tie ground literally covered with
them. FQuc hundr-d OF hem we're lying dead in the
small space of halt an They carried f good
ma0y dead while battery was firing On them
l wo men would take one Cead one and drag him along
While they held our lines ] threw shell and schrapnel
into them killing great many. Saw afterwards some
with their hea is half off, others with the head eff and
lying ten feet from the trunk This certainly done
oy artillery, and the only battery playing
them.
The Yankees admit loss of 5000 here while ours
was comparatively small.
The negroes do not deserve sympathy, but can't
help feeling the poor creatures but few of them
survive after their capture. But lew white Yapkees
were engaged in the fight. l guess Grant will fnd
that mining Lees army will not pay. While we were
working battery, five Yankee forts were firing on
us, though works strong that man in
tattery was killed or wtuuded. Our rs were struck
often and several times covered with dirt, but
fuched from duty. l have written you this
letter that may what part took in the ght,
as | see mention made of al all in the papers
North Cartlina troops are seldom mentioned in Vr-
gina papers except when hey happen to make fail
ure Ransonl's n. G. brigade the first to retake
any CT works. Gen. Hendleton tie chief of arti
lery OF This army complimented US on our firing.
Whether we saved Petersburg or not, it is certain
that there was force between and the city, and
the Ydnkees were charging US when we broke their
lines. M.
Chinese Sugar Game Garlic.
At different times articles have appeared in the pa
pes in regard to the proprley of feeding tie Chinese
sugar Ca1e TO cattle some contendng that it is ipu-
rious others that It beneficial The following letter
to the Fayetteville Observer s from of the best
farmers in this State. The writer's testimony is in IA
of feeding the to cattle after willing it in the
sun day or two
ROCKINGHAM, July 20, 1864.
Gentlemen Il notice in your paper of the 18th a
letter from highly respectable gentleman and phys
clan Of Clinton Sampson county, upon the great dan
ger to be apprenended in soling cattle with Chinese
sugar cane.
That there is something poisonous and seriously det
rnental to little, when given food in wet and
green condition. that is before is allowed 10 wilt
or to wither by the sln) do not deny, for have
experienced it myself but if cut and it be allowed to
remain the two days, it is perfectly harm
less, and the bst OF food tor cattle or mules,
bave used it as above des cribed tolrrabIy exten-
svey for years. anu have never experen ced
the least injury from it.
Why what property there in it to destroy cattle
when given in a wet and green condition. I have nc
means OF sscertaning, but will agree to pay for any
COW who, wien fed as describe shall be Injured there
by. -,
Some years ago, my attention was called to the
danger of feeding it IN wet and green condition by
the Southern Cultvator, who while admitting that it
should not be fed in wet and green state, roundy
denied that any instance could be produced in which it
had ever proved curious when used above stated
RESPECTFULLY, W. F. LEAK.
In order to be Cn the safe side it would be we'll to
follow Mr. Leaks dir ctions, but We know that many
feed the cain to cattle green and have head of nc
Injury resulting thereby
NoUsTAIvOUs ISLANDS In THE PACIFIC.
The islands of this class, with but very few exceptions
ara tcuv soendid The immtnse mountains rise gra iu
aliy from their base, til their lofty SUBMITS lost
,,;,3 tho ocrda nj heaven sOme ore broken into u