, 1864-08-09
Correspondence II. Y, T'ribuue,l


regiment, most ofits members being practt-
chi miners from Schuylkin county, Penusyl-
vania, and himself civil aud mining engin-
eer, being detailed for this special duty, was
divided into eight reliefe Of three hours each,
and, nnder the direction Of the Colonel, iul-
I2ediately set TO- work.
To illustrate the disadvantages under
which they labored, It Is only necessary to
state that the excavated earth, instead Of be-
ing taken to the rear in the usual way, on
small chr running to and from wooden
track, was brought back to the entrance in
rAIy handles attached. Az the gallery, which
was about tour and half feet Ia ts oht and
about the sane In width ut the bottom, be-
Ing narrower at tue top,progresscd, supports
we're placed at Intervals to prevent the fall
ing Of the earth, and every precaution taken
tion Of the work. The inclination upward,
though slight, was gradual for 200 feet, when
water being found, greater ascent Was un-
ayoidabIe. -.
Accordingly the direction Of the gallery WAS
turned upward still more, forming m In
cl-ned plane Of 100 feet in length, when, no
obstacle being encountered, 1t was again
puehea forWard nearly on parallel line with
the first section for 20 feet, where, being un-
derDeath the salient Of the rebel work, the
construction of the lateral galleries or mine
proper wan commenced. As the surface Ut
tuE ICUEl lDEk WEB uuk tWEuk} I'VE 1etL uUOFE,
aud the sounds occasloned bE the movements
0f the enemy were audible from below, the
greatest caution Has exercised to prevent the
discovery Of our operations.
The sound Of digging Was also heard near
the left wing Of the re bel fort. and, believing
us, Col. P, fustead Of directing the right lat
eral gallery underneath the parapet Ut that
wing, excava1ed further toward the center
and 1enr, knowing that the explosion would
as eHectually do it's work at that point as ot
any other. The length Of the right chamber
vas thIrty-cight, and of the left, which, In
part, was situated directly beneath the rebel
parapet, thirty-seven feet.
On the 25th ult everything waa In readi-
ness for the charge, consisting Of 8, 900 pounds
ot powder, not II, GOO Iouuds, is has been
enormously stated, which was placed In eight
different chambers, each containing 1000
pounds. Between these chambers was the
''tampi1e' of sand bags and logs. the latter
placed diaeonal]y across the chambers. On
The spripging Of the mine three ordinary
fuses each one split. and all tightly-tied
together, were used. The loading or charg-
labor requiring the utmost caution, as can
dIee and lamps in the cutlery were nec.s .ssar;
to the prosecution Of the labor.
The work, which was commenced at !, was
accomplished without accident at 10 p m.;
hDd On the 26th ult. the mine was ready tor
explosion. A few dnys were NECESSARY,
however, for the consummatlou OF q piece OF
strategy which, although completely SUCCESS
full in Its object, ultimately filled to accom-
llish more than the destruction OF rebel
fort, with most Of its inmates, the capture Of
an InconEiderable number Of the enemy, with
and wounded. Tie loss Of the eneu.y, If ne
admit the truth Of their oWu statement, was
but ECO. and although their casualties are
probably larger than that number, 1t could
not have eqraled ours.
The movements OF the Cd Army Corps to
Deep Bottom, on the james, and Its subse.
qutnt return on Friday night to the front
opposite Petersburg, have already been gi1-
en- In detail, as has also the disposition Of
troops along the entire line on the morning
Several days had elapsed since the charg-
Ing Of the mine, and the feelings Of Col. ?.
during that time must be i'm agIncd, it euch q
thing Is possible. "No one," said the Colo
mel, In recent conversation, ''can tell the
snxious days md elceplcIs nights have
VIII the enemy dIscoyer It before We arc
ready f%r Its explosion, and thus make use-
less a1l the time and labor which has been
expended In its constructions Will 1t e1.
plode as l have calculated, and II 1t does,
will not the enemy, knowing Its location, be
prepared to sweep our advancing columns
from rome point as Jet. undiscovered, with
an impenetrzb1e storm Of shot mud shell
Such questions would continually suggest
themselves, although my filth in the 1or-
1ectness OF the plan remained still unsha-
ken"
At 1L in the morning Of Saturday. the
troops along the liues we're in readiness fol
the attack. The usual picket driug continued
In front, but from the hostile side no evidence
Ut our preparation for IN assault could be
discovered, for the men were shielded from
The enemy By their breastworks. But could
the inmates Of the rebel fort have 6 ,zed for
montDt behind our works, and aeen the quiet
but busy preparations being made By our
troops; could they hare listened to the con.
Yereation OF the men as they: speculated in
whispers as to the result Of fLe springinS of
tue mine under the rebel fort, they would
have ro longer slept on unconscious Of their
doom. :.
-Four o'clock found Gen. Pleasants with
watch In hand, mounted on our earthwork5,
waiting for the grand explosion. ANXIOUS
With excitement he awaited, for the fuse had
been lighted with his own hand, and few
seconds would prove the truth or incorrect
mesa Of his theory. The lime for the explo-
and Sergeant Harry Reese, Of the 4sth, uoblr
volunteered to cnter the gallery and ascertain
the cauee Of the delay. The fuse, which was
9S feet In length, vas extingulsbed. Fifty
feet Lad been burned, but the remainder wss
Reese hurried to the entrance, and, obta{nlns
one, returned. Everything Was finally ad.
tusted, the fuse was again fired, and Lieut..
Douty, announcing the fact to his Colonel:
took his place by Lis aide on our works.
Seconds became minutes, and Col, r, still
! an1to1s still With watch in hand, stood
etratnfng his eye in the direction OF the reb..
el WoIA. 1T lacks one minute Of the timel't
5alo lie 70 his lieutenant, looking at hi5
Watch and speaking in voice Of spppressed
sSe!tsment. M 81 & NET second. Tor there she
lForl the bEeastworks and refoInink nis reri
ment, Sure enough, there she did 90, An
immense column Of earth two hundred aud
fifty feet In the air with o report like the
rumblipg Of IN earthquake.
We all know the result. We all know that
the explosion created a yanning crater 800
By 50 feet; that the rebel fort was blown in
to one mass Of ruins; TINT the rebels for o
quarter Of q mile on either sIde OF the exp1o-
sion, fearing lest their own works were about
to meet the same fate, fled panic-stricken,
horrified, toward the rear; that We charged,
carrying the rebel works; taat pe rtmained
thf enemy had hod s,17ciens time to r:forn their
dttoraahi-td columns and repulse us, aud.
nnal1y, that We abandoned the works and re-
tired to our original lines.
Our loss In the seyerol assaults amounts TO
| over 8, 100, Of which Gen. Iedlie lost GS7,
Potter 500, Wilcox about COO, md Ferrero
LOO. Portions of three rebel regiments, the
| to have been killed and wounded by the OK
plosioD, and the loss inflicted upon them By
our heavy artillery and muBketr7 fire must
have been twice the number which they are
willing to admit. !.
4 Brave and Gallant People.
We may hare been accused Of haTshne5s
: