Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1864-08-17
EN- The Thir,r.Ss, arth Rseimeat.

laalty Of Indian Soldiers.
Correspondence Of the State Journal.
NEsR PErERsBURG. Va, Aug !, "a.
| have another bloody scene Ia this great
war panorama to recount 10 you, though not
myself personal actor IN the same. The
37tb has however, been again called on TO
take an active part, and has, as its list of
kilIe8- and wounded and the testimony of all
who witnessed the action show, done its duty
wen and truly On Thursday, the 21st, left
the field hospital and took up my quarters in
our :. conyalescent camp about two miles in
the rear Of our advanced lines, but within
plain hearing of the picket firing on the
froat. We passed several days here in quiet,
undisturbed by any unusual uproar, desul-
tory picket firing aud occasional artillery
skirmish alone breaking the sutry stiffness OF
the long, hot summer days
On the morning of the 5Oth this quiet was
broken in on bY tin din and upTOar Of as
fierce and determined Il battle a any that has
vet taken place before Petersburg. On that
morning, just the run rose above the East
ern horizon, glowing red and angry through
the morning mists, ike a ball Of molten met
al, we we're aroused by the sound Of three
heavy guns fired IN rapid succession from a
battery on the left. This was quickly follow
ed by dull, heavy roar, perceptible con
cusslon Of the air, and a trembling of the
solid ground on which we lay This was sue
ceeded by the opening Of every battery along
whole lines, said 70 number four hundred
pieces of artillery, of every size, from the
. light 2-pounder field piece" up To tho 100
pound Parrot and six and ten inch moTtars
TIE reports of these pieces were almost CON
tiauOus, aud from this time till II O'Clock did
the heIish uproar continue. Sleeping was Of
course out of the question, for had no oc-
casion 20 ask what had happened. We could
10 -ff - ? IL !.
weeks past we mad heard was being run un-
der large rebel battery in front Of the 9th
corps, had been exploded, and the question
III our minds was what next? e"
But we were not long left in suspense, the
sharp voles OF the rifles in our front, and
the cheers-l Yankee cheeIs-TIslng above the
din Of the caunouade, told ~ that our Corps
was advancing. Hastily suatching mouth
ful OF two Of hard tack, crawled out, three
OF u.s. as far towards the front as our strength
would permit, and there, in painful anxiety,
waited news from the front Our feelings
viii not attempt TO describe, but you can i'm
aeine them | know that a more anxious
morning | never passed IN my life. We had
not long to wait for tidings, soon, but too
soon, the long line Of ambulances came roll
I'M in from the front with each its CHASTITY
load Of hacked and bleeding humanity
From them we learned that the mine under
the Fort had exploded, completely tearing
the work 70 pieces and buryi-g hundreds OF
rebels and several cannon in its ruins. That
our Brigade had advanced with the rest of
ELS Corps and was holding the ruins and the
Erst line Of rebel works; and so the fore
noon wore away, the DAY was still and sultrY,
aui tie not sun was shining down ferceiy on
zae dry sandy battlefield where the wounded
lily in their agony, praying for water and,
aar too often, IN vain. And nov, towards
noon Is on artillery fire slacbened We could
near the Wild shrill yell of the rebels as they
charged, maddeucd with liquor, in vain at
tempy- to retake the works had so well
won Ill the morning
Towards four o'clock, however ia the at
ternoOn, they we're strengthened by reinforce
ments from their left, and our men having
become completely worn out by their eAer-
lions. added To the impossibility Of procuring
water. and their having been without food
since the evening before, final charge on
the fort compelled our men 70 fall back 10
tbe line of rife pits they had left IN the
morning. The position, indeed, was one that
ii number Of troops could have held success
tJILs FOR ans length of time, being complete
I'll. commanded by the fire of two forts and
three lines of rite pits which the rebels still
heIi.
Had IL been possible to have got battery
into position IN the fort, something mi -ht
have been effected, bat, SO whitening was the
cross tire from the rebel lines, no men nor
horses could have dragged guns into an cifec-
tive position. The men of cur regiment the
9th Michigan, and some belonging to "a heavy
artiler- regiment succeeded, after some
he#vy digging in uuCarthing couple Of the
raHeI guns which bad been buried by the eX-
ulasiou OF the mine, and getting them TO
bear ON one of the rebel forts, sileuciug its
tire for "a time But their ammunition soon
failed and the fort again re0pened its fire.
the main credit for the accomplishment of
this scheme, which saved the lives of many
OF our men, Is due TO Col Hartman anG
Adiutaut Mitim0re of our regiment, and to a
sergeant and corporal of %Ihe I'd Penn.
Heavy Artillery the two former having orig
mated the scheme and the latter rendering
valuable assistance in giving directions as It,
working the guns, sc.
About four O'Clock the order was unwilling
IL given for GU men TO fall back, which they
did. leaving many killed and wounded on the
way. The same night our brigade was re-
lieved having been ON continuous duty in
the front line of works for thirteen days.
Our lass in killed and wounded amounted to
al, being considerably more than half of
the number of men engaged.
The explosion Of the mine Is reported by
those who witnessed it 70 have been a fearful
sight, the If being filed, to the height of 80
feet, with fragments OF timber, human beings,
EHn carriages and general debris, while "a vast
cloud Of dust and smoke hung high above ALL
Nearly two hundred rebels were dug out OF
the ruins By our men, over one hundred Of
v hom were alive AID brought prisoners into
our lines. They stated, in nay hearing that
nearly 500 men Of South Carolina Begi-
ment, lying round the Fort. and not in it,
were buried by the sand and dirt thrown up
bv the explosion.
This, tile third action we have taken part
is. has reduced our already deeimated ranks
sadly. on dress parade this evening We re
ported 95 men fit for duty. The boys, how
deuce III Gen. Grant is mistaken, and re
ported advance of our lines oa the right a
distance Of three miles adds 10 their conf
dence
What our next operations may be, we Of
course cannot tell. Rumors are rife of our
corps being ordered to Kentucky, bat this IS
probably mere camp gossip. l enclose d list
uE killed ana wounded and remain
Respectfully yours, +. c f.
L..t ~ casualties q H. S7H rs7t. US. I-aI
"a attack ca RtsfS5arg, Ia. alag So, "a