Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-08-10

fFrem the Petersburg Expresa]
From the Front.
An Exciting Day on Our Lines-77s Enemy
Spring Mins-A Battery and Seosrat Hon
Bloon Up-A Portion of Our Works Taken
Gallant Charge of Southern 7Ioops-7hs Works
Retaken Guns Rscaptured, etc.
The monotony which has prevailed for several
days past in front of Petersburg, was broken on
Saturday last, by event, which though not alto.
gether unexpected, took our troops by SURPRISE
and created for while considerable confusion.
sPINGINa NINE.
For several days past prisoners and deserters have
stated that the enemy was mining, and our officers
and men have been convinced that the statement
was correct, but whether apprised of the exact
locality at which the enemy was conducting his
mining operations we have no means of ascertain.
ing. All doubts on this point, however, if any
existed, were removed Saturday last at an early
hosr. About II o'clock dull, heavy sound was
heard, and this was followed by several other SIM
liar sounds, the enemy at the same time opening
with their batteries all along their lines.
1t was then discovered that the enemy had
sprung mine on one of our salients, near the
centre of the lines and few hundred yards beyond
the Blandford Cemetery. The chief sufferers by
the explosion, were Pegram's Battery, formerly
Branch's from this city, and three companies Of
Elliott's South Carolina Brigade, which occupied
position immediately to the left of the battery for
its support. The battery lost % men missing, two
commissioned officers included. Some of these men,
q list of whom we publish elsewhere, are known to
be killed, their bodies having been recovered, but
others whose bodies have not been found, it is
hoped are prisoners in the enemys hands. Pris.
oners taken subsequent to the explosion, from the
enemy, and near the spot state that several of our
men were dug out of the ruins alive. They de.
scribe one of the men, a lieutenant so minutely,
and the description is so nearly like that of Lieut.
Hamlin, one of the missing that there are strong
grounds for hope that he is yet alive and in the
enemys hands. The remains of the bomb.proof
under which be slept and where Lieut. Chandler
was seen arousing him just previous to the explo.
sion to 60 on duty, yet to be seen the edge
sumption is, that he was not very deeply buried in
the earth. Lieut. h. was young member of the
Petersburg bar, and his many friends feel great
anxiety regarding his fate
Of the casualties in Gen. Elliotts formerly
Evans0 South Carolina brigade, we have no nior-
nation except that Gen. Elliott was severely woun-
ded by ball through the breast He was doing
well yesterday, and hopes were entertained that he
would recover.
EFFORTS TO RETAKE THE WORKS.
As soon as the nature of the disaster was made
known, Gen. Hill despatched q courier to Gen.
Mahone's headquarters, and that viglant officer
moved off Immediately at the head of his own bri-
gade with instructions for Saunders (Ala Brigade
ard Wrights (Georgia) to follow.
Arriving upon the ground, Gen. Malone found
twelve Of the enemy's flags waving upon the ram
explosion, and the whole vicinity swarmins with
white and black yankee troops.
Getting his troops into position, Gen. Malone
ordered his brigade to re.ake portion of his works.
and instructed Wright's brigade to come up in such
position as would ensure the recapture Of the re-
naming portion. Under command of Col. Weisi-
sger acting Brgadier, Mahones brigade formed into
line, and We're about to move up, when the enemy
sailed out and made a charge. The Confederates
reserved their fire, until they could see the whites
Of the enemy's eyes, when they poured into them
such storm Of bullets, that the enemy recoiled
and fell back in confusion. A charge was now
ordered, and Weislger's men dashed forward with
ayell, driving the enemy up to and over the breast
works. On the works our men halted, and deliv-
cred plunging fire, which proved so destructive
that the enemy never again rallied on this portion
sion.
In the meantime, Wright's brigade, commanded
by Col. Hail. instead of coming directly up, by some
means deployed and came round, and thus failed to
retake that portion Of the line assigned to them.
At late hour Wilcoxs old brigade, now ably
commanded by the young and intrepid Sanders,
came CALAMITY up to their work, and by charge,
drove the enemy from the remaining portion of the
works. and thus enabled US to reestablsh our lines
precisely as they were before the explosion.
DESPERATE FIGHTING.
The enemy finding escape impossible rushed for
safety in the immense hole or chasm, made bv their
explosion and around the edge of this great bssin
our men closed and fought hand to hand. This
was done chiefly by Mahone's old brigade, and San.
ders Alabama men. Here the slaughter was ter.
ritic and here too, many gallant Confederate fell
to rise no more. As an evidence of the desperate
nature Of the contest around and in this chasm we
would state that Gen. Saunders men, after reno
wing large number of wounded, buried in the
hole on Saturday night, 55 Yankee negro troops,
and 178 whites.
THE TERRIBLE POWER OF auNPowDER-A CHASTITY
SCENE.
At q late hour Saturday evening, we visited the
chasm caused by the enemy's explosion. 1t ap-
peared to be about 40 feet in depth, and some 200
feet in circumference and resembled more what one
would imagine to have been the effects of terrible
earthquake than any thing else to which we could
hken it. Immense boulders of earth were piled up
rudey one above the other, and great fragments Of
bomb-proofs, gun carriages, lmbers ETC., were ly-
ing promiscuously in every adirection. One man
was caught between two boulders near the surface
OF the ground, and literally crushed between them
de still remained in this painful position with his
mead and neck visible, our men not having had time
to extricate him. Life had lon been extinct, but
the g6asty looking face was unmarked by scratch,
and the head perfect, but slightly reclining on the
shoulder.
The sides and bottom Of the chasm, were literal.
~ lined with Yankee dead and the bodies lay in
every conceivable position. In one spot we noticed
coporai Of infantry, a sergeant Of artillery, and
big, burly negro, piled one upon top the other--
Some had evidently been killed with the butts of
muskets, as their crushed skulls and badly mashed
faces too plainly indicated while the greater por
ton were shot, great pools of blood, having flowed
from their wounds and stained the ground.
Between our breastworks and the enemys, large
numbers Of dead and wounded were still lying the
latter begging piteousy for water, and praying to
be cared for: Our men could not relieve them, as
they were in full range of the enemys sharp shoot
ers, who had not ceased their firing, even under
such appalling circumstances as we have described