Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1864-08-12


whether negroes shall ride in the railway
cars with white people or not.
OPERATIONS At PITERsBURG.-The success
OF thc assault made upon PETERSBURG ON Sat
urdaY last WAS supposed to depend upon the
9"'' '---l explosion of "a mine Several
Heoh- slnec Lieut.. Col. Pleasant of the 18th.
Penn. regiment submitted plan bv which
a formidable tort situated on the rebel line
IN burnsidcN front and about two thousand
yards south east Of Petersburg might be
destroyed by the explosion Of a mine under
meath This fort occupied a commanding
position on crest in front of our lines. and
from 10, location was able to inhlct consid
cradle INJURY on our troops. Three hundred
yards behind this work another crest rises
at the foot Of which on the other side lies the
CIV Of Petersburg. 1t was evident then
'hat The occupation by our troops Of the crest
nearest the city would give US It's possession.
ana the only question then was how to gam
1t with the least possible loss of life. Could
a tunnel nearly five hundrdred ieet in length
hc extended TO the Rebel work, and mine
constructed underneath without detection
by tire enemy, and. after It's construction.
with IT. explosion facilItats the progress Of
uur army toward the town? The scheme.
although. Il IS said, considered impracucable
by many ODD. our engineer officers, was finally
submitted % Lieut.. Gen. Grant. who. on
d,li."'i'l no. thought otherwise. and gave
Col PicasauJs permission TO commence the
enterprise. col r., who. by the way. i n
practical uIner. Immediately began the
w'rS. fl.-iins his own regiment to carry
"ui hi- Instructions. Intervening between
oH- iin. and that OF the rebels, and shielded
irlH i.cu. is a rayinc. IN the western sl0pe
"i WIN" tire construction on the crest OF the
tHuuc- '.- r1mmcncci. As before mention
r.- 1ur beyond the entrance. wac loci-
t.a t'r med rebel fort, and consequently
a. is~-i-. f. that length. having gradual
o~-n- ward the work. was necessary.
Oncr 'e'. rh the rebel egrthwork. ohlong
wings lamhers extending to the right
arl l..r t re- excavated. the mine and ras-
-f-. 1871. ghcn completed, being similar in
>.uf- g. 4, the miac answering to the
n1a1au,. and the passage way to the l,er-
pcnal-lar portion OF the letter The ut
most cia ION was Necessary in pursuing the
illa. .. excavation beneath the front. as
the -.s jackets were a distance OF but
- i,,t ..Duve the roof of the chamber. and
t-cir m".ements were plainly distiBguIsha-
hls 10y ar men &c work below Supports
were ICED IA the chamber 10 prevent the
-NlH- SaY of earth, ami every procaution
tahe" uy Col Pleasant 10 prevent any delay
or iallulc. Enlargemcnts for the reception
OF 'ir powder were then made in the center
and the exJremities o. the chamber. and
tie mine was completed The loading of
t'e mIuc. III which 10000 pounds orpowder
Mas required, was accomplished. and the
TROOPS pla"ed IN readiness TO advance at "a
moment : notice.
ON the EVEN y OF Friday tine troops were
notified that tine iong-talhod-0i mine would
BE- 'Nplodcd at p in the morning. and dl-
cited to bc in readiness 10 move forward at
"a moment warning. On the explosion of
90" mine. The division Of Brighton Lcdlic.
-aIpJrtod by the division, Of Brig. tens.
Wilcox end Potter, was To lead the assault
opon the Rebel line The colored troops of
Fcrrero, who were originally intended to
lead the charge, were to remain massed in
the rear, awaiting orders.
HalEpast 3 in the morning found our men
IA the trenches, wide awake and cxpectant.
ENrrything being IN readiness, the fuse con-
u,cting with the nam chamber was lighted.
Ten minutes elapsed and vet no explosion
Breathless with suspense the men awaited
tine result. Half an hour passed by and the
silence remained unbrokcn. ard it became
evident that the fuse had gone cut.
At u the fuse is again lighted. and again
the men in the trenches clcnch their guns
with tighter grasp, and await the explo-
sion. Five minutes passes. and all remains
silent. The rebels in the fort, unconscious
IF their doom, sleep ON : the sun. as if anx-
lous to witness the spectacle. mounts the
horizon, and at that moment the earth
heaveS and trembes as if shaken by an earth |
quake. An instant, and then q terrific ex-
ploslon huge masses OF earth lifted as a
child would toss marble. men. cannon.
caissons. limbers, fOrges, guns and tImbers |
are belched forth high in air, and descend |
with heavy ''thud,' a shapeless chaotic
mass.
1t is doubtful whether any of the occu-
pants Of the fort made their escape from /
death OF capture. Numbers were doubtless |
engulied IN the waving crater when thehugc |
mass descended, and If alive. were 50 deeply /
ent0mbed as to render extrication impossi-
BILE >hapeless masses once men were found
IN the debris, and some were found half
buried, and were dug out with bayonets,
sticks and swords. An officer, while sitting
IN the ruins, resting his hand on the loose
earth thrown up by the explosion, fancied
that he discovered movement beneath.
Taking piece Of board, he commenced ex-
ploring the dirt, and ia a moment uncovered
the face Of Rebel who had been buried in
the ruins. Strange to say, he was uniniur-
I'd, although nearly suffocated BY his prema-
ture burial. The crater formed by the ex-
nlosion was oblong in shape, about one hun
ired and fifty feet in length, and twenty five
n width. The destruction Of the fort was
complete. Four companies Of the 18th North
CAROLINA Regiment, with portion of an
'ther not known, are supposed to have been
buried in the debris.
The failure Of the assault made
after the explosion. i.
scribed by some to the bad be
layior of the troops and BY some to the in
rlnslc difficulty of the undertaking. After
he advance had moved forward and been
epulsed the col0red troops were brought M.
At O'Clock Ferrero's division OF colored
roops were brought up to dislodse the enc
ny from the hill. and, from the gallant !
tyle IN which they came up, It was believed
hat their attempt would he successful. Sub /.
scted to the same severe ordeal, they wayer-
moment, and then breaking in disorder. a.
n spite of the entreaties and threats of their
Ulcers, who behaved splendidly. they fell
ack in confusion through our lines. repulsed
nd demoralized. 1t was their first baptism
l fire, and, when the severity OF the ordeal
considered, the fact that they did fall
ack is a matter Of no great surprise. Final t
: rallying, they again advanced toward the J
ont, but in vain 4; it is only to again fall c
lck without the accomplishment of their a
Irpcse. Finding the position untenable. a
en-. Grant, who had come up to the from a
fore daybreak, ordered our lines TO retire {
their original position. n
Reports from Maryland and Pennsylvania
1icate that the rebels h,ve found it advis-
lie to attempt 10 return to the south side of L