The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1864-08-12
Burnside's Mine.

No feature of the siege Of Peters
burg has been more interesting and no
undertaking more important than the
construction of the mine under the
rebel Notifications. SO extensive has
been this work, so difficult the obstruc-
tons overcome, so complimentary its
success to the genius and persever-
anee of our soldiers, that more than
passing notice Is due to il.
After the investment of the city,
about the Goth of June last, when
our further approach was disputed by
the formidable character OF the rebel
works, our officers began to look about
them for the means of accomplishing
with the least possible sacrifice of
life what then would have required
the most desperate and bloody yalor
on the part of our troops-viz: the
successful assault of these works The
eXpedient of mine originated with
Lieutenant Colonel Peasants of the
4Sth Pennsylvania regiment, Not that
others did not think of it; but by
most of our engineers the idea was
not entertained. The distance between
our front line and the nearest and
most important rebel fort was over
four hundred yards-too long to hope
for success when all the difficulties
likely to be encountered in the way of
quicksands, underground marshes and
discovery by the enemy were taken in
TO consideration. Colonel Pleas
ants, however, cherished the idea
The rebel fort doomed temptingiy
up in front of his line, and, being a
man of considerable natural energy
and possessed of much practical ex-
perience in mining operations, and
knowing that he would be ably sup
ported by his regiment, which is Who'll
/ ly composed of miners from Schuyl-
kill county, the coal region of Penn
/ sylvania, he, with permission, COM
menced operations. The Colonel had
been engaged in the mining business
in his native State previous to the out
break of the rebellion.
The work was commenced on the
25th of June last, as previously stated.
Such was the secresy with which it
was conducted that for long time the
project was unknown even to those at
whose side it was going on. 1t is
true that reports were III circulation
of mine; but nobody could speak
certainly of the matter. SO much
doubt was there, indeed, that for a
time it was disbelieyed that any such
undertaking was on foot, One soldier
i'll the breastworks, by whose side a
yentllating shaft emerged, told his
comrades IN most surprised manner
that there was a lot of fellows under
him doing something; he knew there
was for he could hear them talk" To
guard against indiscretion on the part
of the pickets, to prevent any meeting
of the soldiers with the rebels whereat
the secret of the mine might be boast
ingly or imprudently disclosed, our
pickets were ordered to fire continually.
Hence the never ending fusilade on the
front of the 9th corps, so incompre-
hensible to the other corps, and which
was often referred to in newspaper
paragraphs The enemy, doubtless,
suspected at first that the undermin-
ing was going on; but when several
weeks elapsed without any demonstra-
ton their suspicious began to vanish,
especially as their engineers must have
thought the plan unfeasible.
The progress of the work was nee
essarily very slow, and it was not UNI
I'll the 10Th instant-just one month
after mcephon-that it was completed.
AT the outset one Of the most import
ant points was to ascertain the exact
distance and bearing Of the rebel fort.
Working undergroundis literally work
ing in the dark. BY that particular
process of surveying called "triangu-
lation" these were arrived at To be
more explicit; distances were laid of
upon the ground behind our works,
From these lines as bases, and with