The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1864-08-09
THE BLOWING UP OF A MIME o1
THE ENEMY AT PETERSBURG.

n Ninc-1 Battery ana Se0eT0S nc" OtO0n up
"A portion Of our .s0rhS TX, I ri
Cbordc Of Southern Groops-1hc Works re.
taken, Gins Rccopturcd, &c.
For several days prisoners and deserters have
stated that the ehemy was mining, and our officers
and men have been convinced that the statement
was correct but Hhether apPrIsed OF the exact 10
cality at which the enemy was conducting his
mining operations we have no means OF ascertain
ing. All doubts on this point, however, if any ex-
isted were removed Saturday the 3lst July, at an
early hour. About Il o'clock, dull, heavy sound
was heard, ana this was followed by several other
similar sounds, the enemy at the same time open
ing with their batteries all along their lines.
It was then discovered that the enemy had
snrune mine on one of our salicnts, the cen
tire of the lines and few hundred yards beyond
the Blanford Cemetery. The chief sufferers by
the explosion, were Pegram's Battery, formerly
Branch's,) from this city, and three companies OF
Elotts 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.
Of tho casualties in Gen. Elott's formerly
Evans South Carolina Brigade, We have no IN
formation except that Gen Elliott was severely
wounded by a ball through the breast. He was
doing we'll
AS soon as the nature of the disaster was made
known, Gen. Hill despatched a courier to Gen.
Mahone's Headquarters, and that Vlglant ofhcer
moved off immediately at the head of his own Br-
gade, with instructions for Saunders (Ala) Bri-
gade, and Wrght's Georgia. to follow. Arrl-
: wing upon the ground, Gen. Malone found twelve
of the enemy's flags waving upon the ramparts of
that portion of our line, carried by the explosion,
and the whole vicinity swarming with white and
black Yankee troops.
Getting his troops into position, Gen. Malone
ordered his Brigade to retake portion Of his
works, and instructed Wrights Brigade to come
up in such position as would ensure the rc-capturo
of the remaining portion. Under command Of
Col Wcisiger acting Brigador 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. ~
charge was now ordered, and Weisigers men dash
ed forward with yell, driving the enemy up to
and over the brcastworks. On the works our men
halsed, and delivered plunging fire, which proved
SO destructive that the enemy again rallied
on this portion of the line, but left our men in IN
disturbed possession. In the meantime, Wright's
Brigade, commanded by Col. Hall, instead of COM
ing directly up, by some means deployed, and came
around, and thus failed to retake that portion OF
the line assigned to them.
At later hour Wilcox's old brigade, now ably
commanded by the young and intrepid Saunders,
came gallantly up to their york, and by charge,
drove the enemy from the remaining portion Of
the works, and thus enabled US to re-estabsh our
lines, precisely as they before the explosion
The enemy finding escape impossible, rushed for
safety into the immense hole chasm, made by
their explosion and around the edge of this great
basin, our men closed and fought hand to hand.
This was done chiefly by Mahone's old BRIGADE
and Saunders Alabama men Here the slaughter
was terrific, aud here too, many gallant Confede-
rate 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 removing large number Of wounded, buried
in the hole on Saturday night, So Yankee negro
troops, and It's whites.
The Terrific p0rer Of Gunpowder.-At late
hour Saturday evening, we visited the chasm
caused by the enemys explosion, 1t appeared to
be about 10 feet in depth, and some 200 feet in
circumference and resembled more what one would
imagine to have been the effects Of terrible earth
quake than any thing else to which we could liken
it. Immense boulders Of earth piled up
rudely above the other, and great fragments of
bomb proofs, gun carriages -linbers, etc, were
lying promiscuously in every direction. One man
was caught between two boulders near the surface
of the ground and literally crushed between them.
lie still remained in this painful position, with his
head and neck visible, our men not having had the
time to extricate him. Life had long been extinct,
but the CHASTITY looking face, was unmarked by a
scratch, and the head perfect but slightly reclining
on the shoulder
The sides and bottom of the chasm, were literal
ly lined with Yankee dead and the bodies lay in
every conceivable position. In one spot we noticed
corporal of infantry, sergeant of artillery, and a
Dig, burly negro, piled one upon top of the other,
some had evidently been killed with the butts Of
muskcts as their crushed skulls and badly mashed
faces too plainly indicated, while the greater por-
son were shot, great pools Of blood, having flowed
from their wounds and stained the ground.
Between our breastworks and the enemy's large
numbers of dead and wounded were still lying the
latter begging piteously for water, and praying to
he cared for. Our could not relieve them, as
they were in full range of the enemys sharpshoot-
ers, who had not ceased their firing, even under
such appalling circumstances as we have described.
The length Of the "sap" made by the enemy, is
supposed to have been about 600 feet, but the
work is not so great rs many unacquainted with
the appliances used for such purposes, would sup
pose. immense auGers, made specially for such
occasions, are brought into requistion and by this
means we are Informed, a vast deal of work can he
accomplished in short space Of time Just where
the mine sprung and the explosion occurred
the earth is formed of hard substance such as is
generally known "pipe clay" aad this accounts
for the great bouders of earth which were rent
asunder and upturned, by the force of the ex-
plosion.
That the Enemy has occonaplished.-The la
bors of the enemy in this operation, have been
poorly repaid. 1t is not to be denied that by the
snddeK and terrible nature of the explosion he pro