New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-02-07
The Great Mine Under the Rcbel
Works at Petersburg.
WHO PLANNED IT AND HOW IT WORKED.
REPORT OF TIE WAR COMMITTEE.
CENSURE OF GEN. MEADE.
WASHINGTON, Monday. Feb. 8. ls65.

WASHINGTON. Monday. Feb. g. 1865
The Committee on the Conduct of the Ww.
through Senator Wade. the chairman made q report
to-day relative to the failure Of the attack on the enemys
lines before Petersburg 1t appears that the explosoa
OF the mine under one Of the enemys batteries wasths
suggestion OF Lieut.Co Henry Peasants of the lSh
Pennsylvania Volunteers. and the mining mainly thu
work Of his regiment commenced the 18th OF June
with the approval Of Gen. Burnside and finished on the
ODD of July. Col Peasants labored under dsad.
vantages which would have deferred man OF less
energy and determination.
On the 10th Of July plan OF attack submitted "a
Gen. Meade by Gen. Burnside, who proposed to paoe
two brgades Of colored troops who had been drilling
with reference TO the attack weeks in the advance
Of the attacking column. Gen. Meade objected. not
because he believed they would not do their duty q
well white troops. but because they had not been
under fire. The matter was referred to Gen. Grant,
who decided that white troops should lead the assault
lie said in evidences: Gen. Burnside wanted to put HE
colored division in 'front.' and believe II he had doas
so it would have been success" Still agreed with
Gen Meade in his objection to that plan. Gen. Meade
said that II put the coored troops in 'front.' bad
only that one division. and if it should prove failure.
would then be said very properly that we were showing
these people ahead to get them killed because we did
not care anything about them. but that could not b
said we put white troops in front The order the
sprnging Of the mine and mode of attack given BY
Gen. Meade.
The report gives the history of tie attack showing
that Gen. Burnside received peremptory order at 9e
a. m to withdraw his troops and that Burnside abored
to induce Gen. Meade rescind the order. believing
that success would crown the effort if persevered in.
bo,,r fbe 20. roft he I'm
Generals on this point Gen. Meade testiying that Gen.
Burnside was authorized to exercise bis Judgment in
the withdrawal In reply to question asked by tho
Committee why he could not get better Instruments
Col. Peasants replied Gen. Burnside told me Cen
Meade aud Major Duane. the Chief. Engineer Of the
Army of the Potomac said the thing could not be DONE
that it was all clap trap and that such q
length Of mining had never been executed in military
operations, and never could be- Gen. Burnside was
the only officer Of high rank who favored the mine"
The Committee cannot from all the testimony avoid
the conclusion that the first and great of the dis
aster was the change made the afternoon preceding
the attack, in the arrangement Of Gen. Burnside 70
place the division Of colored troops In the advance
The reasons assigned by Gen. Burnside for not taking
one of his divisions Of white troops for that purpose are
fully justified by the result Of the attack Tie conduct
OF the c0l0Ted troops Wncn Nerc put aSs"H
would seem TO fully justify the confidence that Gen
Burnside reposed in them, and Gen. Grant himself in
bis testimony expresses his belief that il they had been
placed in the advance, Gen. Burnside desired the
assault would have been successful.
1t will be seen the Committee say from the testimony
that when the order to withdraw was given by Geu-
Meade against the representations of Gen. Burnside'
orders were also given by Gen. Meade for offensive
operations to cease the right of Gen. BGrnSideS P
sition and Gen. Ords troops were at the same tune
withdrawn from the position where they had been
placed in support Of the Ninth Corps. Gen. Grant at
tributes the disastrous result in greater less degree
to the troops being unacoompanied by any Of tho d.
vision commanders. In conclusion, the Committee re-
port that in their opinion the cause OF the disastrous
result Of the assault OF the 3Oth Of July last
ia nainly attributable to the fact that the
plans and suggestions of the General who had
devoted his attention for long time TO the subject
who had carried out to successful completion tho
proiect Of mining the enemy's works and who hsd
carefully selected and drilled his troops for the purpose
of receiving whatever advantages might be attanaba
from the explosion OF the mine. should have been en-
tirely disregarded by q general who had evineed no
faith in the successful prosecution of that work had
aided it by no countenance open approval and had
assumed the entire direction and control only when il
was completed and the time had come for reaping any
advantages that might be derived from it.