Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-06-14


the writer of which is doubtless Mr.. Swim
ton. the historian of the late war, whose
works have been received as well at the
lSouth as at the North. He has lately been
on a visit to Petersburg, where he received
many courteous attentions, and spent seve-
ltll days in examining the old battle
grounds, in company with former Conted-
crate officers. The letter is too long for
re publication in our columns, but we can
not pass it over without making some eX-
tracts
"Wcre the battle fields around Peters
burg situated in some remote corner OF
Europe, | dare be sworn they would be
visited by more Americans than do now
visit them, accessible as they are and in
tensely interesting as they ought to be to
every lover of his country. But even of
those who do come here but few obtain any
intelligent conception Of the siege, of the
character of the tremendous defensive
works which cover the country around Pc
tersburg, of the true nature of the military
operations here carried on and indeed the
only attentive observers | have noticed here
are some English visitors, come all the way
from across the water to see the famous
battling ground OF Grant and Lee. [ hope
the time will arrive when IL juster apprecia-
ton will bring many to look with wonder
and admiration upon spot invested with
SO deep a historic interest. 1t is very GER
tain that ere long those very features that
lend the greatest charm to the country
around Petersburg will have disappeared !;
and already, what with the action of the
elements and of mans destroying finger,
many of the lines and works have crumbIed
to decay.
OF course no man visits the lines without
making the "Crater" an object of special
attention. The account is lengthy, but it
will be read, and continue to be read, with
neverfagging interest
cater a ride OF Il mile and a half over
very rough ground, which, thanks to our
sure-footed and admirably trained horses,
we travelled safely, we reached the g Cra-
ter" This, it Will be readily remembered,
is the scene of Burnside's famous mine;
and in examining this and other parts of
the line, l have had the advantage of the
company of Gen. Malone, the most skill
full and enterprising of Lees commanders,
and the officer who figured on the Confed-
'erate side in this as in most of the other
operations during the long siege.
1.-The fort under which the mine was con-
structed, and of which all that now remains
is. the crater" is placed on what was a
considerable salient of the enemy's front.
| The hostile fronts here also were extreme
ly close Now, between Burnside's posi-
ton and the site Of the fort, the ground
dips midway into Il ravine, and from this it
rises into hill of perhaps forty Or fifty
feet, on which the work which it was desig-
mated to blow up stood. The ravine which
was guarded by the Union pickets, afford
ed perfect cover to troops in the operation
OF mining, and the tunneling was begun at
the base of the hill. When the galleries
We're completed, and all was in readiness,
the mine was exploded on the morning Of
| the Both Of July. 1t is familiar to all that
after the explosion, which was a perfect
success, the assa1lltinS column went for
ward; but owing to great mismanagement,
| the troops were allowed to huddle into the
crater instead OF going forward, SO that
they were finally driven out, captured or
killed. AS these things are we'll known.
| there is no occasion to recite them in this
| letter, the object Of which is to put on re-
cord such new facts as l have discovered in
| the course of ,my intercourse with many
| Confederate officers who took part i'll the
affair.
"On the morning OF the explosion the fort
and the rifle trenches to the right and left
were held by IL brigade of South Carolina
| troops. The work vas defended in addi-
| ton to the infantry, by Il battery of four
1s-pounder Napoleons, under Captain Pc
gram, an officer | have met here. The fact
the circumstance that on that particular
morning he was at his camp a mile to the
rear for as to his command they were all
| blown into eternity-all save two that were
| dug out. Besides this loss Captain Pegram
| informs me that of the South Carolina
| troops in the fort and in the works to the
right and left, about hundred were killed
a fact which I believe is now known for
| the first time. Having occupied the breach
made by the explosion, it was the design
| that the Union troops should without halt
| ing press forward to a height in the rear Of
the fort known as Cemetery Hill but this
purpose was not carried into execution
| Had it been done, it has been claimed that
Petersburg would have fallen, and [ have
| little doubt this would have been the case,
| for standing here on Cemetery Hill, one
readily sees that it takes in reverse every
| thing the enemy had, both to oppose this
advance-at least, not more than q hundred
| or two of the South Carolina brigade, who
had been holding position in reserve. So
paralized Was the enemy that this state of
| facts continued for three hours and it is
| plain to see that only such shameless mis-
| management on the part Of the officers,
| and was developed by the inquiry which
| General Grant instituted into the affair,
banked complete success. Finally Lee re-
covered himself, and Withdrawing Ma
hone from his position, mile and a
half to the Confederate right, he
| sent him to recover the ground
That officer, riding over the scene with me,
has pointed out to me whence he came
how he brought his troops round upper
ceived under cover of q hijl-how, strik
ing ravine q little to the (Union) right of
the fort, he brought his men forward to-
ward the position and advanced, hidden by
| some low ground. ''When [ arrived"
| (Joqnit,n' Mahone), 81 counted eleven bat
tle-fags along the parapets ; eleven times
two are twenty-five, counting two hun
dred men to regiment), twenty-five hun
dred men ; but then reflected that many
of the colors were run forward simply to
bring up the men, and I saw that there
| could not be that many. Disposing the
| troops thus and SO, we went forward and
the Union troops crowded back into the
| crater and the breastworks. It was about
$50 o'clock when we made that first charge.
My men pressed forward so close that they
could take up the muskets left by the enc
my on the ground and pitch them, bayonet
| downward into tho Tho 1,looo