The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1867-06-18
FIFTEENTH yOLUME--NUMBER 772.

ward SO close that they could take up the mus
kets left by the enemy On the ground aud pitch
them, bayonet downward, into the crater. The
place, however, was made very hot by the Union
batteries; bat at length I got up some mortars,
(they were little things; that you could tote), We
planted them within ifty yards of the work, ard
throwing the shells for d hundred feet into the
air they would explode right in the hole
Finally, toward noon. after our own men had
long called to the Yankees to come in, they
futtered the white handk erchief, aud all that
had not meanwhile succeeded in crawling back
surrendered | saw good many Of our men
that had been buried up in the explosion-they
we're all covered with earth and looked rs though
they bad grown there" And so ended what
Gen. Grant at the time very justly styled "this
miserable affair"
The defence of Fort Gregg was ore of the
most gallant actions OF the siege, and as .he
death of Gen. Hill was connected with it, We
copy the account in full We have heard
several versions Of the circumstances under
which this distinguished officer came to bis
death, but as the annexed Statements was derived
from Gen. Malone, We receive it as authentic:
''Coming back by the Boydton plank road, We
strike once more the defensive line of the Cou-
federates. Here, first of all, lying across the
road, is Fort Gregg, powerful bastion work; and
one will hardly fail to pause here when he knows
what desperate deed of vaor was done therein.
On the morning of Sunday, the Cd of May,
April y the day after Five Forks, a general at
tack was made along the front of all these works
enveloping Petersburg. The Sixth Corps having
succeeded in bursting through everything in 1ts
'front.' the troops the left towards Hatcher's
Run swung round towards Petersburg, and moving
up the Boydton plank road, advanced on Peters
h,,rn l. D.,Az
they were stopped. The defence of this work
had been intrusted to body of Mississippi troops,
numbering in all about $50 men. They were
perfect marksmen and intrepid soldiers. The
assault was made by the division of Gibbon;.and
standing on the parapets Of Gregg. one sees the
valley through which they advanced to the attack.
Adequately manned, the fort would be impregna-
Bile, for the guns perfectly command all the ave-
nues of approach. This soon apparent to
the assaiants, for not advancing they were met
by SO deadly fire that the line staggered aud
broke. Attack after attack was made but in vain,
till at length the defenders were reduced to thirty
men. Then in a renewed rush the Union troops
carried the fort, but it found that the loss wac
above five hundred, so that each of these skilled
riflemen brought down two assailants. In con-
nection with the defence of Fort Gregg I must
also mention fact which learn from Gen. Ma
Confederate corps commander, A. 2. Hill. Gen.
Lees headquarters were but short distance in
rear of Gregg in house on the Boydton plank
road, between the fort and the town. At the
time Fort Gregg carried Gems. Hill and Ma
hone were in conversation with Lee at his head
quarters. AS the firing grew nearer and nearer,
Lee, intentIy listening to the sounds, suddenly
turned to Hill and said /: "How is this, Generali
Your troops are giving way" Upon this, Hill,
mounting his horse, Dashed to the front; but
while gailopng down the road he suddenly came
upon two men in blue uniforms. Throw down
your arms !" shouted the General. But the men
quickly sprang behind tree, and, leyeling their
pieces, fired. Hill fell from his horse dead.
"And now we back again; and looking
down from the heights, taking in the character
of the memorials of the war a whole, ! cannot
help feeling that it was a wonderful siege and
wonderful defence-honorable alike to the vaior
Of both armies. Students will come here to see
examples Of the most remarkable military engi-
neering ever executed; and so long as men heed
the deeds of their fellows the story of their actions
here performed will be read with wonder and
awe. II is all over now, aud gone into history but
to me standing on this Cemetery height-stand-
ing here in the cleaning sun and looking down
on the Debris OF fort and frieze, it is no longer
past but present For 10 out of the earth rise
troops of shadowy figures, and nimbly pressing
into trench and Farapet, grasp with ghostly hands
muskets OF vapor. 1t is the embattled armies
once more, with the tattered ensigns, the u2piled
terraces of struggle, and the yell and cheer Of
surging and swaying lines. But no, it is dream;
back to your graves you sbadowy forms in blue
and gray, and leave us to our work-day world"