The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-11-02

y
pared to renew the assault they found the
works empty. Then followed q series Oh
assaults which were repulsed by the Con-
Ifederates with great loss to the enemy.
| OLD ENEMIES MEET.
stThe men OF Anderson,s and HIPS corps
We're now pouring into the Confederate
works, division after division, battery after
battery, and when night fell those two
grim adYersaries the Army OF the Potomac
and the Army of Northern Virginia again
confronted each other in array OF battle,
while General Grant had learned that Peters
burg, as Napoleon said Of Valencia, I" could
not be taken By the coltar.'
Inthese four days Of assault, from We'd
nesday to Saturday inclusive, the enemy
T. confess to q loss OF more than ten thousand
men, a fact which attests with dreadful elo-
quence the yigor OF the defence"
Captain McCabe next sketched with mas
terly skill the work of both sides in fortify-
ing, and commented upon Grants series Of
attempts against Lees communications, in
Guiding the movements OF the Second and
Sixth corps and Wilson's cavalry to extend
the Federal left to take possession Of the
Weldon road, aud to cut the Southside and
by Malone striking them in flank fearful
blow, gaining 1,742 prisoners, a vast guam
tty Of small arms, four light guns, and
eight standards. On the same day Wilson
was sharply assaulted by W. H. F. Lees
cavalry while the forces OF the former were
tearing up the Southside railroad track at
Blacks and Whites; and Wilson, being
forced to retreat, was isined by Kautz and
moved on to Staunton-RiyeT bridge, which
was successfully held by the local militia,
and w. 81. F. Lee boldly attacked them
again. Wilson now turned to regain the
lines in front OF Petersburg.
Hampton joined Lee. Wilson, thinking
Reams's station was still in Federal posses
sion, aimed for it. There he encountered
Malone, with Saunders's and Finnegan's
brigades, and Brander's and the Purcell bat
teries, under Pegram, preceded by Fitz.
Lee, who had just roughly handled Gregg,
at Vance's shop, and who now came down
at sharp trot to take part in the tumult.
Wilson, sorely pressed and in great panic,
fired his trains and fled.
"ThlIs Wilson, who but eight days had
crossed this road in all the pomp Of war,
with gaily-faunting pennons and FURNISHED
trappings flashing in the sun, while the
earth trembled beneath the thunder OF his
trampling squadrons, now skunk across the
Nottoway ('horses and men in a pitiable
condition. says the Union historian), hav-
ing abandoned to the Confederates his
trains, great quantity OF ordnance-stores
and small arms, the captured negroes, one
thousand prisoners, besides his killed and
wounded, and thirteen pieces of artillery"
On the 23d Captain NIcCabe said Grant
made another attempt to extend his line to
the Weldon road and lost five hundred
prisoners. Grants engineers reported the
Bermuda Hundred front impracticable
for assault, but that held by Burnside's
corps Gas favoring under certain contin-
gencies such enterprise he, determined to
assault from that quarter" Burnside 8
riae-pits were scarcely more than one hun
dren and thirty yards distant from what
was then known as the Elliott salient.
THE BATTLE OF THE CRATER.
Captain McCabe's history of the battle OF
the Crater contained many new and interest
ing facts gathered from authentic sources,
and was told with eloquence.
Commencing at the inception OF the de-
sign of the mine, by Lieutenant-Colonel
Henry Peasants, he recounted how that Of
fcer pursued his work, "the military en-
gineers regarding the scheme with ill-con-
cealed derision'; how Pleasants labored
under many, discouragements, and with in
sufficient tools and instruments. "By July
23d the mine was finished, and consisted Of
a main gallery $40 $40 feet in length, with
lateral galleries right and lett, measuring
respectively 3S and 81 feet, and forming the
segment of circle, coRcaye to the Confede-
rate lines.'' ssThe mine finished, official
brows began to relax, and Pleasants, asking
for $4,000 pounds Of powder, got 5000 and
was thankful
meanwhile General Grant, in his eager
ness for the coveted prize so long denied
him, resolved to tempt fortune by double
throw, and not to stake his all upon the ven
ture of single cast"
Within the compass OF newspaper re-
port it is impossible to follow Captain Nc
Cabe in his detailed statement Of the situa-
ton Of the two armies at that time; OF
Grants plan Of assault and his simultaneous
movement against Richmond; Of the weak
ness Of the Confederate force in front OF
Petersburg $4,000 men only at that time
of the eighty-one heavy guns and mortars
and eighty light guns made to bear upon
the doomed salient; Of the failure OF the
mine to explode at the hour fixed because
of the fuse going out; of the two brave men
"whose names should be mentioned with
respect wherever courage is honored, Lieu
tenant Jacob Douty and Sergeant Henry
Rees, both of the Forty-eighth Pennsylva-
MAJ who entered the mine and relighted
the fuse, &c.
The historian will have frequent occasion
to refer to the address, as it will be pub
lished in enduring form, and will be able
to CLEAN from it compact mass of facts &C.
cessible in no other quarter, besides vast
amount Of original information never be.
fore made public.
THE EXPLOSION.
"In eleven minutes now the mine will
explode" so Peasants reported to Burn
side at 4:33; and small group Of officers oil
the Forty y-eighth standing upon the slope
Of the main parapet anXiously await the
result
"It lacks minute yet,'' says Pleasants,
looking at his watch.
"Not second" cries Douty; "for there
she goes!"
A Slight tremor of the earth for second,
! then the rocking as Of IN earthquake,
with tremendous burst which rent the
sleeping bills beyond; vast column OF
earth and smoke shoots upward to great
height, its dark sides flashing out sparks OF
fire, hangs poised for moment in mid-air,
and then, hurtling downward with roar
ing sound showers OF stones, broken tim.
bers, and blackened human limbs, sub
sides-the gloomy pail OF darkening smoke
flushing to an angry crimson as it floats
away to meet the morning sun.
nPleasants has done his work with ter.
rible completeness, for now the site Of the
Elliott salient ia marked by q hOrrid chasm