New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1878-12-11

Il In your issue of the 18th inst, I no.
tlced an article, the first sentence Of which
asks the question, "Can a persons hair
turn white in 4 short ;time?" Having seen
such an instance, and one that can be
authenticated beyond all cavil by persons
now living, ! will give you ana your
readers the circumstances as they occurred,
when, where, and whom they are, "a DID
When Grant sprangs the 'smlne' or
"bluw-up," as anyacall it, in front of
Petersburg, Va, attwilight on the morn.
Of the 30th of July, 1864, tie point i'm
mediately over it was occupied by a Vir-
ginia battery. The ditchesson the right
Immediately next to- the battery were
occupied by the Twenty second South
Carolina volunteers, Col. Fleming. On
the left Of the battery the bitches were
occupied by the Eighteenth South Caro-
lima, Colonel w. II. Wallace (now Judge
Wallace, OF South Carolina), of which
regiment was surgeon. Ali along our
lines oul soldiers had dug out bomb
proofs, as they called them. These boom
proofs We're generally, about four teet
broad, three feet high, and seven feet long
large enough for two or three men to
crawl into and sleep with comparative
comfort and safety, which they did when
off duty, during the never-to- be forgotten
siege, by every mar who participated
her IN. {8{sHs &8t E .4&
In one Of the bomb proofs on the ex-
IRENE right of the Eighteenth South Car
olins Volunteers, and just to the left Of
the mine, Lieutenant Willard Hill, Com
pany E, and Sergeant Greer, Company A,
Eighteenth South Carolina Volteers,
having been relieved from duty an
hour before, we're sleeping. The first
they realized of it was the shock, then
deep darkness, and then consciousness
that the mine had been sprung, and that
they had been buried, how deep they
could not imagine. Their first impulse
was deep, understandable despair heart
rending hoplessness, that left them al
most power-ess for q time But what
could they do? They had nothing to dig
out with but bayonet that Sergeant
Greer had in his belt, and there was but
q canteen ct water. in the cell. was
within $50 yards of 1t on my morning
visit to my regiment, and it was just the
time of day-twilight-that even trees
look like ghosts, and that added to the
weird scene of death. simultaneously
with the deep, deal sound, and quivering
of the earth, there arose in the air
cloud of dust and smoke, and timbers,
men, and muskets, and all manner of
shapes, fragments were flying in every
direction -and then for moment a still
ness and it seemed if every cannon on
the whole Federal line was turned loose
upon our lines. Shells shrieked through
the air, musket balls and fragments of
SHELLS inseyery direction, plowing up the
earth and cutting off limbs from the few
trees that the relentless hand of war had
fspared. Then came the charge. 1a
High above all the confusion and
smoke and dust and groans Of the wound
ed, could be heard the battle CRY Of the
Federal, and the words of encouragement
of gallant officers the few that are left
Of the Eighteenth and Twenty second
South Carolina Volunteers, and those
brave Virginians whose battery was bur-
|sried in q common grave, with nearly
every solder who manned it. But the
Confederate lines we're broken in
twain. The Federals had made breast:
works ofsthe powders that were blown
up by the explosion But they were not
to stay there. Soon came Gener
Malone with reinforcements; and, after
one Of the most terrific fights cf all the
war, he carried the works,and the crater
9urned to q grave for its captors. / mad