Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-12-01
A Terrible Story.

A Terrible Story.
In your issue Of the 18th inst, no.
t1ced an article, the first sentence ofwhich
asks the question, "Can persons hair
turn white in short time2" 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.
When Grant sprang the "m1ne" or
"blowup," as many call it, in front of
Petersburg, Va, at twilight on the morn.
of the 3Oth Of July, 1864. the point i'm
mediately over it was occupied by Vir-
ginia battery. The bitches on the right
Immediately next to the battery were
occupied by the Twenty South
Carolina volunteers, Col. Fleming. On
the left Of the battery the bitches we're
occupied by the Eighteenth South Caro-
lima, Colonel W. H. 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 were generally about four feet
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
herein.
In one of the bomb proofs on the ex-
treme right of the Eighteenth South Car
DINA 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, were sleeping. The first
they realized Of it was the shock, then a
deep darkness, and then a consciousness
that the mine had been sprung, and that
they had been buried, how deep tfey
could not imagine. Their first impulse
was deep, indescribable despair heart
rending hoplessness, that left them al
most power ess for a 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
canteen CT water in the cell. was
within 1870 yards of 1t on my morning
visit to my regiment, and it was Just the
time of y-twilight-that even trees
look like ghosts, and that added to the
weird scene Of death. simultaneously
with the deep, deal sound, and quiverins
OF the earth, there arose in the air a
Cloud of dust and smoke, and tinbers
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 in every direction, blowing up the
earth and cutting off limbs from the few
trees that the relentless hand of war had
spared. Then came the charge.
High above all the confusion and
smoke and dust and groans Of the wound
cd, coald be heard the battle crv 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
RED in common grave, with nearly
every solder who manned it. But the
Confederate lines we're broken in
twain. The Federals had made breast.
works OF the powders that were blown
up by the explosion. BIT they were not
to stay there. Soon came General
Malone with reinforcements; and, after
one of the most terrific fights of all the
war,ghe carried the works, and the crater
turned to grave for its captors. i had
heard Of pools of blood--it was there
saw them. Then silence reigned. that
painful silence which always follows on
the battle field after death has held hioh
carnival.
Then came the sad duty ofcountins up
the cost. My brigade had suffered
severely-the Twenty second South Caro-
lima had lost Colonel Fleming and many
a soldier. My regiment had lost 1853
men. Two whole companies. A and c.
Eighteenth South Carolina, had not q
man left, who was on duty,to tell the tale.
One hundred and one Of my men, includ
ing Captains Mccormick and Birdpis.
were dead-buried in the crater or scatter
ed alongt ne works and sixty-two miss
ing.
Among the missing are Lieutenant
Hill and Sergeant Greer. We left them
in their almost living grave; Greer dig
ging with his bayonet while Hill passed
back the dirt, with all the desperation Of
despair. They hear not, they heed not
the battle that is raging above them, but
toll on. Often hope would spring up in
their hearts to give way only to despair.
Hill has often told me how, when he
awcke to consciousness of his condition.
in the thoughts that flashed THROUGH
bis blain like tightening; how be thought
that if he could only see one ray of lisht
or breathe Ghe fresh air once again. that
II he only could let his wife know how
and where he died, that death would be
relief to him. Almost sutfocated for the
want of fresh air, they worked on; at last
1T seemed to them that something had
crushed them; they had dug through the
loose boulders, and the light burst upon
them. They both, overcome with the
sudden transition from their suffoeation
and despair to light and hope, tainted
How long they remained there thew know
not When they ewoke from their swoon
the EGst sound that broke on their ears
was tie clash of arms and the quick roll
ing roar of the battle as it ragged around
and.above. Almost in stupor, trying TO
realize that they could again see The
light OF heaven, and hear the voice of
living creature, they lay still until they
recovered their minds enough to know
what was going on.
Hill has ctten told me that when he
knew and realized that it was battle the |
sound was the sweetest music that ever
greeted his ears. At last the crv Of VIC
tory rose high above everything else.
They knew that somebody was vanqnish.
ed md that somebody was victor who