Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-10-10
Alistellameul1s &eadimg.
Correspondence Jacksonville (Ala.) Republican
A TERRIBLE STORY.

Correspondence Jacksonville (Ala.) Republican.
A TERRIBLE STORY.
HOW TWO CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS WERE
BURIED ALIVE.
In your issue of the 18th instant, I notice
an article, the first sentence of which asks
"Can persons hair turn white within a
short timer" Having seen such an in
stance, and one that can be authenticated be-
yond all cavil by persons now living, I will
give you and your readers the circumstances
as they occurred, when, where, and whom
they are.
When Grant sprang the "mine," or "blow-
up" as many call it, in front of Petersburg,
Va, at twilight on the morning of the Both
of July, 1854, the point Immediately over it
was occupied by Virginia battery. The
bitches on the right, Immediately next to the
battery, we're occupied by the Twenty.second
South Carolina Volunteers, Colonel Fleming.
On the left of the battery the bitches were
occupied by the Eighteenth South Carolina,
Colonel W. II. Wallace (now Judge Wallace,
of South Carolina,) of which regiment l was
surgeon. All along our lines our soldiers had
dug out small bomb.proofs, as they called
them. These bomb-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 COM
parative comfort and safety, which they did
when off duty, during that never-to.be-forgot:
ten siege BY every man who participated
therein.
In one of the bomb-proofs on the extreme
right of the Eighteenth South Carolina VOL
unteers, and just to the left Of the mine,
Lieutenant Willard Hill, Company E, and
Sergeant Greer, Company A, Eighteenth
South Carolina Volunteers, having been re-
lieved from duty an hour before, were sleep
ing. The first they realized of it was the
shock, then a deep darkness, and then con-
sciousness that the mine had been sprung,
and that they had been buried, how deep
they could not imagine. Their first impulse
was a deep, indescrbable despair-heart-
sickening, heart reHding, hopelessness, that
left them almost powerless 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 of water in the cell. But what was
going on about them? Grant had consum-
mated that most diabolical of all the deeds
of terrible war; was within 1S0 yards Of
it on my morning visit to my regiment, and
it was just at that time of day-twilight-
that even trees can look like ghosts, and that
added to the weird scene of death.
Simultaneous with the deep, dead sound,
and the culver of the earth, there arose in the
air cloud of dust and smoke, and timbers
men and muskets, and all manner of shapes
and fragments, were flying in every direction,
and then for moment stiffness, and it
seemed as if every cannon on the whole Fed.
eral line was turned loose upon our lines
Shells shreked through the air-musket balls
and fragments of shells fell 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
Negro troops in front with splendidly capar-
isoned troops of the Federal army behind,
driving them, as it we're, to the front, like
sheep to the slaughter. with the battle cry Of
Remember Fort Pillow" and the few-the
very few-that survived no doubt remember
the crater of Grant full as we'll.
High above all the confusion and smoke
and dust and groans of the wounded, could be
heard the battle.cry of the Federals, 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
buried in a common grave with nearly every
soldier who manned it. But the Confed.
crate lines were broken in twain. Federals
and negroes had made breastworks of the
boulders that were blown up by the explosion.
But they were not to stay there. Soon came
General Malone, with reinforcements, and,
after one of the most gallant fights Of all the
war, he carried the works, and the crater
turned to grave for its captors. had heard
of pools of blood-it was there that | saw
them. Then silence reigned, that painful 81
lence which always follows on the battlefield
after death has held high carnival.
Then came the sad duty of counting up
the cost. My brigade had suffered severely
the Twenty.second South Carolina had lost its
gallant Colonel, Fleming, and many a brave
soldier. My regiment had lost one hundred
and sixty.three men. Two whole companies,
A and G, Eighteenth Sonth Carolina, had
not man left, who was on duty, to tell the
tale. One hundred and one of my men, in.
cluding Captains Mccormick and Birdgis,
we're dead-bured in the crater or scattered
along the works-and sixty-two missing.
Among the missing we're Lieutenant Hill
and Sergeant Greer. We left them in their
almost living grave; Greer digging with his
bayonet, while Hill passed back the dirt with
all the desperation of despair. They hear
not, 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 awoke
to consciousness of his condition, the thought
flashed through his brain like lightning how
he thought if he could only see one ray of
light, or breathe the fresh air once again, that
if he could only let bis wife know how and
where be died, that death would be relief
to him. Almost sufocated for want Of fresh
air, they worked on. At last it seemed to
them that something had crushed them they
had dug through the loose boulders, and the
light burst upon them. Then both, overcome
with the sudden transition from their suffoca-
ton and despair to light and hope, tainted.
How long they remained there they know not.
When they awoke from their swoon, the
first sound that broke on their ears was the
clash of arms, and the quick rolling roar OF
the battle as it ragged around and above. AL
most in stupor, trying to realize that they
could again see the light of heaven and hear
the voice of q living creature, they lay still
until they recovered their minds enough to
know what was going on. Hill has often
told me that when he knew and realized that
it was battle, the sound was the sweetest
music that had ever greeted his ears. At
last the cry of victory rose high above every.
IL: a. Eha. Imam hot annnahndu had