Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1879-06-18
A STORY OF THE CRATER.

or "blow-up," as many call it, in
front of Petersburg, Va, at twi-
light on the morning of the 30th of
July, 1864, the point Immediately
over it was occupied by Virginia
battery. The bitches on the right
immediately next to the battery
were occupied 10y the Twenty
second South Carolina Volunteers,
Colonel Fleming. On the left of
the battery, the bitches were &C.
cupied 10y the Eighteenth South
Carolina, Colonel W. ii. Wallace
(now Judge Wallace of South
Carolina), of which regiment | 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 comparative safety,
which they did when off duty, dur
ing that never-to-be-forgott siege
10y every man who participated
therein.
In one Of the bomb-proofs on
the extreme right Of the Eigh-
teenth South Carolina volunteers,
Just to the left of tue mine, Lieu
tenant Willard HUI, company L,
and Sergeant Greer, company A,
Eighteenth South Carolina volun-
teere, 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 n consciousness that the
mine had been sprung, and that
they had been buried, how deep
they could not imagine. Their
first impulse was deep, indescrib-
. able despair - heart-sickening,
heart-rending hopelessness, that
left them almost powerless for
time. But what could they do :
They had nothing to dig out with
but a bayonet that Sergeant Greer
had in his belt, and there was but
a canteen OF water in the cell. But
what was going on above them !
Grant had consummatei that most
diabo'ical of all the deeds of
terrible war. ! was within $50
yards Of it on my morning visit TO
my regiment, and it was Just at that
time of day-twilight-that even
the trees can look like ghosts, and
that added to the weird scene of
death. simultaneously with
deep, dead sound and culver Of the
earth, there arose in the air a
cloud Of dust AMI smoke, and tim
bers, men and muskets. and all
manner Of shapes and fragments
were flying in every direction
and then for moment a stiffness
and il seemed as IL every cannon
on the whole federal line was turn
ed loose upon our lines. Shells
shrieked through the air, muskets-
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 caparisoned I
troops of the federal army behind, |
them, as it were, 10 the
front, like sheep to slaughter, with 1
the battle cry Of Remember Fort
Pillow" and the few-the very
few-that survived no Doubt re-
member the crater of Grant full as
we'll.
High above all the confusion and
smoke and dust and groans Of the
could be heard the bat
.le-cry Of the federals ard the
words Of encouragement Of the
gallant officers-the few that are
eft Of the Eighteenth and Twenty
'econid South Carolina volunteers. \
md Of those brave Virginians
shose battery was buried in a CON-
non grave with nearly every SOL
lier who manned Il. But the con-
ederate lines were broken in
vain. Federals and negroes had
made breastworks Of the powders
hat were blown up by the explos-
On. But they were not to stay
here. Soon came General Malone
nth endorsements; and, sitter
ne of the most gallant fights Of
u the war, he carried the works
nd the crater turned 20 grave
'r its captors. ! had heard Of
ole ~ hlo.,A Il -