Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-01-18


over four feet high. One of the greatest
troubles was in surveying the route and
striking the proper distance, and even
when the gallery was under the fort no
one felt exactly sure within six or eight
feet. A i5tle science and q, great deal of
guessing, however, struck the right spot,
and galleries were then dug to the right
and left for a distance of thirty feet.
The confederates within the fort were
totally unsuspicious of what was going
on beneath them. Once, when one of
the wing galleries was being excavated,
soldier who was lying on the ground
suddenly called out that he could hear
the sounds of digging, but those to
whom he appealed said that it must be
rats burrowing their way in to get at
the provisions. Again, negro who had
been within Burnside's lines reported
seeing the shaft, but the men supposed
the federals were digging we'll.
When the mine had been finished
Grant suddenly discovered that it was
grand thing and certain to work,
though during it's progress Burnside's
Tunnel" was as much jeered at as
Buffers Dutch Gap Canal. Powder was
brought up for it and carefully carried
through the long, dark mole until eight
tons were heaped under the fort. Then
a single sentinel held the place until
Grant should be ready.
Grant was ready on the Both of
August. He had sent a force to the
north of the James to compel Lee to
draw off some of his force from the
Petersburg lines, and every federal fort
the length of the long line was ordered
to open fire from every gun at given
signal. 1t was hoped that this terrific
fire would keep the confederates from
rallying to repulse the column of assault
at the fort to be blown up.
At half-past 3 o'clock on the morning
of the Both it would be break of day. 1t
would also be the hour when even
watchful soldiers would regard the
dangers OF the night as passed and feel
sleep tugging at their eye-lids. Long
before that hour Marshall's brigade of
Ledlie's division had marched silently
down from the pine forest and drawn up
In column for assault, within half-pistol
shot of the fort; other brigades followed,
and in the gray of morning there stood
Burnside's whole corps in battle line,
every man knowing of the mine and
every man believing that success was
sure. The last regiment down had been
standing in line half an hour when the
stars paled, dim light crept over the
fields, and men whispered to each other
that they could see the flag on the fort.
The moment had come for the explosion
and whole corps was trembling with
excitement.
Men who had planned, excavated and
placed the powder could surely be
trusted to lay the fuse and light it, but
either fear or carelessness upset the
whole plan. The fuse burned little
way and then the fire died out. Daylight
came faster and grew broader. From
being barely able to discern the flag fly
ing over the sleeping fort, the soldiers
could, at length, see the roofs and spires
OF Petersburg, a mile and q half away.
Reveille was sounded all along the con-
federate lines when a volunteer descend
ed the shaft, replaced the fuse, and
made sure OF his work.
There first came a slight heaving of
the earth, then a sinking down, and all
at once the fort rose in a cloud of flame
and smoke, and the ground shook for a
mile around. Even before the sods and
dirt had ceased falling the New York
Fourteenth Artillerymeu were dashing
into the cloud of smoke, closely followed
by whole brigade.
AS the men rushed for the spot where
the fort had stood they found the ugly
hole which had since been known as the
crater. The burned and blackened and
mangled bodies of nearly 200 confeder-
ates were lying in and about the pit,
some half buried in the dirt, some gasp
ing III agony, and some crushed to pulp
under the heavy guns which had fol-
lowed them into the air and fallen back
to the earth with an awful thud The
fort had been swept away, and here was
the gap, but to pass through Lees lines
the federals must jump down those
ragged banks, Chamber over that horrible
debris, and scramble up a height of
twenty-five feet and reform. Those who
had planned the destruction of the fort
had not planned this horrible death trap
for federal soldiers, but it was to prove
one just the same.
Wild with excitement the officers cried
=" Forward !" and company after com
pany and regiment after regiment after
regiment tumbled into the pit on one
side and tried to climb out on the other.
All organization was at once lost, and
the horrible sights in the pit dampened
all enthusiasm. It was a mob in the
Crater-a shouting, struggling mob, and
when one got out three fresh men
charged in as the assaulting columns ad-
vanced.
1t was surprise to the confederates,
even when SO many were awake and day
break had come. Had this explosion
taken place as planned Lees lines would
have been broken. AS it was, the men
in the two thanking forts were so dumb
founded and dazed by the shock that not
a gun was fired until the rumble of
Grants cannon had gone clear down his
lines and back and the Crater was full
of federals. Then the confederates
realized the situation and acted quickly.
The fort was gone, but the parallels had
not been disturbed. Moving to the
threatened point from right and left they
soon had force enough to hold the gap.
Indeed they soon held the pit with it's
IL.