Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-04-20

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fore making the charge upon the crater is
shown in the sketch to the rear Of Eliott's
head quarters, and extending out from the
covered way in direction between the crater
and the Plank road.
The night before the explosion remained
in Pegram's battery until IL O'Clock, at which
time all was quiet on the lines, the men being
in remarkably good spirits, singing songs &C.,
all unconscious of the fate that awaited them
with the dawn. e. sags
At 12 O'Clock I returned to my head quar-
tiers at the spring and slept sOundly until
awakened by daylight by the dull heavy sound
of the explosion and by sensation as of being
rocked in cradle. In moment 1 suspect
ed what had occurred and ran up the line
in the direction Of Pegram's battery. When
within few yards of the crater, 1 was
met by the few men Of the battery that sur
vived the explosion, and the fate OF the re-
mainder was fully revealed. At this time the
enemy were pouring over our works into the
crater. Immediately after the explosion the
enemy opened upon our lines with all the artil-
lery concentrated in our front. The roar Of
the enemy's guns, q bursting of shells and
rattle of musketry was deafening +; yet with all
1 found the men of Eliott's brigade bravely
manning the works up to the borders OF the
crater, leaving no front for the entrance Of the
enemy except such as had been made vacant
by the up heavel Of the earth Immediately
made my way down the lines, to the left, to
Wright's battery. The battery was not in the
main line, but few yards in the rear it bore
directly on the salient at very close range, and
was erected for the purpose of defending that
front Of our works It was upon the hill to
the left Of and very near the ravine or covered
way, in rear Of Ransom's right. The position.
was very elevated one (more elevated than
the salient) and as there was gradual
ascent from the ravine to Pegram's battery,
Wright's guns were enabled to sweep the
front of our works over the heads OF our men
in the line occupied by Eliott's brigade.
From the moment of the explosion, until
my arrival in Wright's battery, could not
have exceeded twenty or twenty-five minutes
our lines that I know of. I Immediately
ordered the battery to open with shrapnefl
and canister, first sweeping the ground in
front of Eliott's line and salient. at this
time the enemy were still pressing their col
umns from their lines over the intervening
space to the crater. This fire, together with
the musketry from Eliott's brigade and other
troops along the line within reach, soon check
ed the advance of the enemy from their own
lines. The crater could not contain the mass
es that had already been hurried into the
breach, so that thousands were crowded over
its interior rim, and stood in its rear without
apparent organization in one immense crowd.
Having checked the advance of the enemy
from their lines, Wright's guns were turned
directly upon the crater, and the masses assem-
bled in it's rear. The fire from this battery
was unremitting from the time it opened until
the close of the engagement by the surrender
Of the crater, having thrown during the time
from five to six hundred shell and canister.
Anticipating large expenditure of ammuni-
tion, additional supplies were ordered from
the rear and brought in wagons from Gene
terry Hill as near our lines as it was safe to do
80 in rear Of Gracie's right, from which point
it was borne by details of men appointed for
that purpose. From my position In this bat
terry / had complete view of all the move
ments in front and rear Of the crater and
ground within our lines from the ravine to the
plank road. Feeling that our safety depended
on our success in preventing the formation OF
the enemy, watched their movements closely,
and redoubled the fire when / saw any indica-
ton of formation or attempt to advance in the
direction of the plank road. ..... ...- ...
During the engagement, Bradford opened
heavy fire with his 29pounder Parrots emil
lading the enemy's lines as far as the Hare
house and beyond. cannot speak in too high
praise Of the conduct of Captain Wright, his
officers and men during this engagement. The
day was excessively hot, and the labor of serv-
ing the guns so rapidly and bearing ammuni-
tion from the rear was very ex1austing. so
busy were we, that though conscious of the
continual bursting of shells over US, l was not
aware until after the firing ceased, to what
cannonade we had been subjected. Our works
were literally battered, and the ground around
US and in our rear was SO h0ney-comDed by
the explosion Of mortar shells that you could
have walked all over it by stepping from hole
to hole. Notwithstanding this heavy fire, the
casualties were not great, owing to The fact
that the enemy could only obtain an obliqne
fire upon the front of the battery, and the gun
ners were protected by heavy traverses between
each gun. may state here that owing to the
nearness of the enemy's lines to the salient,
the gun detachments of Pegram's battery were
required to be awake and ready for an as
sault at all hours of the night and day.
This necessitated the relief of the officers
and men each day two officers and sufficient
men to man the guns being on duty, the re-
mainder being in the rear. On the morningo of
the explosion, Lieutenants Hamlim and Chan
dler being on duty, were both, with twenty
men killed. Three or four only OF those on
duty escaped. 3D.. -.....
Now, Colonel, have stated all that think
necessary in reference to the part taken by the
artillery under my command m the engage
ment Of July 30th, 1864. 1t is not for me to
say whose artillery did most effective service
on that day. think, however, have cause
to complain of the slight praise bestowed upon
Wright's battery by Captain McCabe in his
account of the defence of Petersburg, (pub-
lished in the Southern Historical Society Pa-
pers). Captain McCabe was Adjutant of Pc
grams battalion of artillery, and probably not
upon the scene until the arrival of Pegram's
artillery, which was brought from the right OF
our lines, and presume was the artillery that
took position on Cemetery hill. am willing
to be judged by those who were present, and
in position to be best able to decide. The
enemy certainly were in no position to know
from what point came the most destructive
fire. General Potter. Of Burnside's corps, says
in the court of inquiry, ''The worst fire saw
came from the right (his right). There was
battery there behind some timber, which 1t
was very difficult for our batteries to reach
I ordered my batteries to turn their whole at
tention to that one, but apparently produced
no effect" Ihave no criticisms to make upon
Captain McCabe's account Of what was done
by others, but I do claim for the men under
my command that they merited, and should
have the need of praise due to those most
prominent in the defence Of Petersburg on
that day.
Without intimating that Captain McCabe's
sources of information were unreliable, will
state here that an army correspondent of the
Richmond papers, in letter published day
or two after the battle, gave the credit OF re-
pelling the enemy to Major Caskie's battalion,
of Virginia. The account was never publicly