The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1882-01-17

Aec ~ " tOoD 1l08A1MtAIG y DN4A41408 ~ u
much jeered at q Bntler's Dutch Gap
canal Powder was brought mp fo9 &
and carried through the long, dark hole
until eight tons were haped under the
fort Then a single sentinel held the
plaes aatl Graz, shoald be ready.
GRANT WAS. REApT aaa.
on the soth Of August He had sent q
force TO the north Of the James to compel
Lee TO draw of some Of his force from she
Peters burg lines, and every Federal fort
the length OF the lower line was ordered
to open FIRE from every gun at given
signal 1t was hoped that this terrific
fire would keep the ConiedeFates from raj
lying TO rePulse the column of assault at
the fort tobe blown up.
WAITING.
At halfpast 3 O'Clock On the morning
of the 30th it would be break of day. Il
would also be the hour when eyea watch
ful soldiers would regard the dangers of
the night as passed and feel sleep t1gging
at their eyellds. Long before that hour
MarshaIPs brigade of Ledlie's division
had marched silently down from the pine
forest and drawn up in column for as
sault, 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 very 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 the men whis-
pered to each other that they could see
the flag on the fort. The moment had
come for the explosion, and the whole
corps was trembling with excitement.
THE FIRST BLuNDRR.
Men who had planned, excayated and
placed the powder could surely be trusted
to lay the fuse and light it, but either
fear or earelessness upset the whole pin.
The fuse buried a little way and then
the fire died out. Daylight came faster
and grew broader From being barely
able to discern the flag flying over the
sleeping fort, the soldiers could at length
see the roofs and spires of Petersburg, a
mile and a half away. ReveiIle was
sounded all along the Confederate lines
when a volunteer descended the shaft. re-
placed the fuse and made sure of his work.
THE EXPLOSION.
+ There came first slight heaving of
the earth, then sinking down, and all at
once the fort rose in cloud of flame and
smoke, and the ground shook for mile
around. Even before the sods and dirt
had ceased falling the New York Four
teenth Artillerymen were dashing into
the cloud of smoke, closely followed by
whole brigade.
WHAT THEY SAW
AS the men rushed for the spot where
the fort had stood they found the ugly
hole which has since been known as the
Crater. The burned and blackened and
mangled bodies Of nearly 200 Confeder-
ates were lying in and around the pit,
some half buried in the dirt, some gasp
ing in agony, and some crushed TO pulp
under the heavy guns, which had followed
them into the air and fallen back to earth
with All awful thud, The fort had been
swept away, and here was the gap; but
to pass through Lees lines the Fed
erals must jump down these ragged banks,
Chamber over that horrible debris, and
scramble up a height of 25 feet and re-
form. Those who had planned the de-
strtIction of the fort had not planned this
horrible death-trap for Federal soldiers,
but it was to prove one just the same.
FORWARD FoRwARD!"
Wild with excitement the officers cried
Z" Forward 3" and company after company
and regiment after regiment tumbled into
the pit on one sideaR tried to climb out
on the other. AL organization was at once
lost, and the horrible sights in the pit
dampened all enthusiasm II was q mob
in the Crater "a shouting, struggling mob,
and when one got out three fresh men
charged in as the assaulting column ad-
vanced.
IT WAS SURPRISE
to the Confederates, even when so many
were awake and dayhreak had come. Had
this explosion taken place rs planned,
Lees lines would have been broken. As
it was, the men In the two fanking forts
were so dumbfounded and dazed by the
shock that not . gnn was fred until the
rumble of Grants cannon had gone clear
down his line and back, and the Crater
was full of Federals. Then the Confed-
crates realized the situation and acted
quickly. The fort was gone, but the par
aIiels 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 its mob of disorganized soldiers,
aud not man could raise his head with
ont receiving bullet
FORWARD TO DEATH! Z"
At Fredericksburg, when Burnside
found Ais assaults upon MaFye's Hill re-
suited only in horrible slaughter, he APP
peared to grow wild and reckless. At
the Crater, when be found his columns Of
assault checked by the pit. he continued
to add to its horrors by urging forward
other columns. The space between the
fort and the thieket was then plowed
field, barren of even bush. This space
was soon covered By the guns Of the, Con
fedefates. and after the ground had been
heaped with dead there was . general re-
treat to cover. The brigades which had
fanked the Crater had not come prepared
with axes to tear sway the cAevaaez-dc-
JTiss protecting the earthwoFks, and as
consequence not B man passed L. It
seems alaogt past belief at this day that
after !, 900 men had been slaughtered IN
and around the Crater, and while at Ienst
1000 living ones were cooped mp in the
pit and unable % get out, Burnside
ordered up The negTD troops and piled
them = % top d the veterans Who bad
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