The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1883-01-25
ANNALS OF THE WAR.
The Petersburg Crater-The Elk.
plosion and the Bloody Bat
tie That Followed.
A Participants Description Of the
Fierce Struggle for the Recap
EnRo NJ tho 0a0ionf

H. III OcheEaA LOO, accompanied Dy q
single courier, rode rapidly to General
Mahone's headquarters, situated at DR..
Branch's house. After a hurried con-
sultation Generals Lee and Malone rode
towards our lines. l do not think Gen
cra1 Malone knew of the explosion I'M
til he was informed by General Lee.
Malone, at that time, commanded Gen.
K. Fl. Anderson's division, composed of
Wrighrs Georgia, Mahone's Virginia, Will
cox's Alabama, Harris Mississippi and
Ennegan's Florida Brigades. This divi-
sion occupied the works to the right Of
Hoke's division, extending it's right TO a
point in front of: Branch's house. The
Eighteenth and Twenty second South
Carolina regiments part Of Elliotts
brigade, Hoke's division and four guns
Of Pegrana's battery, occupied salient
or angle of our line. This salient was
higher than the enemy's line in it's i'm
mediate front. The federals, beginning
within their lines, had excavated tun-
mel under this salient. Placing within
It several tons of powder they had wait
ed until ) a. ~, when an attempt was
made to tire the immense mass. The
confederates were sleeping within their
works, unconscious of danger. The
New York Herald of August ?, 1864
contained the following:
The mine was to have been exploded
At3 q. M. and batteries to open along
the entire line at the same hour. The
Ninth Corps, supported by the Eli hit
and Tenth Corps, and Ayres' Division
of the Fifth Corps, and three divisions
of the Second Corps, were to charge i'm
mediately after the explosion. The fire
having gone out twice the explosion was
delayed. At 4.4O the explosion took
place and a deafening roar of artillery
followed.
About fifteen feet OF dirt interviewed
between the sleeping soldiers and all
this powder. In q moment the super
incumbent earth, for space Of
eighty feet, was hurled upward, carrying
with it the artillerymen, with their four
As the huge mass fell backwards it
buried the startled men under immense
clods-tons ofdirt. Some ofthe artillery
was thrown forty yards towards the
enemy's line. The clay subsoil was
broken and piled in large pieces, often
several yards in diameter, which after
wards protected scores of Federals when
surrounded in the crater. The early
hour, the unexpected explosion, the
concentrated fire of the enemy's bat
teries, startled and wrought confusion,
among brave men accustomed 10 battle.
We extract again from the Herald, of
August ?:
At $50 the charge was made and the
fort (crater) }, with part of the line on
each side, was carried in style to re-
feet credit on the veterans engaged.
The second line WAS carried by the Sec
ond Division Of the Second corps and
Brigadier General Whites Division of
colorcd troops were ordered to carry the
crest of the hill, but after advancing as
far as the first line was checked by q
calling tire, and the main body faltered
and tell back. The greater number be-
came utterly demoralized and part of
them took refuge in the fort (crater),
while the remainder, in the confusion,
ran to the rear as fast as possible in their
retreat, embarrassing the white troops.
Every effort to rally them failed, many
Of their officers were killed and the ne
groes retreated until they got out Of
range of the musketry and canister,
which was ploughing through their
ranks. Among the missing are Briga-
der General Bartlett, who reached the
fort (crater) with his command. Gen.
B. had cork leg which was broken,
and he was unable to leave the fort (cra-
teri.
The federals now held the crater and
the inner line. Generals Lee and Ma
hone arrived on the fioId about 7:30 a.
m. A ravine, which deepened on our
right. ran parallel with this inner line
and was used by Malone in which to
form his brigade when preparing to at
tack. At 8 q. IN. Mahone's Brigade,
commanded by Colonel d. A. Weisiger,
brought from the right Of Hoke's divi-
eion, was formed in this ravine and adj
vanced to the assault. The federals.
concentrating terrific fire of musketry
and artillery, ploughed out great gaps ia
these fearless Virginians. Nothing
daunted, they pressed forward and re-
captured the inner line. The loss ofthis
brigade was heavy, both in men and Of
ticers, more than two hundred Virgini-
ans falling between the ravine and the
captured works. The federal troops,
peration never witnessed on former bat
tle5felds. The negroes. it is said. cried
mo quarter" Malone and Wright's
Brigades took only twenty-nine of them
prisoners. The federals still held the
crater and part of the line. Another
charge was necessary and Wright's Geor-
gia Brigade was ordered up from Ander-
sons Division, Wright's Brigade, forn-
ing in the ravine, moved forward to
drive the Federals from the line they
still held. The enemy, expecting their
attack. poured volley into the Geor-
gians that deciminated their ranks, kill
ing and wounding nearly every field Of
ticer in the brigade. The men rushing
forward: breasting storm of lead and
iron, failed to oblique far enough to the
gained the line occupied by and contig-
uous to the line already captured by
Weisiger, commanding Mahone's Brig
ade an Wright's Brigade had captured
forty.two officers, three hundred and
ninety men and twenty nine negroes.
It was now about 10 q. m. General
Grant made no effort to reinforce his
line or to dislodge Wright aud Malone
from the positions they held. A courier
dashed up to General j. G.. G.. Sanders,
commanding WIlcox's brigade, inform 1
ing him that his brigade was wanted.
The men were expecting this courier, 40
they were next in line, and they dis
tinctly heard the shouts of Wright's and
Mahone's men followed by the heavy
artillery firing. while the word had
pdSScU UOWu inc Inc tuaC salient uau
not been recaptured. General Sanders
moved his brigade, consisting of the
Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh and
Fourteenth Alabama regiments, to the
left and occupied the ravine. There
was no shade or water in this ravine,
while the men we're exposed nearly
four hours TO q scorching sun. The heat
was almost beyond human endu! :ance.
Strong men tainted and were carried to
the rear. The waves of hot air at times
were almost sufocating. For the first
and only time the men were told what
was expected of them. General Sand
ers explained the situation to the of1ic-
ers Of the regiments. Each captain
spoke to his men, urging them to retake
the aaliant, or Petersburg and Richmond
must be evacuated. The men were or
dered to fix their bayonets securely, to
trail arms-not to fire. not to veil. hut to
move quietly up the side Of the rayine,
and then every man run for his life to
the breastworks: They were told that
Generals Leo, Beauregard, Hill. Ma.
hone HOko and eYorY general officer OF