Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-10-08
e HE
Evening Capital.
THURSDAY, OCT. 8, 1885.



h:vpsoding MincS Before N'ch~burg.
From the 23d of May the work Of
fortifying. and pushing forward our
position nearer 10 the enemy. h;pl been
steadily progressing At the point on
the jackson road in front OF RANSOM
brigade a sap was run up TO the enc
my's parapet, aud by the 10Th OF June
VIC had il undermined aud the mine
charged. The enemy had counter
mined. but did not succeed in reaching
our mine. At this particular point the
hill on which stood the rebel work
rises abruptly. Our up ran close up
TO the outside of the cnemy's parapet.
In fact this parapet was also our pro-
lection. The soldiers of the two sides
occasionally conversed pleasantly across
this barrier: sometimes they wonld cx-
change the hard bread of the Union
soldiers for the tobacco Of the Confed-
crates. and at other times they threw
over hand-grenades. the rebels throw
ing them first, and our men often
Uasching them in their hands and re-
turning them.
Our mine had been started some dis
lance back down the hill; consequent
ii. when It had extended as far as the
parapet. il was many feet below IT.
This caused the failure of the enemy IN
his search to lind aud destroy 1t. On
the 10Th of June, at o'clock, all be-
ing ready, the minc was exploded. A
heavy artillery fire along the line had
been ordered TO open with the cxplo-
sion. The effect was TO blow the top
81 the hill off and make crater where
Il stood. The breach was not sufficient
10 enable us to pass column OF attack
through. In fact, the enemy, having
failed TO reach our mine. had thrown
mp line further back, where most of
the men guarding that point were
placed. There were a few men, how
ever. left ut the advance liue. and 9TH
ers were working in the counter mine,
which was still being pushed to find
ours. All that were there wore thrown
into the air, some of them coming down
on our side. still alive. remember
one colored man who. having been
underground at work when the explo-
sion took place. was thrown to our
side. lie was not much hurt, but ter
gFibly frightened Some one asked him
how high he had gouc up. Dun no.
inassa, but t'ink bout troe mile" was
his rcpIy General Logan commanded
at this point, and took this colored man
to his quarters. where lc did service to
the end oflthe siege.
As soon rs the explosion took place
the crater was seized bv two regiments
of our troops who were near by. under
cover, where they bad been placed for
the express purpose. The enemy made
= desperate effort to expel them, but
failed, and soon retired behind his new
line. From here, however. they threw
haud-grenatlee, which did some execu-
ton. The compliment was returned
BY our men, but not with so much cf-
feet. The enemy could lay tlcsr grc-
,nades on the parapel, which alone di-
vidcd tho contestants, aud roll them
down upon US; while from our side
they had TO lie thrown over the para
pet, which was at considerable cleva-
ton. During the night we made eff
forts to secure our position IN the era
ter against the missiles OF the enemy.
so a. to run trenches along the outer
base of their parapet, right and left
but the enemy continued throwing their
grenades. aud brought boxes of field
ammunition (shells), the fuses of which
they would light with port-fires, and
throw them by hand into our ranks.
We found il impossible to continue this
work. Another mine was consequent
~ started. which was exploded on the
1st of July destroying an entire redan.
killing and wounding considerable
number of its occupants, and leaving
an immense chasm where it stood. No
attempt To charge was made this time.
the.experiencc OF the 10Th admonishing
us. Oar loss in tho first affair was
about thirty killed and wounded. The
enemy must have lost more in the two
explosions than we did in the first. We
lost none in the second. Gen. Grants
Paper ts the opt. Cent0ry.
frha win. nraduat for 1893 - aet;s,,o