The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-06-20
THE MINE EXPLOSION.
What Troops We're in the Advance on July 80
1884


1854.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: I desire TO
correct A. III. G. Jewett, First Lieutenant, 4th
N. H., in his article published in your issue of
May 30. Lieut.. Jewett says: Still later, in
the siege of Petersburg, the colored soldiers
were placed in the extreme advance at the bat
tie of the Mine, as it was called" Such was
not the case. The facts are as follows: Owing
to failure in the fuse to ignite and explode
the mine at the time intended, some two or
more hours delay was caused, during which
time a Lieutenant and q Sergeant from the
4Sth Pa entered the drift " and relighted the
fuse. The explosion followed Immediately. 1t
was now o'clock a. m, Saturday, July 30
Ledlie's Division, of the Ninth Corps, was
massed in line of regmental front at a distance
of about It's yards from the rebel fort, waiting
for the explosion and the command " forward"
The % Pa. Provisional III. A. led the charge,
commanded by Col. Wilhelm and Lieut.-Col. b.
g. Barney, Majs. Marsland and Jasper III. Hoi-
man, the writer having command OF Battery Il,
I'd Pa. Provisional Ii. A.
1t was arranged that Ledlie's troops take and
hold the fort, while the divisions of Potter and
Wilcox were to enter the line at the breech
made by the explosion. and to move to the
right and to the left along the enemy's line.
| Those moving to our fight were expected TO
silence and capture the enemy's battery that
was situated on an eminence 10 our right and
front, distance of about 400 yards; then the
colored troops were TO move forward and take
position about 900 yards in our front at or near
the entrance of the covered way used by the
enemy to reinforce the fort.
Gen Potter made an effort to take the crest
on our right, but valuable time having been
lost in getting through the distractions be-
tween the lines, he was repulsed after brave
and daring effort.
Wilcox's Division failed to move to the left.
l.. Hold F,,rx
the Fort crowded together in its small space
land the Crater occupying a part of that.
when we were called upon to make room for
the Fourth Division-which was composed of
colored troops temporarily attached to the
Ninth Corps-to pass through our lines in order
to reach the point before named; viz, at or
near the entrance of the covered way, about
900 yards to our front This was about IL
o'clock in the morning, and the rebels having
recovered from their surprise, were moving
their troops in front of us, and The Colored Di-
vision did not succeed in leaving the fort +;
they tried to form on its eastern slope, but
failed, and when the enemy opened fire on
them, they broke and fell back among the men
composing Ledlie's Division.
Their failure to reach the point designated,
caused Gen. Grant to order that the original
line be re-established. We held the fort until
about o'clock p. m, when we were surrender
ed by one of the Generals commanding. / saw
the prisoners counted after the surrender
there was GIT men and II officers, the writer
being one of the captured. did not see the
colored troops counted, and cannot say how
many of them were taken prisoners.
When l entered the fort, about 3 o'clock that
morning at the head of Battery E (acting as
infantry, the First Lieutenant of the Peters
burg battery surrendered his sword to me, and
also surrendered 20 or more of his men, who
had not been injured by the explosion, and
they were sent TO the rear. / also assisted one
of the Confederate officers to extricate himself
from the debris that had nearly buried him
and insisted on his going TO the rear, although
| he was in q very feeble condition, owing to the
shock of the explosion. am at a loss to know
where Lieut.. Jewett obtained information tC
| the effect that the colored troops were placed
! in the extreme advance" at the battle OF the
| Mine, as have always been under the impres
sion that it was generally known, and GER
tainly beyond successful contradiction, that tht
! I'd Pa. Provisional Ii. A., acting as infantry
| led the assault on the Mine in front of Peters
| burg, July 80, 1664.-JAMEs w. BELLER, Sec
ond Lieutenant, commanding Battery E, 20
| Pa. Provisional ii. a, Perth, Kan.