The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-10-07
TIE RATTLE OF rME CRATER.


TIL, authorities Of the Exposition an
nounce that mimic representation OF
that terrible incident Of war, 'the Battle
Of the Crater" will be made at their
grounds to-day. in which infantry, ar
tillory and cavalry will take part The
proposed exhibition makes a short ac-
count Of the fight quite in order.
At the end of July. 1864, the Yankees
were bcsicciug Petersburg very closely
General Lees army was in Notifications
around the city, the Yankee lines hug
ging his closely, and, at many points,
scarcely a stones throw away. The
Yankees undermined q salient far around
towards the left of his lines, and at
o'clock on the morning of the 10Th OF
July they blew it mp, carrying batta-
ion of infantry and several pieces OF
artillery with their gunners into the air
A breach some two hundred feet long
was thus made in General Lees lines,
into which a large Yankee force at once
charged, occupying our liEes for about
one hundred yards to the north Of the
breach and forty or fifty yards to the
south of it, Had this force charged
boldly on it would have captured Peters
burg but il remained in the breach and
the captured lines motionlcsS. The mine
was known of and the explosion was OK
pcctcd. consequently Colonel Harris,
chief Of engineers on the staff of General
Beauregard, who commanded that part
Of our lines, had made preparations fer
It by concentrating upon the point the
fire of "a number of pieces oil artillery
As soon as the first confusion Of the OK
plusion was oycr this artillery opened
according to the plan. and. together with
some infantry sAirmi~hcr, that were at
hand. it kept the mass of tine Yankee.
steadily confined 10 the section Of oar
lines captured. when the artillery got
into fun play il made IL simply impossible
for any Organized body Of men to cross
the open space iu front of them. and for
thc next four hours it played upon the
mddlcd mass of Yankees with terribly
destructive effect
General Nahonc's division Of infantry
was I'm our lines far around TO Our right.
and he was an once ordered TO bring Two
of his brieadcs 10 the spot to rccapUre
orr lines lie brought his own Nir-
riuia) brigade and the Georgia brigade of
Wright. These came Ivy rayincS and d
covered way 10 a spot some two hum
bred yards distant from that part OF our
lines occupied boy the enemy and far
towards the left Of IT, As there is posi-
tive controversy concerning ana Important
part of the sequel we shall allow what
then took place to be- stated 10y GcuereI
ID. y Wyisigcr. who commanded the
Virginia brigade. and who was shot
through the body in the charge that was
made hy it,
General WciIger states. in writing.
that be- marched his brigade ont of the
covered way 10 form it in line of battle
i'm front Of that pant of our lines held by
the enemy to our left of the Crater, and
that he left General Malone in the Gov
erred way when he marched out That
Malone told him as he was leaving the
covered way 10 form in line of battle
and wait until the Georgia brigade
formed oil his right. whereupon he Cla-
houc) would order both brigades 10
charge. That about the time he got
formed he saw the Yankees jumping out
of the works and forming for the purpose