Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-09-22
AATzLns AROUND WASHINGTON.
Coualnos6> s-esn Poqe G,s,ee.

Oo~a..s6y <sm Pags arse.
opposed, until fully half an hour after the e1-
plosion. and some say longer. This delay was
fatal 70 SUCCESS. His tardy movements en-
sAisd ths rebels 10 look about and recover
tAAir nsrSa. md bsfors his troops conld be
fsrmsdHR Ne ADVANCE 10 Cemetery ridge
sv0 fSsuub sGtemps was made. which is doubt
@l~s.sp muAfetRy FIRE was opened upon
pOe6n1u 1AsAols for safety and were there
SfSQ Of nd more svAil than II In . we'll
ruo2uh aiv1s3on advanced soon after toward
ha sixAt and WIl1ooxs on the left but many
came lnsxk6Ably mixed with Ledlee. many
of tham oy4anGn, no doubt IL was fmpossi-
BE "a pgdns ord1r out of this chsos-a scene
20 eonfns,cn and dsmsy the Ike OF which Is
,ssl4en sitnaosd even IN war time.
hlsck divfxsn0 now rushed forward by the same
laaFrov fscatover and into the crater, where,
If oaRrye, many Of them stuck, though fair
Osopertson passed beyond in sometliing Ike
&rdsr charging toward the right They actu-
ally capsured a flag and some prisoners, but
were soon repulsed and came pouring back,
Joining the mob In the crater. Potter and Will
COZ both Effected lodgment IN the works on
either side Of the salient and altogether prob
ably 500 yards Of the confederate defenses we're
for some time in possession Of tho federals,
much obtained only by hardest fighting. Tur-
ner's division of the eighteenth corps also
pushed up on the right and got into the rebel
works.
~ FEARFUL FIX
But the opportunity was really gone. The
Observation-Disclosures were now concentrating
everything TO recover the salient Their bat
teries at the renr and on both tanks about an
hour after the explosion opened a cross-fire on
the demoralizcd federals. This, with the in
hs11 linz
further to the right and Left made it utterly
impossible for the huddled iederals to form for
the offensive or even to retreat without fearful
loss. The men finally gave up al effort, paid
10 alton tIon TO their officers AMI covered IN
the crater travCrse5 and bomb proofs and IN
rear of the defeEses. Two Of the captured
cannon were rigE:ed during the morning and
turned upoa the enemy VITA effect FOR t!-Ie
BIZ brave Sergt. STANLEY. fourteenth New York
heavy artillery. who was unfortunately Killed
while serving the guns.
In these miserable efforts the troops appear
10 have had no leadership or direction higher
than brigade and regIECntSl commanders.
The division generals were too far back IN the
rear 10 understand the situation a; the front.
Ietllle remained behind in bomb proof.
All tine test-1Ony is to the ofcct that II the col
uuns OF attack had been eue-cetlca.ly led by
az able and courageous of.icsr the crest beyond
would have been occupied IN hal: an hour, be-
lore there vas any resistance 20 speak OF. l: ~
doubtful IL Leche's troops had b. then reached
the FRS; goal. the abandoned salient. But even
after that for fully an hour there was no serI-
Gus opposition 20 the movement LIS troops
stopped OF their own yOlItiOu; there vGs no
body TO order them forwarl-tJ give them
direction. The brigade commanders We're 1t
the post of danger, but they were withoU:
orders, IN total ignorance OF what was eN-
pected of them after entering the Salient
Thus ample time after the effects Of tic
surprise had worn of was Afforded the coz
fsderates to bring up supports ami organize a
counter attack. One was sOoB fcrcciy made.
out notwithstanding the jammed condition OF
she fedOrals il was met by few brave spirits
and disastrously repglsed second attack
1as Ekewite repulsed- Meanwhile, Meade,
now aware Of the situation and the futllity of
further ef ;rt, about noon ordered a cessation
Of the odeasive and to withdraw the troops TO
the insren :hments at the earliest practicable
moment
Lee anS Besuregard had both arrived on the
scane by now. Soon another charge, under
Malone, was made on the salient, which over
whelmed the disorg anized federal mob in the
craserAnd Whereabouts, killing and capturing
many and sending the rest TO the rear with a
rush. thus ending the battle OF the mine and
re-sstAblish.ng their broken line.
This vas another of several occasions In this
campaign where Grant was on the eve of
actisgtng great and eliminating success and
only fAiled through unlooked-for accident or
tie vealuess and ine@ciency OF subordinates.
The military Investigation which followed CEN
sured Burnside, Ledlie. Ferero, Wilcox and
Col Bliss - anuverable for the failure. The
commtssinn aiso Indirectly censures Meade
vhsn 10 says 1'thaA explicit orders should have
bean Hfve1 asdentng one officer to the COM
msnd 81 I0tAe troops intended to engage in
the asssp3t" Think Meade as much respon-
dh&as sha okhers for the failure; there was
so6olneo 6ssweeu him and Burnside, and the
gsossA oormandn2 seems to have manifested
VW ltb1s in1eresti nthe success Of the enter
pc sAAuy siAaA
,shbAY belonged bot II i'd NOT cure the
'OoQpdoof hs3n6 back 10 life the butchezed
.sql63sD Vho were hurled into tina. slaughter
spsa S1fhoub head or direction. The losses
Ysi sa s.-S ~ d sss la: ssl
.6bubAlqss be3ne killed or wounded-eotal
S4NeA ~ but cas- from the ninth corps The
,rsbefloosa ere uowhare stated. but they were
heaRy also according to eyevitnesses.