The National tribune., 1893-02-16
AT THE CRATER.
An Officer Says that the 3Oth U. s. c. T. Led
the Charge.

the Charge.
@7OUR correspondents having settled
" the matters Of first flags at Lookout
Mountain and Missionary Ridge !;
who recaptured De Gress's battery;
who fired the first and last shots at Gettysburg,
and other incidents, wish to correct I'll error
which appears OH page 567, Vol. ~, OF the
Battles and Leaders of the Civil War. In foot
note on that page, Lieut.. Col. II. Seymour Hall,
Add U. s. C. t. claims for his regiment the
honor of leading the charge of the Fourth Dr.
vision. Ninth Corps. at the Petersburg mine
explosion, July 80, 1864.
The Colored Division was halted at the outer
line of the Union breastworks, in the horse
shoe shaped redoubt near the scene of the ex-
plosion. at about 7:30 o'clock OH the morning of
July 80. 1864. The First. Second and Third
Divisions of the Ninth Corps had already
charged and were inside of the Confederate
lines Their wounded were being brought to
the rear in large numbers. My regiment 1.-THE
Both o. s. c. IT, was in the advance, Co. a, tho
leading company being close up 20 the outer
line. They had filed down through the COW
cred ways by the right flank and were halted
in that position. The command, Fix bayo-
nets Trail arms Forward, double. quick
March! !" were given. and the 30th went over
the Union works, followed by the Add, 39th
and 9th q. s. c. T.
We crossed the field under a severe fire. los
Crater. Finding it already over-crowded with
Write troops commander, Col Delevan
Bates, led us down a traverse to the right OF the
Crater. The traverse was also filled with white
soldiers and Col. Bates led the regiment over
the rebel breastwork towards tho Union line.
Then we ran along the rebel line just outside
the abatis until our regiment tapped tho reIel
line 200 yards or more. Then Colonel was
seen gesticuIa,ing and pointing to the breast
works where the enemy lay. With revolver i'll
one hand and hat on the point of his sword,
he started for the enemy, and the men yelling
we rear faced by the left flank and followed
him the abatis was thrown aside and the
men poured over the breastwork into the
trench where the enemy were. number of
the 18th S. Z. were captured also some North
Ca-oIinianA
Fully i've minutes afterwards the Add came
over the same breastwork with a whoop and a
yell. only TO find us in possession. The right
flank of the All did not extend to the middle
of he right wing of the Both.
Another advance was attempted in about 90
minutes. and charging party was almost
amiihlated. In this encounter Col. Bates was
severely and our Major. Robert Leak. mortalIy
wounded Lieut.-Col. H. Seymour Hall, of the
ADD WAS wounded about this time and | saw
him being supported to the rear by two colOred
soldiers. The blood was running down over
his hand, and he was looking very pale-as
would anyone with badly -smashed arm.
Soon after this Mahone's rebel brigade
charged our Second Brigade and routed them.
The North Carolinans on our right pursued us
hard, and after short resistance our men
broke and most of them ran across the open
field to the Union lines.
1t was not my intention to give any particu-
lar description of this battle, but to correct the
statement made by Col. Hall. and place the
credit where it rightfuliy belongs. A COM
parison of losses between the two regiments
shows the following: Both, 10 officers, 1913 en-.
listed men; 43i, seven officers lib enlisted
men. Co. A. the right flank company of the
Both. lost 48 out of 66 taken into action; Co.
F. the second company from the right, lost 81
ont OF SO.
So far, the colored troops have taken up but
very little space in the columns OF The Ma
TIONAL TRIBUNE aud have never taken part
in any dispute, hut the occasion seems to de-
mand that IN erroneous statement should be
corrected, aud for that purpose this article was
5. BowLEY, First Lieutenant.
Both u. S. G. r., 2l37 Howard street, San Fran
CISCO Cal.