The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1893-06-15
On the Crater ISattleneld.

CENTRAL HOUSE, PETERSBURG, VA,
June 5, 1898, EDITOR CAUCASIAN,
DEAR SIR:-Thinking that it might
perhaps interest some of your many
readers who NAV possibly have neg
lected to read the history Of the Bat
tie of the Crater, which took place
July 80, '64, | will give a short &C
count of morning stroll and what
we saw and heard of that historic
spot which is situated nearly three
miles southeast of the city Of Pc
tersburg.
Passing out over the hills we soon
came to the Blandford cemetery
where hundreds and hundreds of
soldiers who fell during the late war
are awaiting the judgement day. 1t
made us sad to view the rows of
graves in the North Carolina divis-
ion. Nothing but small wooden
arch with North Carolina" printed
thereon, points out the place to the
stranger. Passing out of the ceme-
terry we soon came to the enclosure
of the Crater battle ground which is
on the farm of MIR. T. r. Griffith.
The entrance fee of 25 cents having
been paid, we were led by the guide
and had pointed out to US the pos
ton held by the contending armies.
During the first week in June 90
the Confederates were forced to drop
back several hundred yards. This
retreat gave the Federals a chance
to form picket lines and thereby
move Notifications across a small
stream to the brink of the hill. The
Federal forces contained a grea1
many practical miners, and they de.
vised a plan and set to work dig
ging out tunnel that would react
to the Confederate lines. The hill
sheltering them, they worked day
and night for three weeks. The
Confederates suspected something
of the kind, but were unable to fine
out the exact location. The TUNE
having been completed, eight thou
sand pounds OF powder was PLACED
directly under the Confederat,
lines. At forty-four minutes pas
/ o'clock a. N. June 80, the fuse wa
ignited and the explosion immediate
ly followed, killing and covering VI
with debris Pts officers and privates
The greater number of those VIII,
persisted by the explosion were South
Carolinians The pit made by tn
explosion was about $50 to 200 fee
In length, about SO feet wide an,
from $3.50 feet in depth. 1t ha
gradually filled in until now it is no
near so large, and surely not NOR
than 1915 feet deep, There is
considerable growth of trees ther
now, and among them are severa
apple and peach trees which cam
5 up, no doubt, from seed dropped b
( the soldiers. Mr.. Griffith took US t
his store house of relics where W
! saw something of everything used i
war-guns, swords, canteens, pi
sh, wells, pick axes &etc. &etc. On
of the old muskets ON exhibitio
: the hammer of the gun was sprun
ready to fire, it is plausible to SUI
!; pose that it was knocked from tn
, hands of the holder as he leveled i
Another contains ball which Ell
tel ed the muzzle of the gun just a
q the outgoing ball exploded, the bal
meeting half way the barrel. Th
compression of air bursted the barr
allowing the outgoing ball to escap
A wheel of lead has been picked u
i formed out of two ounce balls con
:, ing together, bradding and meltir
e into each other. Old shoes with IL
@ foot bones still in them are on exh
a bition. In opening a small dit,
h Mr.. Griffith unearthed more than
: skeletons in distance of about 2
" yards.
There has been no monume
erected to the memory Of those bra,
soldiers who were buried there |
u their comrades. On, large DO.
IS where visitors are requested to re
l. lister their names, we saw fng
1t marks of several North Carolinian
d After refreshing ourselves with
\. glass of Dice, cool butter milk viii,
+. is so plentiful about Virginia far
!, houses, we began to retrace our ste
e e to the city, thinking how much mo
- pleasant it was to be there June 8
1913, than it would have been near
% years ago. lie this escapes Il
n escapes the waste basket, we m;
write again. &. NJ. PETERso