The National tribune., 1896-07-16
AT THE CRATER.
A Marylander Gives Some of His Expert
ences There.


EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: have been
very much interested in the accounts of the
battle of the Crater by the two comrades
who have given theirtversion of that affair.
| believe / was the last officer 10 90 into the
Crater, and am cure that was the last to
leave that hole in the ground.
Comrade Nilsson has been very rough on
our division commander, Gen. Ledlie. Gen.
Grant was even worse than he, and was not
very complimentary to Gen. Burnside; while
Senator Ben. Wade did not spare Gen.
Meade, and all hands Jumped on poor old
Ledlie.
had waited near Fort Morton from be-
fore daylight until near sunrise, looking for
an explosion of the Mine, which failed on
account of defective fuse. 1 concluded to
take my chances in crossing the open field
of about 800 yards in front of Fort Morton,
in order to report to headquarters
/ was fortunate in taking the rebel sharp
shooters mapping for they had not yet rub
bed the sleep out of their eyes, and l was
only treated TO a stray shot from them.
| reached the ravine and was moving
along, when suddenly there was a great ex-
pIosion. and the earth reeled to and fro as q
drunken man, and l had to put on my sea
legs" to keep from being thrown down. /
looked up, and there appeared to be q great
fountain of earth thrown up about 200 feet
high among which l could see a rebel cais-
son making it's way to the top. Then 1T
seemed to spread out, and the earth began
to fall back in such an ugly fashion that it
looked like it wOald swamp our advance
lines and bury our troops, who were lying
on the ground ready for the charge, many of
whom had fallen asleep.
1t was such surprise to them that it
caused stampede in the front ranks of our
brigade, and this gave the advance TO those
that were in the rear lines, among them the
Sd Nd. and Tooth Pa, who quickly adj
vanced, and the Sd Md. colors were in the
lead when Serg't McCabe was MORALLY
wounded before he reached the enemys
works and falling on his back he clasped
the colors in his arms and dyed them with
his blood He refused to let them 90 when
one of the color-guard tried to obtain the
flag to plant it upon the enemy's works,
which fell to the lot of another regiment
Finding the brigade commander had gone,
inquired for Gen. Ledlie, and was told
he was in one of the bOmbproofs. / found
him, and reported TO him that my command
was near Fort Morton. But the only COW
cred way was blocked with troops, and asked
him for orders He instructed me to return
to my men and move them through the
covered way as soon rs possible and report
to him Mt his bombproof which he designated
his headquarters. 1t was safe place to be-
but he might as well have been at home
under his bed, so far as directing the move
ments of his division were concerned.
/ returned by the covered way, for the
rebels were wide awake by this time and
our forts were making things lively, as there
were fully hundred guns on both sides doing
their Level best TO make it interesting for
both sides who were.willing to be made tar
gets of for the heavy sum of SIC month
for their country's sake.
/ moved my men along the covered way,
which, owing to the crowded condition and
the stream of wounded who we're being
carried to the rear, consumed at least half
an hour, and it was fully one hour from the
time that first saw Geu. Ledlie until l re-
ported to him with my men. He ordered
me to keep the men together, and, taking
them into the Crater, told him that the men
were strangers to each other, from different
regiments, and THAI l thought they would
fight better with their regiments than they
would in separate command. If they were
wounded they would not receive the at
knew them and suggested that take them
into the Crater and let them join their regi-
ments. He instructed me to do so.
/ rejoined my men and informed them of
bis order, and was just giving the command
10 march, when the colored division began
10 move. AS there was only small open
ing through the abatis, that would not adj
nit of more than four men abreast, we were
M oil cd IN hav nd
You will see that at least one hour was lost |
before the coloFed troops were ordered in.
Whose fault was that? If Gen. Burnside |
rad been on hand, even in the bomb-proof,
Ledlie would have been in the Crater with |
ls division, and the precious time of one
lour would not have been lost by the col |
bred division, which gave Malone chance |
% bring up his brigade to meet the colored |
livisiOn in their efforts TO capture the White |
House fort, which we called it, located on
Cemetery Hill. Gen. Meade declared this |
was the key to the position for it was to the |
Crater what Fort Morton was to our adj
Tanced picket-line, from which the mine
vas commenced. Neither position was ten
'ble while those heavy forts were in posses
ion Of the enemy.
1t was necessary TO reach that rebel fort
n 30 minutes, or the assault was doomed to
allure, and all the plans that were formed
If clearing the works by thanking columns,
or which the cOlored troops were drilled,
If which we hear so much, were open to the
nfilading fire Of that fort, just as fatal as
he thanking fire that the columns were ex-
'osed to when they sought to advance from
he Crater, as complained of by Comrade
Wilson, of the Cd Pa. III. A.
That fort should have been taken by the
first Division, leaving the Second Division
nd Third Division 10 clear the TANKS on
10Th sides of the Crater and that division
vas able to do it, and would have done it if
was in the power Of men to accomplish it,
8 they had never been found wanting until
hey were commanded by sheep, when
hey demonstrated the truth of the proverb
hat it is better to have an army of sheep
by lion than to have one of
ions led by sheep.-JosEPH f. CARTER,
d Md.
Origin of the Term John Bull.
Golden Pennyl