Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-11-15

they rose and moved off in quick time. in
perfect line toward the crater. When
within about fifty yards of the enemy,
terrific volley was poured into their
line, and the devoted Alabamans trailed
their arms and broke into double quick.
Before the federals could reload, our men
plunged into the crowded mass, and
the work of death began anew. but now
with bayonet and dubbed guns.
The scene is said to have been indie
scribable. In places our mortar shells
had exploded in the crowded mass of
men, tearing them in pieces. In the hot
sunshine the odor arising from the blood
and mangled remains was horrible. One
man, the son of prominent judge, leaped
into the crater striking a federal to the
ground as he jumped on him. Quickly
recovering, he plunged his bayonet
through the PROSTATE man with such
force that it penetrated a plank and
when the gun was withdrawn the bayo-
net remained, pinioning the man down
as a boy pins a fly to the wall AS the
confederate withdrew his gun, federal
fired at him, and the ball shattered his
left arm near the shoulder. Swinging
his gun with his remaining arm, he
brought 1t down on the head of the fed
eral, crushing his skull The wounded
man then escaped, living long to tell the
tale.
Adjt. Fonvi1le, of the Fourteenth Ala
bama, was shot while surrounded by en-
emies, but Capt. Terrell of Dadeville, at
once slew the man who killed him. 1t
were vain to even attempt to relate the
one-hundredth part of the personal con-
f1icts which ensued when 800 men threw
themselves into the midst of several
Thousand enemies, packed like sardines
in the crater and bitches which formed
our works. Death was everywhere and
men fought like demons. Our men had
heard the cry of the negroes to give no
quarter the broiling sun, the smoke, the
smell of powder and blood, and the des-
peration born of the resolve to conquer
or die brought on a delirum which all
soldiers have felt And it is said that
the work of slaughter went on long after
resistance had ceased and stopped only
after Malone had exerted himself for
long time to stay the hands of his in
furiated men.
A federal soldier, visiting the scene
long afterwards, relates that he. with five
white and fourteen negroes comrades,
had crowded into a bomb-proof for
shelter. Knowing that the confederates
had heard the cry of mo quarter from
the negroes, and fearing that the whites,
too, would be slaughtered they delib-
ertely resolved to kill all their black COM
panions so as to get an opportunity to
surrender, and they carried their reso-
luton into effect.
The land on which the crater is situated
was owned by Griffith. and is now owned
by his son. who was 10 years of age at
the time of the battle. He pulled the IAN
yards for two mortars in rear of the
crater for two hours during that bat
tie. And when the mortar ceased firing
| he went to the edge of the crest and wit
messed the charge of Mahone's, Wright's
and finally of Sanders brigades. He
| says the soldier boys of the volunteer
companies drilling in the streets do not
| make better line or move with more pre-
| cision than did Sanders brigade when
| they marched into the jaws of death. on
that eventful day. Griffith went to the
| crater on Aug. l, when the dead were
| being buried under flags of truce, and,
| with the vivid recollection of a boy, he
| can tell many things forgotten by the
men who took part in the scene.
He says that in some places men were
| pile up like cord-wood, tumbled into
heap at least six deep. The blood had
been mixed by the feet of the struggling
men with the clay, until the mud so
formed was ankle deep.
| The total loss of the federals as report
| ed by Gen. Meade on that day was 400;
and, when 1T is considered that most of
these losses were in a space not much
| larger than one of our city blocks, and
| that space cut up by bitches and banks
| of EARTH one can readily imagine what
| a scene of carnage and bloodshed, when
| so many men besides 1880 of our own
were lost.
The crater Is now enclosed with a
| fence, and a growth of pines and ce-
| dars has sprung up as If to cover the aw
| full scene. The works on each side have
been leVelled-done it Is said to obtain
the lead found in them-and the field is
now cultivated. The same spring to
which we resorted at night continues to
flow with the cool, pure water, so grateful
to us during the weary months of the
siege.
The writer served in the trenches over
a month about 100 yards to the right of
the crater; but his command was or
dered to the north of the James about
three days before the battle, and he did
not participate in it. This narrative Is
compiled partly from accounts given by
others, and partly from the records of
court of inquiry held by the federal au-
thorities, which rested much of the blame
of their failure on Gen. Burnsides and
some of his subordinate commanders.
Had Jackson, Gordon or Malone COM
manded on their side with Grants whole
army present, and five-eighths of Gen.
Lees absent, with the advantage of the
surprise and loss occasioned by the ex-
plosion, the seige of Petersburg would
have terminated on that day.
The writer has urged some of the par
Elephants to put on record the part taken
by Sanders brigade; and this is written
as tribute to the gallant Alabamians
who on that memorable day made rec-
ord of valor and devotion which should
be concentrated by monument Some
of the survivors yet live in our midst,
and visit to the crater and a description
by an eye witness will crafty and prove
reward to anyone who believes that he
roism yet lives in the world.
When night closed on the dreadful
scene, and other troops came to relieve
the remnant of the commands who re-
took our works, it is said to have been
inexpressibly sad. One Virginia regi-
ment went into battle with ninety -seven
men. At roll call that night only seven
answered to their names, and none were
prisoners. Ninety were dead or wound
ed. At the roll call of the Sixty-fourth
Georgia of Wright's brigade, the major
of the regiment would answer to the
names of those who had been killed,
dead on the field of honor" He burst
into tears, but with broken voice he con-
tinued the responses. Sanders brigade
did not suffer SO heavily as some of the
others who charged earlier in the day.
There are now living In Jefferson coun-
ty the following named persons who par
ticipated in the charge on the crater:
Company F, Eleventh Alabama-S. w.
Vance, p. M. Vance, J. L. Hill; Company
F, Tenth Alabama-A. w. Hilton, Ike
Mobley, J. H. Riggs, and of Company B.
Tapth Ia ta ma the first ooTnnauy mbio,