The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-05-11

shooters, who had nearly exhausted
the supply. The enemy vas prepared
to make q charge Immediately after
the explosion during the excitement
ana confusion created thereby. We
Immediately formed line of battle and
held the enemy in check. AS they
attempted to cross the line at the
crater we poured volley after volley
into their ranks and drove them back
into the pit, or crater, which was @
protection to them for the time, bus
when our line of morters in the rear
Of our position opened on them, throw
ing shells over us into the crater, they
were awfully slaughtered. They were
held in check until late in the after
noon. Our regiment leaving no field
officers for duty on that day, Capt.
Rufus White, OF Charleston, was in
command. He vas wounded early in the
early part of the battle. Lieut.. Stone,
of Chester, was next in command. He
was also wounded. The command of
the regiment then devolvcd on me-, [
being the next ranking officer. L i'm
mediately ordered a charge, as we
were exposed to q cross fire front and
hank. At that j%uncture, we were re-
inforced by Gen. Mahone's Division
just in time to mako q simultaneous
charge. We charged on the crater on
the right; Malone On the left, where
tho enemy had entered our lines. We,
tho 23rd Regiment, lost heavily, in
Guiding three color bearers. The next
day hostilities were suspended by
mutual consent Tor several hours, in
order to remove and bury the dead.
The two armies formed line in front of
each other, whilst a detachment from
eacn was engaged in removing the
dead. Some of the officers met and
converscd about the battle. The
enemy stated, according to official re-
ports, that their loss in killed, wound
ed and missing amounted to 5000. Our
loss was about o%ne-fourth that number,
which statement is verified by history.
Company A lost heavily, rs it was cx-
posed to a cross fire from front and left
flank. Only 10 men reported for duty
after the battle. | was ordered by
Gen. johnson to take q surveyors
chain, furnished by one of his staff
officers, and ascertain the dimensions
OF the crater, and draw a diagram of
the same, including the adjacent
angles OF the breastworks, and report
to his headquarters, | did as ordered,
but do not now remember the exact
dimensions, which were about 30 feet
in diameter and about 20 or 25 feet
deep. There was a lump or ball of clay
about 5 or q feet in diameter that fell
in the crater. 1t was pierced all
around with minnie balls. The soldiers
made quite a number Of dirt pipes out
OF the clay from the crater as relicks.
| have one hero which | will exhibit,
made by myself, with the date of the
battle carved upon it. Gully 30tb, 1864,
Crater, Petersburg, Va"
h enemy continued to shell the
crater every evening for a considerable
tlmo after we got in possession Of it.
Company FL, one of the companies OF
our regiment, which had no command
ing officer, occupied that portion of
the line on the outside of the breach,
with u temporary breastwork thrown
up. | was ordered to take command OF
this company during the time it was
stationed at this place. The enemy
commenced Smelling soon after l took
command, | ordered the men 0 to
expose themselves, but seek protec-
ton as best they could from the shells
and cannon balls as the enemy was out
OF reach Of small, arms and we could
effect nothing: | and one of the soldiers
would keep on the lookout as sentinels.
During the time Of Smelling one struck
the b~reastwOrks about a foot or two
below the parapet and threw up a por-
tlon OF the top OF the breast wor6s,
which fell upon my head. Another
exploded just over and in the rear OF
where J stood. The firing soon after
ceased for the day.