The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-02-09
TWO WAR STORIES.
Elliot's Brigade at the Crater.
To the Editor of the State:

there is reunion of the Virginia sur
Niyors Of the war between the States,
that the orators invariably claim the
victory at the s:crater" in front OF
Petersburg, Va, on the Both day OF
Inly, 1864, for Gen. Malone and the
Virginians.
We are not surprised at that. In
fact, there mas always been conten-
ton between Elliott's men and Ma
homes soldiers as to which of the two
commands did the most fighting on
that day. But when a prominent
South Carolinian before a South Caro-
lima audience not only follows in the
same line but says that Elliott S men
were so demoralized that they were
replaced in the lines by fresh troops
brought up from the fanks by Gen.
Lee. I think that it is time that the
survivors Of the Old Brigade come
forward and tellwhat they know about
that battle.
It is evident that the people of our
own State do not understand hcw that
battle was fought, who conducted it,
what troops were engaged, or how 1T
was possible for Elliott's brigade to
mold the lines at the crater in front OF
Petersburg, Va, on the Both day Of
July, 1864, against such fearful odds.
The battle Of the crater was one OF
the most important battles Of the war,
and its result had more effect upon
the minds of the Northern people than
any other battle Of the war. On the
next day the propriety Of Offering
terms Of peace to the. South was free
{ IL discussed in the Northern cities.
Gold went up to $50, the highest
point it ever reached. But the bat
tie Of Allatoona was fought and lost
.
by our western army a few days after
ward, and the prospects Of peace went
down with their defeat.
How can our people understand
!: how Elliott's brigade held 100000
troops with so pieces Of artillery, con
centrated at that point by Gen. Grant.
no doubt for the purpose Of breaking
through our lines at the crater and
then swinging his tremendous army
right and left and thus destroy our
army, unless it's told by those old
survivors who were there?
The mine was sprung on the 3otk
day of July, 1864, at 6 o'clock in the
morning. Two hundred and fifty
seven Of Eliiott's brigade we're killed
or wounded by the blow-up. Elliott's $
brigade held the lines, fighting the
enemy without assistance, except
from the artillery, until Gen. Malone
arrived with his two brigades CHS own
and Sanders0 five hours after the
mine was sprung. When Gen. Ma
hone arrived he deployed his troops
and charged the crater, it being
packed with II 900 federal troops that
had heen driven there by Elliott's S
brigade, and the artillery under Col.
Haskell and NIajorCoit.
Major Colt S guns were on the next
hih to the left Of the crater, and had
swept the hill in front Of the mine
with grape and canister from the
time the mine was sprung to the
close Of the battle. Cel. Haskell was
posted just in rear Of our position,
near the crater, and did heroic work
with his mornrs and other guns.
Gen. Malone ran his men up under
the very bknks Of the crater. Small
mortars were brought up and bursting
shells were hurled into that huddled-
up mass of humanity inside the era
ter. The white flag was hoisted In
due time and they surrendered.
1t has been learned since the war
that when Gen. Grant arrived at the
headquarters Of Gen. Meade, at about
10o'clock, on fndisg that our lines
still held out, he ordered his troops
to retire from our lines: saying to
Gen. Meade that if he, Gen. Meade,
could not break through cur lines
vixen the mine was first sprun: he
could not expect to do SO three hours
afterwards.
It may be asked why the Federals
had not retired from the crater before
Gen. Malone made his charge? They
could not leave the crater without be-
ing exposed to almost certain death.
When the mine was sprung the enemy
had been brought up very near our
lines-in fact, they were SO close that
some of them were killed and some
wounded by the explosion. They
rushed into our lines at ence, expect
ing that the Confederates would be