The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-22


 A point under our works. and then under our works on each side with chambers cut in the earth. In these chambers was placed powder, 5000 pounds, and the tun- nel filled with sand bags to confine the force of the powder. Our engineers had discovered that the enemy was tunneltng, and had sunk a shaft at that point but not deep enough to reach the tunnel.
 Meantime Grant made preparations to make the blow effective. He crossed the James river to Deep Bottom. near Mal- vern Hill, with a large force, and this caused Gen. Lee to carry five of the eight divisions which composed his army and one brigade over to the north side of the James to meet the demonstration. Grant recrossed the James at night and had his whole army massed to take ad- vantage of the explosion of the mine, whilst less than three-eighths of the confederates were opposed to him.
 The federals had eighty-one heavy guns and mortars. besides many pieces of light artillery, bearing on the point to be as- saulted; there infantry, including di- vision of negroes of 4,500 men. were massed in covered ways ready to spring upon the thin line in front as soon as the explosion took place. This was or dered at 3:30 a. m. on the 30th of July, 1864, but the fuse was defective and was
 
 and at 4:45 there was a vast upheavel of earth, resulting in a crater about thirty feet deep. fifty wide and 200 long. Many of our men, one colonel were buried under the masses of clay, and their bodies still remain there
 The forward division of the army pour ed over the intervening space into the crater and the adjoining works. It had better be explained here that our works were formidable. First, there was an earthwork six feet high, with a broad trench behind it At intervals banks of earth called traverses were thrown up perpendicular to these works to prevent an enfilade fire. Then there was a cov- cred way some fifty feet in the rear. which was a broad ditch with the earth thrown up on the side next to the enemy. and intended to cover achievements those bringing in ammunition and rations as we'll as for carrying out the dead and wounded. Besides these there were numerous cross ditches, sinks, etc, which cut up the ground.
 The enemy took possession of these works and the crater on each side for a distance of more than 100 yards, and. once In them, the works afforded security against any attack by our men except A direct charge into them and mortar shells
 We had no second line and only a few mortars manned by less than fifty men were between the enemy and Petersburg They had nothing to do but move for ward to the crest of the hill and Peters, burg was within their grasp But the se- were losses of the past month by this di- vision from our sharp-shooters and the recollection that 1t was not easy to win anything from the Army of Northern Virginia, as we'll as the want of compe- tent leaders. caused the enemy to stop in the crater and adjoining works and at tempt to wrest more of our line on each side Of the crater from our troops Here the fighting was very severe. Each tray- erse formed a little fort, and was defend ed with desperation. Behind one all the defenders had been killed but three. and one or these took his position kneelinR whilst the other two loaded guns for him, and as fast as an enemy would try to pass around the end of the traverse he was hot, until twenty-six men fell. The ground between the works of the enemy and ours and in rear of the crater to the crest, was swept by rain of fire.
 Burnside, who was in command of the attacking force, from his safe position ordered in more troops, who rushed for ward into the space already crowded by men sheitering themselves from the niti less bullets and mortar shells. Finally the colored troops-4500 strong-were ar. dered to charge. It Is said they had been piled with liquor to enthuse them; but the delay caused by the failure of the fuse at first caused their inspiration to cool. but they rushed to the crater with loud cries of Give the d-d rebels no quarter,' Their officers tried to get them to charge the crest behind the crater, and in the court of inquiry held by order of the fed eral secretary, some of the officers testi- fled that they advanced POO yards past the crater towards Petersburg, but were repulsed.
 Some of Sanders brigade now living in