Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-02-17

some weeks since you published COM
rnunication from Comrade Sanders. Co.
&C. Third Georgia. on the Crater. In this
ne states that Mahone's brigade made the
nrst charge on the Crater after the ex-
ploslon. This statement Is not In accord
ance with the recollectiOns OF the writer,
s who certainly will never forget that day.
IL The writer has been correctly informed
Mahone's brigade never did charge the
Crater Gas was afterwards termed the hole
IN the ground), but did charge and held
portion OF the line TO the left OF the Cra-
ter The Crater derived its name rom
the blowing up a battery OF artillery we
had stationed Just back OF our line OF
rreastworks This battery was great
annoyance to the federals and. as was BE-
lIeved. held the key 10 the situation Al
rhls polnt the two lines were not more
than s. feet apart and on the highest ele-
walton overlooking Petersburg.
The blowing up OF our battery did not
DESTROY our lire OF bresstworks. but left
"a hn1a IN the ground about % feet wide. 8
feet long and from Il TO IS feet deep FOR
a distance OF so yards back OF this hole
The ground was on a dead level and IN
Main view OF the -federals' line OF works.
Al this point 80 yards to the rear there
vas gradual decline for short distance
AT the foot OF this decline we had num-
rar az mortar batteries stationed. To
for supplies. relief or reinfOrcements. we
had dug a ditch and partially covered the
TIRE night OF the explosion Il was ru-
rnored IN our camp that Wrighrs brigade
had orders 10 be near these mortar pat
teries by OF before a m, prep ..ss,l,- -
rethlte the lines The explosion occurred
about daybreak (say a M. AT that
time we svrere in the trenches. two miles
away. we were hurriedly thrown into
lire and with all possible haste mareneo
10 the conflict In passing tnrousn Inls
blind way there was much eohIus lN,l anu llsl
delay. and when the four companies on
thn right OF the Third Georgia (my rec
oIlection IS they were companies X u
IL and B-from Clark. Morgan, Newton
and Putnam countiesl reached those pat
.teries we found General Mahone so
worked up he ordered Us 10 make ne
charge. Less than Is men 70 90 TINS
-ro~lx In the face OF 5000 or more Fede-
raIs. well armed and behind WORKS! He-
rardiess OF consequences we went al
them. Many were wounded ana quite
number killed.
Not more than twelve or nfteen OF Us
succeeded in getting into the hole. Ed
II Nav and the writer were the only
ones from company d. This charge was
not made later than a. m
we found no live Yankees. but few
dead ones. They had acted as / guess
should have done-Souznt saIer anu 80
Ter quarters and left the negroes 70 hold
che bag and take consequences. The ne
rroes were in there by a large majority.
and many OF them so drunk they didn't
know what they were doing. where tney
came from or how TO get back. one or
two thousand lay dead and dying IN the
hole.
DIS doinrs. A Dante. with his inferno
attachment could not do II justice. We
had IL over and under with the negroes
Tor a while. when our mortar batteries
began 10 pay attention 10 US. throwing
buckets OF scrap iron 10 US. IL was not
and getting hotter. The negroes decided
that II there were any cooler place they