The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-01-22
BATTLE OF THE CRATER.
with the Second Division. Ninth Corps, In
the Rebel Pits.

the Rebel Pits.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: I have
have been much interested in the sketches
from Capt. Beecham of the Colored Di-
vision; also the Memories of a Chaplain,
by II. Clay Trumbull, but now comes L.
II. Vokes. Sd u. S. Cav, Rochester,
MIMI, and wants to know how so many
Union soldiers could be gotten into the
Crater of the Petersburg Mine. Fearing
Lieut.. Bowley or Capt. Beecham may
not come to the rescue, / fain would put
in word. from the standpoint of the Sec
ond Division, Ninth Corps, commanded by
Gen. Potter. Some years ago l wrote an
article for your valuable paper giving the
first account l ever saw of the Grand Pa
rade in the streets of Petersburg on July
81, 1861, of the officers captured at the
mine, mixed with alternate files of colored
soldiers. i received replies to that article
from Maine to California, and some
strong requests to write Up more particu-
lars of the mine fiasco. Not being much in
the literary line, have refrained from do
ing so, but feel called upoL at the present
time to give a few of my recolleetions OF
the matter. AS these will be only from
memory they may not be just as others
saw it. With regard to all of the troops
lodging in the Crater, would say Ledlie's
Division certainly was there. but the Sec
ond Division, to which had the honor Of
belonging, never stopped in the Crater.
We picked our way over the bodies OF
I.edlie's Division and soon found ourselves
on the right of the Crater, and occupied
| the abandoned rife pits of the enemy.
We were ordered to charge on Gem
etery Nights, so much spoken of in this
fight. We did form our line with what
few soldiers we had left and started for
the coveted nights, but in the meantime
the enemy, having recovered somewhat
from their panic. had brought up brig
ade q think under Gen. MahOne) on our
right, in ravine. and no sooner had we
started from tie protection of the rife pits
than they gave us such q raking volley
from the right that those who were not
hit concluded that was no place for them,
and at once retreated to the shelter of the
| works. Then the officers in command
sent to the rear for picks and shovels
| with which we might throw up works to
protect our exposed flank, but no tools
ever came.
Soon the rebs charged, and 1 was then
taken prisoner in their rife pits, several
rods to the right of the Crater. My I'M
Outstanding is that Wilcox's Division went
to the left of the Crater as we went to the
| right, so there was only Ledlie's Division
in the Crater. with perhaps few of the
Colored Division. l saw the COlored Di-
vision come in the fight, and they GER
tainly did some splendid fighting. but all
after it was too late to accomplish any
thing. think Capt. Beecham claims
that the Colored Division went in at
about the same time as the white divis-
ions. In that think he is mistaken, as
am sure we were there as much as an
hour before saw them come in.
There are some things also in Chaplain
Trumbulfs account that do not agree with
my memory. l was confined in the CO.
lumbia Jail from Aug. to Dec. IL, and
have no recollection of any religious serv-
ices of any kind in that time.-JAMEs e.
CATLIN, Lieutenant, Co. l, 45th Pa, I'm
iontown, Iowa.