The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-11-01
TO FIGHT CRATER
BATTLE Over AGAIN
fcontlnued From First Page.)

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as destructive as possible, and then use
the bayonet with all our might until she
works were ours. reminded them .ha.
we we're literally fighting for our homes.
and that every man was expected 70 90
his whole duty. We must carry the
works in our front, and carry them ~
the first assault II was desperate work,
but we could do It.
FORWARD, MARCH.
.1ust then understood Major Girardy
To give the command Forward, and
repeated 1t as loudly as could. rne
whole regiment leaped up as one inuh
and went forward at run not 'Hat'
hesitated or Jagged: the alignment was
well nigh perfect; the spectacle was one
Of unsurpassed grandeur. feel sure
no brigade In any war. attany time. ever
faced moro heroically powerful zoe.
They we're behind the bresstworks; We
we're in the open field: VIC had not more
than eight hundred men; they must nave
had In our front four thousand
They poured into our advancing coll
umn destructive fire from the front
and fire from each flank. so that our
men fell with such rapidly that 10 those
of MS whose hearts We're IN the strussle
and whose sympathles We're Win tnese
brave fellows, the scene lost some OF It's
SfHN(neuS Iito- I>ASAA
terrible losses.
on We went without hating or heslta-
ion; the gaps wrought by the bullets
OF the enemy were not closed because
there We're no spare men 10 taRe ..ie
places Of tho fallen. We reached the
Qualifications. poured into the Trips
ranks OF the enemy destructive IRE:
then we used the bayonet and the butts OF
the guns until the foe surrenders.
csY GREAT
THO number OF killed and wounded on
our side was very heavy, but the slain
| of the Federals must have been several
| times as great as ours, Their dead laH
close together In tho trenches, and the
earth was almost continuously stalueu
with blood 1t was CHASTITY spectacle.
white men and black men lying side py.
sldc In death. The trenches norm %
tho Crater curved somewhat to the west,
and thus made tho distance between my
regiment and tho enemy's line less than
THAT OF the other regiments OF Mahonc's
Rrigade; we therefore struck the enemy
first, and we were the first to get pos
session Of our part OF tho lines; then we
turned attention promptly to assisting
our comrades to our right by an onllquo
fire. In doing this We failed to note at
first that the enemy had posted men
With lons.range rifles at every COM
manding position along their lines. and
quite a number OF the Twelfth lost their
| lives, being shot through the head.
Among this number was Emmett Butts.
- NEGRO SOLDIERS.
"The negro troops backed upon tte
whites and crowded them IN the, trenches,
Tho negroes that saw seemed to be
stooping, as II to avoid observation and
| harm, many at them crouched In the
| trenches. I saw no act of sinh,lmanitS
on the part Of our troops TOWARDS inc
negro soldiers: no negro Was shot OF
otherwise injured after surrendering, &c
far as saw.
tured and sent back 40 prisoners, an
Incident occurred that may not be Out
OF place to relate. heard some one
i calling In d subdued tone; Master, mas
ter. I want to come over dar, done en-
erted my company On being told &c
come over, lle crawled over the breast
works and told lis he WAS tired OF f1ght
Ing Flo said no enlisted y Missouri
1 truce agreed upon for tho burial OF tbs
i dead. talked with some Of tho Fedora
officers.
"Genoral Thomas, who commanded
tho negro brigade told me le carried u
1900 men and brought out 500, IN De-
cember. 1890 or 1891 ! was going from
Il
meeting OF tho State Teachers Asso-
citation. Of which was then tho pres!,
4 dent. got into conversation with Col,
onel IT. w. Parker. tho distinguished
president OF tho Cook county (ChcagoI
Normal College.
II found lie WAS among the troops thai
occupied our works after the explosion
of the mine, and when told him was
I In tho brigade Of Virglnians which
|oharged about s:ao o'clock a, NJ. nnt
recaptured the line north OF tho Crater
Ito spoke in the highest terms Of ou'
brigade,
The question las often been aslset
why the Crater reunion was not held or
July aoth, tho anniversary Of the battle
IIt was because possession Of tho farm
could not be secured at that date,
rho present date IL one of convenience
the arrangements making late date
necessary, 1,