The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-06-22

army i'll a critical position. His line
was curved around Petersburg, con-
Eronting Grant fo- nearly twenty
miles. Grants center rested on the
Appom attox river. Every reinforce
tmant he received would be thrown on
his left, which made it necessary that
aee's line should also be extended
autIl it threatened to snap. Tie
average strength Of it -.s one man
30 every six or eight feet, and as day
after day death claimed it's victims
from the heavy fire directed upon US,
at grew weaker. Ouy line was protect
ed By long, deep ditch, With cross
bitches in rear from the cannon and
tnusket FIRE, but not from the shells
which We're dropped from mortars
with fatal precision directly upon u.s.
To sToid them, we had to burrow
nnder ground. Previous to this time
au effort was made to break our line
Gy mining. The great crater was the
result Of this effort. The events I
om Gbout TO describe occurred half
mile to the left Of this crater.
Abovt the 18th of March General
lee sent for General Gordon, whose
ssharpshooters l commanded, for con.
ssultation. They discussed the almost
aopeless task Of trying longer to hold
the long line held by our army. They
agreed that the situation was des-
perste and alarming. General Lee
stated that he had just received the
reports of his officers and that he had
'only forty Thousand men fit for duty,
while Gran. confronted him with one
hundred and sixty thousand. After
consultation they decided to make
one last desperate effort to;break
Grants line, and, Il possible, destroy
alis left wing, and chen join General
johnson in North Carolina and at
tack Sherman. No otner alterna-
tive was left except to ebandon Peters
Sburg and Richmond, or to tIeat with
the United States government for
the best terms .hey could obtain.
Preparations for the assault we're at
.onoe begun.
l was at that time captain of the
sharpshooters, about one hundred
sstrcng. They had been selected for
their bravery from the entire corps,
and represented every Southern State,
and were armed with the celebrated
Whitworth rife, Of the latest pattern,
having range of eighteen hundred
yards. The men were tried and
trusty. Their courage had been
proven on q hundred battle6elds.
General Gordon informed me Of what
had been decided upon, but enjoined
the strictest seoreoy. Tho battle was
&o begin with night assault on Fort
Steadman by my sharpshooters. and If
successful, it vas to be promptly fol.
aowed up by General Gordon's corps.
Fort Steadman occupied o hill about
&wo hundred yards from our line,
which was also on hill, and between
che swo hills flowed branch about
eeo feet wide, but only few inches
deep. Between the branch aad the
fert there were three lines oe cbstruo.
.eaons as perfect as human ingenuity
and labor could devise.
The first was composed Of pine logs,
about eight inches thick, in which
holes had been bored at intervals and
sharpeued spikes inserted. The logs
about twenty-five feet long had been
orossed and recrossed ,and fastened
together with wire. About forty
steps farther back was the second line,
composed OF tangled brush piled up
with the sharrened butts projecting
towards US. The third and last line
Sges composed Of fence rails planted id
the ground with their sharpened ends
,slanied towards US.
W'hese obstructions extended all
adlong the enemy's line. There was no |
weak place in it. These obstacles |
'weresto be sarmounted by us in the
face of eight siege guns trained upon
them, in addition to nearly FIVE hun.
-dred infantry in the fort. The fort
was also surrounded by wide moat
tourfeet deep and nearly full of water.
,Ihn 'osvth taken from this ditch had
been piled up on the inner side of it.
forming almost perpendicular wall
from bottom to top of thirteen feet.
a man could not, unhindered, if un.
assisted, climb up to the fort. To
Gross these obstructions, scale the
eort aud capture it, was the task as.
signed my sharpshooters.