Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1905-11-23
A VETERAN
With A RECORD

The explosion of the mine under the
Confederate to'G at Petersburg, Va,
on July 80, 1861 dUring the Civil War,
is historical. IN general way every
well-read per on knows that sol.
diers, mostly coal miners under Col
onel Peasants, underminedrthe Rebel
fort aud placed beneath it eight tons
of gun powder, which at 4 :45 O'Clock
in the morning by the means of fuse
was exploded; also that the execution
was terrific, tie entire fort with it's
artillery and garrison of four hundred
men being lifted two hundred feet in
the air, leaving a crater one hundred
aud fifty feet long, sixty feet wide and
twenty five feet deep. 1t is not so we'll
known, however that among those who
charged the lires and with only
handful of mer earned fame by hold
ing position i the dreadful crater
is one of DauviIle's most esteemed
residents person ally known to nearly
every man. woman and child.
The casual reader of the History OF
the Second Pennsylvania Veteran
Heavy Artillery will find much to en-.
chain his interjs st but nothing quite
so thrilling as the incidents attending
the attack on Petersburg, especially
those which relate to the Provisional
Second Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery.
1t was this regiment which in obedi.
ence to orders rom the Commander,
Lieutenant Colonel Barney. charged
directly into the crater after the ex-
plosion, entering the enemy's works
and even advancing one hundred yard
beyond. The advancing battalion find
ing that iG WAS not supported fell
back into the crater. The Confeder.
ates then rallied and poured deadly
hail of shot. shell, canister and musk.
terry into the crater. The Provisional
Regiment f, Ii back. after which the
Ninth Corps colored troops were sent
for ward and advanced a short distance
when they halted. A body of CON-
federates charged on them with a yell
when they broke and came tumbling
back over the works with fixed bay.
onets compelling many of the Provis.
ional boys to fall back with them but
10 men remained fighting desperately
amid fearful carnage until they were
compelled to surrender.
An eye witness of the conflict at
that point says: The fire of the enemy
was Eore than terrific. How any men
escaped death in the crater is mys-
terry to me. Cannon on the right and
left and musketry in front pouring in
!. their deadly hal of iron and lead
seemed to cover every inch Of the
ground.
History prints the roll of honor and
the second name on the list of those
who remained fighting desperately in
the crater III til overwhelmed by num-
bers. following that of Captain John
Norris, is David Ruckle, First Serge
ant.
Mr.. Ruckle was then only some
twenty years of age, but he already
had plenty of experience in war, for
he enlisted when only about nineteen
!, years of age, He saw service first as
a niue months man in 1862. He next
enlisted in the 1l2th Regiment and
about two weeks later was transferred
To the Provisional Second Heavy Ar
tilleIy in which he saw service from
: May, 1864. to July 80, when he was
taken prisoner at Petersburg. He was
held by the enemy s months and l9
days. For over eight months along
with many others he was imprisoned
in tobacco sheds at Danville. Va. he
was thence transferred to the Libby
prison at Richmond, Va, but happily
was destined to remain there only
three days, when he was inoluded in n
number that were taken to a parole
camp at Annapolis. Md.
Mr.. Ruckel was interviewed yester-
day concerning some of the above in
cidents as touched on in the History
of the Second Pennsylvania Regiment
His description of the awful carnage
attending the charge into the crater at
Petersburg aCcor1s with accounts Civ
en- in history. As the Rebels charged
into the crater he distinctly heard the
commander order his men to kill all
the off GERS and the negroes. Z. j.
Millard, then of Espy, but now living
in the West, was captain. While the
carnage ragged Mr.. Rucke, kept the
man prostrate between his knees and
was able to beat off repeated attempts
to kill him. Before the decisive mo-
, meut was reached, Mr.. Ruckel says the
ground was more than strewn with
, the slain. Around himself the dead.
mostly negroes. lay waist deep.
Mr.. RuckeI is not a man to talk
much over the dreadful scenes through
which lie passed indeed, it is not ev-
cry person who knows that he ever
was one of Uuole Sans fighters. A
brave soldier in his time, now that war
is over he is welded to the arts OF
peace and is an honored citizen whose
integrity and patriotism are never
questioned.