The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-09-02

1ERTISER-
 pierce and destroy Lees army, but he failed: and the writer fortunately IS in possession of two very able ana PIC : turesque descriptions of that batue' written Independently of each other One is by Captain w. L. Pagan. or the Sth Alabama. published in the Pniiaaei- phia Times of July 6, 1SS2. Ine eotner is by Captain J. c. Feafherston, or .ho 9th Alabama, written in 1905. The i'm portance of this battle is such as to justify the publication here of both ar ticles. Captain Featherston's article was prompted chiefly by what appear ed to be an effort on the part of the survivors of Mahoneas Brigade to take to themselves the chief credit of that day, which was so glorious for the Confederate arms. That Featherston had never seen Fagan's article tand he says he had not) is. If any confirma : ton of the statement by this gentle man were needed--and it certainly it not to those who know him-apparent from the fact that he did not quote from or allude to General Mahone's order of congratulations, issued subsequent to the battle and published by Pagan in his article.
 The two accounts are as follows. and the careful reader will find in the slight discrepancies between the two the strongest possible evidence Of the trnthfulness of there two witnesses who give their testimony independent ly.
 The Petersburr Crater.
 IA participants Description of the
 Fierce Struggle for the Recapture
 of the Salient.
 BY w. L. PAGAN.
 (Formeriy Captain Co K, Eighth Ala
 bama Regiment.)
 The morning of July 30, 1864, dawned sultry and by a. m., the heat was op- rressive. At 12 m., the thermometer stood at ninety-eight degrees. About ' a. rn., General Lee, accompanied by a single courier, rode rapidly to General Mahone's headquarters, situated at pr. Branch's house After a hurried con sultation Generals Lee and Malone rode towards our lines. I do not think General Malone knew of the explos- ion until he was informed by General Lee. Malone, at that time, commanded General R. H.. Anderson's Division, composed of Wright's Georgia, Ma hone's Virginia, Wiicox's Alabama, Harris Mississippi and Finnegan's Flor ida Brigades. This division occupied the works to the right of Hoke's Divi- sion, extending it's right to point in front of Branch's house. The Eigh- teentn and Twenty-second South Caro- lima Regiments, part or Elliotts Bri- gade, Hoke's Division and four guns of Pegram's Battery, occupied a salient or angle of our line This salient was higher than the enemy's line in its im- mediate front. The FederaIs, begin ming within their lines. had excavated a tunnel under this salient. Placing within it several tons of powder they had waited until a. m., when an at- tempt was made to fire the immense mass. The Confederates were sleeping within their works, unconscious of danger. The New York Herald of Au- gust 9, 1864, contained the following:
 The mine was to have been explod- ed at a. m.s and batteries to open along the entire line at the same hour. The Ninth Corps, supported by the Eighth and Tenth Corps, and Ayres' Di- vision of the Fifth Corps, and three divisions of the Second Corps, were to charge immediately after the explos- ion. The fire having gone out twice the explosion was delayed. At 4:40 the explosion took place and a deafening roar of artillery followed"
 About fifteen feet of dirt intervened between the sleeping soldiers and all this powder. In moment the super incumbent earth for a space forty by eighty feet, was hurled upward, car rying with it the artillerymen, with their four guns, and three companies of soldiers. As the huge mass fell backwards it buried the startled men under inIYn ense clods-tons of dirt. Some of the artillery was thrown for ty yards towards the anemy's line. The clay subsoil was brNken and piled in large pieces, often several yards in diameter which afterwards protected scores of Federals when surrounded in the crater. The early hour, the unex- pected explosion, the concentrated fire of the enemy's batteries, startled and wrought confusion among brave men accustomed to battle. We extract again from The Herald of August 3:
 "At 5:30 the charge was made and the fort (crater). with part of the line on each side, was carried in style to res fleet credit on the veterans engaged. The second line was carried by the Second Division of the Second Corps and Brigadier General Whites Division of colored troops were ordered to car ry the crest of the hill, but after ad- vancing as far as the first line was checked by galling fire. and the main body faltered and fell back. The greater number became utterly demor- alized and part of them took refuge in the fort (crater), while the remain der. in confusion, ran to the rear as fast as possible in their retreat, em- harrassing the white troops. Every ef- fort. to rally them failed many of their officers were killed and the negroes re- treated. until they got out of range of the musketryi and canister. which was ploughing through their ranks Among the missing are Brigadier General Bartlett. who reached the fort (crater) with his command. General Bartlett had a cork leg, which was broken, and he was unable to leave the fort (cra- ter.)"
 The Confederate Charge.
 The Federals now held the crater and the inner line Generals Lee and Ma hone arrived on the field about 7:3C a. m ravine which deepened on our right, ran parallel with this inner line. and was used by Malone in which to form his brigade when preparing to attack. At a. m.. Mahone's Brigade, commanding by Colonel D. A. Weisiger brought from the right of Hoke's Di- visicn, was formed in this ravine and advanced to the assault. The Federals concentrating a terrific fire of muske- trv and artillery, pIoughed out great gaps in these fearless Virginians. Moth. ing daunted. they pressed forward and captured the inner line. The loss ol this brigade was heavy, both in meI and officers, more than two hundred Virginians falling between the ravint and the captured works. The Federal troops, white and colored fought witI desperation never witnessed on form CT battle-fields. The negroes, 1t II