The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-05-14
Most of the Recruits Had Been Slaves.

warfare, and passed a creditable ex-
animation as to the proficiency in the
army regulations, the tactics and
management of troops in the field.
When Petersburg was reached the
colored troops were placed on the
firing line in front of the confederate
army of northern Virginia the best
troops the confederates had in the
field during the entire war The dis
tance from our lines to the confeder-
ate lines was but a few hundred feet;
both lines were well intrenched
breastworks, bomb proofs, covered
ways and abatis, as was best suited
for the surroundings, were seen on
every side, and an irregular but con
tinuous firing was kept up both night
and day for weeks and weeks. Each
side was ever on the alert for what
the other might try to do Finally
confederate battery was undermined,
blown up and an assault made on the
enemy's works. This assault was the
last against the confederate lines for
long series commencing May 5, and all
Of them against strongly-intrenched
foe. These charges were all desperate
and bloody, and, including the one in
which the colored division participat-
ed on July 80, it is safe to say the
total loss to the union army was at
least 10000 men, a large army of killed
and wounded, and yet with no decisive
results.
The mine was $40 feet in length,
and at the terminus under the con-
federate works had side galleries
about 35 feet in length. In these gal
leries were placed 800 kegs of pow
der of 25 pounds each, 5000 pounds,
strongly tamped and connected togeth-
er with wooden tubes half filled with
powder. Three fuses were run back
about 100 feet, and the main gallery
was filled with earth and we'll
tamped for about 80 feet The origi-
nal plan of attack was for the colored
troops to advance Immediately after
the explosion, and when the crater
was reached the leading regiment
should turn to the right and proceed
as far as possible down the enemy's
line, the second regiment turn to the
left and sweep down the line in that
direction, the remaining regiments of
the division to advance rapidly
through the gap in the confederate
line toward the city of Petersburg,
to be followed by the other divisions
of the army as soon as they could be
rushed in.
Morning came and with 1t a change
in the program. A consultation of the
leading generals had been held dur.
ing the night and it was decided to
let the white troops take the initiative
after the explosion of the mine.
The explosion of the mine was a sue
cess. The crater made by the explo-
sion of 5000 pounds of gunpowder
was 1856 feet long, 81 feet broad and
80 feet deep. Two hundred and sew
enty-eight men were buried in the
ruins. To add to the terror Of the
scene, the union forces commenced
uAu6 Will 1tU ana NOR
tars. Elliott's confederate brigade near
the craterwere panicstricken and fed in
every direction. Now was the time
for the union charge, which must be
well directed and well executed to OBJ
tain the desired results, viz: to make
a gap in the confederate lines through
which the reserve troops could rush
toward Petersburg But the white
troops selected did not appear to rea-
lie the situation and eight o'clock
found them huddled in the crater hav-
ing made no well-advised attempt to
widen the gap as was the intention
of the colored brigade.
The confederates had now entirely
recovered from their surprise and |
were ready for any further advance of |
the union army. We thought all was |
over, but in response to repeated or
ders from Gen. Meade to send In more
troops. Gen. Burnside new sent in the
cOlored division. The Thirtieth U. 8. CT.