The National tribune., 1910-10-06

the Crater to augment the crowd and
tumult there. This was prominently
true of the colored division. 1t was
much the strongest in the corps, and
was led forward with the greatest gal
lantry One Colonel reports that he
lost seven out of his II officers in a few
minutes, and Col Siegfried reports %
officers killed and wounded in his bri-
gade Deprived of their leaders, the
negros stampeded back upon the whites
in the Crater, and increased terrifically
the confusion. Gen. Bartlett, who had
been left for dead on the field at Got
tysburg had recovered sufficiently to
take command of a brigade, had been
again wounded in the Wilderness, was
now struck down again and captured.
The Order to Withdraw.
Cen Burnside sent his order to with
draw at 1890, leaving his brigade COM
manders to consult and decide upon
the time and manner. Gen. Lee at
o'clock had hurried over to the crest
behind the Crater, and met there Gen.
Beaurcgard. Mahone's and Johnston's
Divisions were hurried up with all the
artillery that could be readily concen-
trated. At 1920 Malone made an at
tack on WILCOX. which was decisively
repuised, Mahone's men seeking cover
in the trenches. JOhnston's Division
car1e up shortly after, and between 1
and . o'clock the two divisions ad-
vanced to the assault. Two of our bri-
gade commanders saw this formidable
force advancing. and. knowing of the
orders to retreat and that they would
not be supported, gave the order to re-
treat. Then began a wild scramble
acro5S the canister and bullet-swept
100 yards to our lines. The wounded
were left behind, and with a large num-
her of other officers and men We're, cap
1nrPl the Crater The Medical de-
partm ent stated the loss to be 419
killed, 1879 wounded and 1910 miss
ing; total, f,00S. Gen Humphreys be-
heves this too large, and that the total
was probably $500. The colored divi-
sion lost 176 killed, SIS wounded and
put AT 400 killed, 600 wounded and 200
missing.
Gen. Burnside attributed the great
ness of his loss to Meade's ill-advised
order to withdraw.
Gen. Grants Opinion.
In his testimony before the Court of
inquiry, Gen. Grant said:
1T seemed to me that it was per-
fectly practicable for the men, if they
had been properly led, to have gone
straight thru the breach which was
caused by the explosion of the mine,
and to have gone to the top of Gene
ttis II lOVb'h ~ llOHl Nildl
could see and hear that it was perfect
ly practicable TO have taken the men
thru But whether il was because the
men themselves would not go or wheth-
er it was because they were not led, /
was not far enough to the front TO be
qualified TO say"
Gen Grant repeatedly said that be-
fore and after the assault he had con-
sidered Gen. Meade's order carefully,
and that If 1t had been carried out the
effort would have succeeded.
In his Memoirs Gen. Grant says:
There had been great CONSERVATION
in Petersburg, as we were well aware
about a rumored mine that we were
going 10 explode. They knew We were
mining, and they had failed to cut our
mine off by countcrmining, tho Reaure-
gard had taken the precaution TO run
a line of intrenchments to the rear of
that part of their line fronting where
they could see that our men were at
work. We had learned thru deserters
who had come in that the people had
very wild rumorS about what was going
on on our side. They said that we had
undermined the whole Of Petersburg;
that they were resting upon a slumber-
volcano, and did not know at what mo-
ment they might expect an eruption.
somewhat based my calculations upon
this state of feeling, and expected that
when the mine was exploded the troops
10 the right and left would fee in all di-
rections, and that our troops, if they
moved promptly, could get in and
strengthen themselves before the enc
my had come to a realization of the
true situation. 1t was just as / expect
ed it would be. We could see the men
running without any apparent object
except TO get away. 1t was half an
hour before musketry firing, to amount
20 anything, was opened upon our men
In the Crater. 1t was an hour before
the enemy got artillery up TO play upon
them. and ii was o'clock before Lee
got up reinforcements from his right
10 JOIN in eXpelling cur troops
The effort was a stupendous failure
1T cost US about 1000 men, mostly,
however. captured; and all due to in
efhclency on the part of the corps COM
mander and the incompetency of the
division commander who was sent to
lead the assault"
Court of Inquiry.
Gen. Grant Immediately asked the
President to direct a Court of Inquiry
to assemble without delay. He suggest
ed as members of the court Mai. Gen.
W. S. Hancock, Brighten r. b. Ayres
and Brig.-Gen. n. A. Miles, with Col E.
F. Schriver as Recorder. The order
was issued as requested, and the court