The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-08-07

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Forty-sixth Regiments were much
weakened by having to extend their
lines over the space vacated by the
withdrawal of the Fisty-ninth Regi-
ment and the Two companies, of the
Thirty fourth. Still they held tho line
and did most valiant service.
The enemy. being anxious to widen
tho breach. concentrated the fire of
ls0 pieces of artillery on our lines
to the right and left OF the breach.
The Twenty.sixth Regiment held the
extreme left OF Our line to the ra.
vine on which Elliott's right had rested.
about 100 yards from the Crater and
were the frBt troops left in line. Our
were the first troops left In line. The
enemy fred down our lines from the
Crater. and the Smelling was furious
and incessant. We had TO put the dead
out OF the works to give room for the
living to fight. and saw stream of
blood run down the incline, which l
be!leve was from fifteen 10 twenty fee.
long. The left OF the regiment was
almost annihilated, but we held the
Key 10 Petersburg, and indirectly TO
alehmond, and We held 1t to the last.
burnside succeeded in occupying the
Crater. but TO no purpose He failed
70 go further. Five times they at
tempted to form line in the rear OF
the Crater, their flag bearers and
guards running out as a nucleus for
,he troops 70 form, on. and each time
they were swept away by the FIRE OF
the Fifty ninth. Afterwards their
omcefs failed 10 force them from the
cover of the Crater.
member of the Fifty-ninth Rert-
neht, an Irishman. named Sweeney.
from New Orleans. went over in rear
Il a Ia
brought me three OF the flags which
mad fallen there-two United States
hass and one State flag. He got a
bullet through one shoulder. but he
didn't care for that.
meade, In urging Burnside to press
forward, asked him: DO you mean to
say your officers and men will not obey
your orders TO sdyance?" Burnside
replied: i mean 10 say that 1t is very
hard to advance to the crest They
cEouched in that hole packed like sar-
dimes, sweltering in the baking sun for
two hours, more considerate OF the
little MINES OF the Fifty-ninth than
inc earnest exhortations and suhphuric
excavations OF their own officers. Fin
ally Billy Malone came with his rag
ged Reos'' and then they got a movv
on them. skipped like comics From
my position on the left OF our lines
could plainly see all that transpired
on the south OF the Crater.
/ saw Weisiger's Brigade when II
left the Jerusalem Plank Road on that
grand and glorious charge on the cra-
ter. In almost perfect order they
came like an avalanche. and went
right In on them. knowing nothing OF
what they had to encounter. Wright's
Georgia Brigade II then heard 1t was
sands's. or saunders's) came in the
same splendid ond glorious style as the
VirGinians, and did the same kind of
work. there saw hand to hand hight
ing with bayonets and dubbed mus
kets. When the charge commenced I
think saw as many of Burnside's
troops running from the Crater u
the!r lines as we had Confederates
coming to IT., Stll there were very
many LETT who chose to light there
rather than take the chance of cross
ing the space between the lines, where
they had lost SO fearfully coming in.
Those who ran out lost as heavily as
when they came In. About midday
General johnson came out and said to
me that General Lee wished to know
the exact condition OF things at the
Crater, and he wished me to go there
ana report to him. went, and the
scene was sickening. Dead and dying
everywhere, and Sthe Crater hnlf.nlled
with dead and Observation-Disclosures
Federals and negroes-many wounded
OF both armies, lying under several
corpses imploring relief After fight.
Ing a while longer those in our lines
and the battle ended with |
the re-establishn1ent of our lines.