The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-09-29

ssaasat which haA been % carefully
planned IN ali Of it, details quite
from . dispatch sent General Meads %
tho same day:
City Point. Va.
August I. 1864. $50 A. u.
(Received 1l:40 A. NJ
Major. General Meade:
~HAve you any estimate Of our losses
In the miserable failure OF Saturday!
I think there will have to BE- an inves-
tigation OF the matter. So fair an op-
portunity will probably never occur
again for carrying fortificattons Prep
arations were good, orders ample. ana
everything. 30 far as could see, SUP
seQuent to the explosion OF the NINE
shows that almost without loss the
crest beyond the mine could have bsen
carried. This would have given W
Petersburg with all It's artillery and
large part OF the garrison beyond
doubt. An intercepted dispatch states
that the enemy recaptured their lines
with General Bartlett and STAN. seven
~ commissioned officers. and 800 rank
and hls. and recsptured 500 OF their
men"
Percy Greg. the distinguished his
before and after the battle OF the
Crater:
This severe check seems 70 have
cured Grant Of his taste for pound
Ing" "pegging away" or "hgEting IL
out on q line where he was sure 70
ind the enemy str ongiy posted across
his front. sure moreover to gain MOTH
ing that could not be more easily
gained withou, serious nghttng. Dur
ing the autumn the Army OF the Po-
tomac fought with the spade rather
than with the rife. Its operations
, were slow. uuinteresting. inglortous
but all the more critical and decisive.
now invite your attention to the
happening Of these thrilling events n
seen from the Confederate side. Gen.
erai Lee. with his characteristic con-
servatism and truthfulness. makes this
brief report of the happenings Of the
day:
Dunn's Hill.
July 20. 1854. 3:2s r. II
AT A. n. the enemy sprung . mine
under one OF the salients on Gonsral
B. r. Johnsons front and opened his
batteries upon our lines and the city
Of Petersburg. In the confusion caused
by the explosion OF the mine he got
possession OF the salient. We have
retaken the salient and driven the
enemy back to his lines with losA"
tSigned) f. e. Lee.
Hon. James A. Seldom.
Secretary of War.
THE mine was located IN front OF
tines manned by General Bushrod r
Johnson's Division, TO which Wises
Brigade belonged General Johnson's
report will be found in the Volume OF
srEU
fore referred to on pages IS7-793.
From this report I beg to quote as
follows:
About Ass o'clock on the morning Of
the 70 Of July the enemy sprung a
large mine under that portion Of my
line shout re yards north Of the Bax-
ter Road. known as Pegram's salient.
In this salient there were four guns
Of Captain Pegram's battery. and the
Eighteenth and Twen.y-second South
Carolina Regiments Of E1liott's Brigade
occupied the parapets in the battery
and adjacent to it. The Twenty-second
South Carolina Regiment extended
from a point some seventy yards to
the right Of the right gun to point
beyond, but near to the left gun OF
the battery. The Eighteenth was
posted on the left Of the Twenty
second South Carolina Regiment The
regiments OF Elliott's brigade were
distributed along tho parapet from
left to right AZ follows: viz: The
Twenty-sixth. Seventeenth. Eisnteen.n,
Twenty-second and Twenty-third South
Carolina Regiments. To strengthen
PeRram's salient q second line or
trench cavalier had been thrown up In
its rear, commanding our front line
and the enemy's works At distance
of from $50 to 200 yards. Owing to
the extension of our lines. already ex-
planned, our troops occupied only the
front line Of our works.
The mine, al has been since ascsr-
tanned, was laid along two wongs. ex-
tending to the right and left OF the main
gallery, neariy parallel to the interior
crest OF our work and beneath the
foot Of the slope Of the banquette. or
perhaps further back. and completely
destroyed . portion of the front or main
line Of our fortifcation and the right
OF the trench cavalier The crater
measures l3s feet in length. ninety
seven feet in breadth and thirty feet
deGp.
Tho astonishing effect Of the ak
olosion- bursting like a volcano At the
feet Of the men, and the upheaving OF
an Immense column Of more than l9o.-
Geo cubic feet OF earth to fall around
in heavy masses, wounding. crushfn9,
or burying everything within its reach,
prevented our men from mov'nS
promptly to the mouth Of the crater, and
occupy1ng that part OK the trench cav
alfer watch was not destroyed, ana
over which the debris was scattered
EacA beAgaAs OF this division had. how-
ever. teen previously instructed as ID
the eeurse to be pursued and she STUB
born reatstance 20 be offered on eacn
flank In csse . breach was made IN
our lines. AMI the troops OF EiHotts
Brigade not blown Up or injured. main
tanned their gr,und with remarkable
steadinesA when the torrents OK
dust had subsidized the enemy was
found in the breach
-ons gun Of Davfdsons Battery.
commauAed By Lieutenant Otey. oc-
cupyinx a position on our main line on
TIE right OF the Baxter Road-aomif-
ably adapted to throw canister-shot Ia
to the enemys left TANKS. and with
wrishcs Battery g sweep the ground
in front Of the breach with . destruc-