The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-08-09

Fifty years ago today the explosion oil
cargo Of ammunition on a barge Al
CITY Point. Va, caused by an internal
machine put on board by a Confederate
secret service agent. killed forty-thres
and wounded 126 men. and endangered the
life Of Gen. L. s. Grant. commander
Of the armies Of the United States The
property loss was about 100000
The explosion occurred at the wharf
where the supplies for Grants army be.
s!eging Petersburg were landed Grants
headquarters were on a bIurI above the
wharf. and only a few hundred yards
distant from it.
The scene at headquarters at the time
| OF the explosion. az described by Gen
Horace Porter. Of Gen. Grants staff,
well illustrated the complete control
Grant had over his nerves.
When the explosion occurred. with a
tremendous, deafening roar. and shot.
shell and debris began to fall around
Grants tent. in front of which the gen.
eral was sitting. surrounded by officers
OF the staff. Col Babcock. Of the staff,
was wounded in the hand by a bullet and
mounted orderly not far of was killed
All the officers at headquarters rushed
J TO the edge Of the BLUM. TO see the seat
Of the explosion. -xcept Grant who did
not leave his seat In a few minutes
Grant entered his tent and wrote a teIe-
gram to headquarters at Washington.
! beginning Five minutes ago an ord
nance boat exploded. carving lumber
grape. canister and all kinds Of shot over
this point Every part Of the yard used
as my headquarters is filled with
splinters and fragments Of she'll" He
then gave the casualties at HEADQUARTERS
and added that as soon as the smoke
cleared awy he would send further par
ticulars.
4 sPy's Internal Machine.
The explosion was generally attributed
10 careless handling OF ammunition Not
until the close OF the war was its cause
known Among the Confederate papers
found at Richmond. when troops from
Grants army entered the CITY in April
$50. was a report from the agent who
caused the explosion
This interesting document. dealing
with a phrase of war now discornten-
anced by civilized nations appears in
the official records. Il was signed by,
John Maxwell. and was addressed 10
Capt. z. Mcdaniel. Of the Confederate
secret service. by whom il Uas inIorsed
and forwarded TO Brig. Gen. G. J. Rains.
superintendent Of the service
From this report IL appears that on
July y Maxwell equipped with an infer
nal machine, which he expected TO use
against some Of the Federal vessels in
the Lower James. left Richmond under
orders and proceeded down the river. He
was acc Ompanied by r. X billiard to
serve him as guide
The two reached Isle Of Wight County.
opposite Newport News. and there Max
well learned that immense quantities Of
stores for Grants army were being
landed at City Point. This suggested the
thought that he might use his machine
there.
Ascending the south bank Of the James.
the two men. travelling nv night. ap-
preached the Federal lines where they
came down 10 the river below CITY Point.
BY crawling on their hands and knees.
they passed the Federal pickets before
daylight on August ?. carrying with them
the machine
Leaving his companion half mile from
City Point. Maxwell kept on. As they
were dressed as civilians they attracted
no attention when they appeared at the
City Point wharf and mingled with the
civilians employed there
The wharf. about A CSIarter Of a mile
long. was a very busy place. Along il,
about twelve feet from the edge. extended
4 new pine shed for housing stores Back
" this was a railroad track on which
stood a freight train nearly ready to start
or the front Numerous buildings ocCu-
pied as ofices by the quartermasters or
" buffers formed a small village nearby.
At the wharf lay three harbes. one out
side the other.
With condemned ammunition. to be taken
lway. The next was laden with fresh
ammunition. to be landed. The third
with Commissary stores