The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1914-05-08
INTRODUCTION TO THE STORY
OF CRATER" FROM HIS
TORY OF KERSHAW'S
BRIGADE"

was afterwards called the Crater
were massed Dedlie's, Potter's, Will
cox's and Ferrer's Divisions support
| ed by Ames's. In the forefront was
drunk and reeling from the effects of
liquor furnished them by the wagon
loads. This body of $4,000 men were
under the command of Maj. General
Ord. On the left of Burnside, War
rem stood with 10000 men, and in
the rear was stationed the 18th
Corps. Gen. Sheridan with his caval-
ry and Hancock too were there to
take part in the storming of Peters
burg. Fifty thousand men in all to
make brave dash for the city-and
5000 lbs. of gun powder to first
spring the mine.
Immediately over this mine was Ell
liott's Brigade, consisting of the 18th,
Goth, 34rd, 22nd and 18th South Car
olina Regiments. At $3.50 o'clock the
fuse was lighted. and while the Con-
federates lay asleep, all unconscious
of danger, this grand aggregation of
| Grants army waited with bated
breath for the fearful explosion thaI
5000 lbs. of gunpowder under a great
hill was to make. But four o'clock |
came and all was silent. The fuse
had failed. A call was made for a
volunteer to go down into the mine
and relight the fuse. A lieutenant
and sergeant bravely stepped for
ward. They groped their way through
the tunnel-a small lantern in their
hands. They found all silent, dark
and sombre-the fuses had all gone
out. Quickly they placed new fuses,
lit them and left the gruesome pit.
Scarcely had they reached a place
cot n nv p1n n
volcano shook the earth-and the
country round was lit up with a great
flash. The earth trembled and swayed
great masses of the soil went flying
into the air, carrying with it men,
guns and ammunition. CanOns and
carriages were scattered in every di-
rection, while the sleeping men were
thrown high in the air"
| Col. +. w. McMaster writes The
Crater, made by 5000 pounds of gun
powder was 135 feet long. % feet
broad and 80 feet deep. Two hundred
and seventy-eight men were buried in
| the debriS-1Sth Regiment, 80 men;
22nd Regiment, 40 men, Pegram's |
| Battery. 2men.
To add to the terror Of the scene
the enemy with l64 cannons and NOR
tarS began hombardmcnt greater
to.
Elliott'S Brigade. which was sleep
| ing directly over the mine was panic |
stricken and more than 1OO men of |
! the 18th Regiment, covered with dirt. |
rushed down. Two or three noble |
| men asked me for musEctS. Some |
climbed the counter scarpc and made |
| their way to Petersburg. Numbers |
Of the 18th joined the procession. ]
S"w one soldier scratching ht the |
countcr5carpc like a scared rat A |
Staunch lieutenant of Co. +. without |
hat or coat or shoes ran for dear life |
way down into Ransom's trenches.
| Whon he came to consciousness, he
cried, What. old Morse runningn and |
limmediatclT returned to his place in
line. "Tho same CONSERVATION exist
! ed in the Federal line as they saw the
masses Of earth descending, they
broke ranks and it took a few min
utcs to restore order"
The three corps of the enemy |
charged. "Thc pail of smoke was so
great that we could not see the enemy
until they were in a few feet of our
works, and a lively fusillade was OPP
cncd by the 18th Regiment, on the
north side of the Crater"
| saw Startling Hutto of Co. H.,
boy of 16, standing on the breast
works, firing his musket at the enemy
few yards off with the ccolness of
veteran. AS soon as l reached him
dragged him down by the coat tail
and ordered him to shoot from the
| banQuette,"
On the South side of the Crater
few men under Maj. Shield of the
22nd apd Capt. r. f. White of the
| DprI Pani,oant bnl hot tinoa in,
pelling the enemy"
| "Adjutant Times and Capt. Floyd !
of the 18th Regiment with about 80
men were cut off in the gorge line
They held the line for few minutes
Adjutant Times was killed and Capt
Floyd and his men fell back into some
of the cross bitches and took their
chances with the 18th Regiment
! There were 5000 Yankees in and
around the Crater besides those in
| adjacent portions. There was not room
in 1t for another man. 1t was death |
to advance and death to retreat
Then The two Cohorn mortars OF the
brave Haskell brought as near as
SO yards, turned loose their shells on
/ the Crater with rapid and accurate
firing. The Yankees at the same tiMe
using lG4 pieces of cannon against
the works occupied by the Confed-
crates. Such a scene was never wit
messed before in the history of the
world and will never be witnessed
again. The Confederates had only 90
cannon and some of those were use
less.
When it was over Maj. Gen. B. r.
Johnson, in his official report, said,
"lt is believed that for every buried
companion they (Confederates) have
taken tenfold vengeance on the en-
envy"
The Confederate loss was said TO be