The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1932-07-15

The lot fell to Gen. James II. Ledlie, command
ing the First division of Burnsde's corps. This,
it turned out, foredoomed the enterprise to
what Grant in his Memoirs called a 'stupendous
failure
ut was brought out then and by a congress
sional investigation later, that 'Ledlie's bad
habits and consequent unreliability were well
known in the Union army. 1t was disclosed
that Lede stayed behind in dugout drinking
throughout the Crater action and could not be
induced to go out and try to extricate the rem
nants of his division from the deathtrap in
which they were being torn to shreds piece
meal.
"Ferrero following with the negro division,
Joined Ledlie in the bomb proof while his
troops hurried on, to be budding with
Ledlies in the fire-swept Crater until all that
could of both divisions recoiled before the rush.
ing Confederate counter-charge which reestab-
lished their line.
"Pleasants commenced work at u noon June
25, 1864. in the ravine between the hostile lines
with improvsed tools and materials and on
July II the main tunnel, 510S feet in length,
was completed. Sounds of Confederate counter
mining caused Peasants to STOP Work upon the
right lateral gallery at the end of the tunnel
begun at p. m. July Is, regardless of audi
BILE enemy counter-minng, and work on both
right and left laterals was rushed to compile
earth eXcavated.
-Four tons of powder were placed in the lat
erals July q and the miners tamping
pleted July %. Peasants ordered to
plode the mine at 80 a. m. July 80, and lighted
the fuse at 8 10 a. M
1.-The mine failed to explode Lieut.. Jacob
Douty and Sergt. Henry Rees. who volunteered
to go in and see why, found the fire had stopped
where fuse lengths had been tied together They
spliced fresh ends. lighted the fuse again, and
at 16 minutes before a. m. the 800 kegs, con-
tanning % pounds each, blew up.
witnesses felt the earth quake but heard
nothing beyond dull defamation What they
saw, however, enough. The air above the
spot was filled with a mounting cloud of earth,
men, guns, planks and fragments. Confederates
near the Crater ran in every direction, the
waiting Union legions shrank back, to escape
the shower of debris. Both sides gaZed astound-
ed, appalled,. great hole appeared in the
ground, 200 feet long, 60 feet wide, % feet
deep, smoking, dust-shrouded, horrible.
Union artillerymen recovered first. Almost
Immediately they began laying down a fiery
barrage both sides of the breach Five
minutes later, blue soldiers in ones, twos and
groups could be seen running towards the smok-
ing Crater. Burnside and Ledle had failed
to clear their own defense obstacles and to pre-
pare passages out of and over their own deep
trenches and their storm troops were disordered
and delayed accordingly. Not a shot was fired
from the Confederate side at first, but by the
time the Crater filled by a hudded mob
of foremost men, the Confederate rifles were
cracking from TANKS and front, hostile guns
were throwing gusts of canister and it was fatal
to go beyond that scene of hideous death.
Two hundred and seventy-six Confederates,
officers and men, were killed by the explosion
of Peasants mine. Gallant officers of the Union
line sprang out of the death pit and led few
of their bravest men as far as 100 yards be-
yond the Crater's lips, but forward of that none
went and nothing could live. Survivors raced
back for what shelter the pit could give them.
There one after another FELL torn by rifle balls
and shell fragments.
Men started despairingly to dig trench
from the Crater back to the Union lines. Men in
the lines began to dig a hasty ditch towards
the Crater to save what life they could from
certain death If the remained there. To-
wards noon orders were gotten into the Crater
for the men to withdraw the best they could.
They dashed for their lines. suffering heavy
loss. The .fasco' cost Grant AGO men. At about
2 p m, the Confederates Of Mahone's division