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

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held the Crater and all the horrors that lay
in and about it,
1t is worthy of more than passing notice
that among the 400 men whom Grant lost in
the Crater were two whose memories were to
be immortalized in one of the most beautiful
letters in the English language. They were
two young Union soldiers from Massachusetts
named Bixby, one of whom was killed in the
Crater and the other who was captured there
and died later in Salisbury prison. And these
were two of the referred to by President
Abraham Lincoln in his immortal letter written
to their mother in Boston in November. 1864.
After Grants failure at the Crater. the siege
of Petersburg dragged on through the fall and
winter of 1864. Finally in the spring of 1865
came the climax in the tragedy of Petersburg
and in the greater drama of the decline of the
COnfederacy. This act took place at Fort Sted-
man, the remains of which are one of the out
standing points of interest in the new national
military park today. Captain Montague de-
scribes the action there and its results as fol-
lows:
Meantime, the last bold Confederate often
sive operation before the surrender at Appomat-
tox launched by Lee. Some thought it was
done to make easier his evacuation of the town,
but the records show it a determined ef-
fort to cut in two Grants strung-out army,
seize his communications, and beat him in
battle, despite the enormous disparity of their
number and supplies This was the battle of
Fort Stedman. which failed for the Confed-
crates. as the Crater did for the Federals be-
the troops detailed to support the at
tack failed to carry out their orders.
Gordon, commanding Earlys reorganized
division from the devastated valley, was in the
works at the Confederate left. 1t planned
for him to mass some $500 men in the ravine
behind Colquitts salient spring in the night
upon Fort Stedman, 613 feet in front of Col
quits salient, upon Hares Hill, cut the Union
lines in two and make opening through which
the supports could rush in their mission to
capture Grants military railway at Meade sta
ton, mile in of Stedman. How much
could be done after that to embarrass the en-
envy remained to Fate, but at any rate it would
magnetic Union troops back from Grants left
and relieve the pressure upon Lees right
Fort Stedman named for Col. Griffin
A. Stedman of Hartford, Conn, commanding
the Eleventh Connecticut Volunteer infantry
regiment, who had fallen in action August 5,
1864.
'Confederates pretending to be deserters over
powered the Union picket line in front of Sted-
around M, March %. 1865, and were
closely followed by the stOrming party, in three
columns, one aimed straight at Stedman, the
other two at its f1anking batteries. The sleep
ing garrisOns were captured or fled in night
of dismay.
Grant and Meade were at City Point to greet
President Lincoln, who had come down to at
tend grand review of the Army of the Poto-
mac. to be in at the death as some thought
at the time, and 1t devolved upon General Parke
to take command. Parke ordered Tdball to
concentrate artillery upon the breach, Wilcox
to recapture the last works and Hartranft to
concentrate his division, in reserve, and support
Wilcox.
Dawn was breaking Fort Haskell began
flank fire upon the Confederates Hartranft led
what formed troops he could find TO check the
enemy and gain time. Fort Haskell repulsed
determined attacks. At 7:30 a. m Hartranft
received an order to take his assembling divi-
sion and recapture Stedman now swarming
with the enemy. He had the charge sounded
10 minutes later and in no time as one writer
put it. the Stars and Stripes were back upon
Stedmans parapets. The Confederate wave
receded to roll forward no more
Lincoln had come up from City Point AID
from a spot near the Dunn House battery
watched Hartranft's surging charge. Grant and
Meade apologized for this interruption of the
days program. This is better than any review
the President exclaimed
Mine days later the Union colors were over
Petersburg and Richmond
Fifteen days later that happened which had
to happen at Appomattox Court House"
&c BY Western Newspaper Union,