372. Norra Caroxina Troops, 1861-’65.

cloud of dust and smoke hides the horizon. This salient has
thus become the centre of the Crater at Petersburg. Soon
after the lodgment at its foot, to which they had been repulsed,
on the 18th ult., the idea of springing a mine here occurred to
the enemy (originating with Lieutenant-Colonel Pleasants, a
coal miner of Pennsylvania), and now under the complete
cover afforded, and with the racket at Fort Hell, they have at
last effected it. It was to have been exploded while it was yet
dark; but the fuse went out and had to be relit. The im-
mediate loss to us is 256 men from the Twenty-second South
Carolina Regiment of Elliott’s South Carolina Brigade, and
the detachment still there from Pegram’s Battery. A field
piece of ours here carried up by the explosion, falls across the
enemy’s line, so close are they at this point. The smoke and
dust have not cleared away before Colonel L. M. McAfee, in
command of Ransom’s Brigade, is moving the Twenty-fifth,
now on our right under Major W. S. Grady, and the Forty-
ninth joining them, under Lieutenant-Colonel Flemming, to
the first ridge between the Crater and Petersburg, and in a
few minutes they are in position to receive any advance in
that direction, while the Fifty-sixth, under Captains Lawson
Harrill, acting Colonel, and R. D. Graham, acting Lieuten-
ant-Colonel, followed by the Thirty-fifth and Twenty-fourth,
deploy in single file, and move up the line to the right to
meet any demonstration in their front, contributing by their
steady fire materially to hold the enemy in check, while a
forlorn hope is being organized for a countercharge. It was
sure death for one of them even to start to the rear from this
(north) side of the crater. Elliott’s fine Brigade, though
yielding ground to the avalanche of earth thus thrown against
them, are not stampeded, but immediately take position on
the south and also facing the crater, similar to McAfee’s to
the north and west, leaving a gap for the play of our reserve
artillery at Blandford Cemetery.

The explosion has made an excavation along our line 170
by 65 feet. The cloud of dust and smoke is seen rolling away
against the rising sun; but all is still quiet along Burnside’s
line. It had been intended that his colored division should
lead the assault; but this was countermanded for fear of the

Firry-SixtH REGIMENT. 373

moral effect, if it should prove to them a second Cold Har-
bor. . So Ledlie’s Division, the First of Burnside’s Corps, led
the charge as far as the excavation, into which they all went.
They were followed by Potter’s Division, piling in on them.
Griffin’s Brigade of this division climbs to the edge of the
Crater, and advances to sweep through the gap in the Confed-
erate line, but are driven back into the hole by our concen-
trated fire of musketry from right and left, and the eight field
guns and mortars facing them from Blandford Cemetery.

Another Brigade of Potter’s Division is then brought for-
ward, but does not come over their line. Then Burnside’s
Third Division, under General Wilcox, rushes out to the Cra-
ter, which they now find too full to admit them. A short
dash over the intervening space gives them possession of a sec-
tion of the Confederate line between the Crater and the Jeru-
salem road. But this emergency had been anticipated, and
now from embrasures enfilading this line, Wright’s Battery
rakes them with grape and canister from left and right, and
their only safety is back on the other side of the breastwork.

The three white divisions having effected no permanent
lodgment, Burnside now sends in his colored division under
General Ferrero. They gain the vacant Confederate line,
but not one of Wright’s guns, or if so, but for a few minutes.
Their punishment is much severer than that received by Wil-
cox’s men; and they are compelled to beat a retreat, leaving
many dead, wounded and prisoners in the trenches.

The Eighteenth Corps then comes in, and Turner’s Divis-
jon makes the next advance. Though suffering severely they
effect a partial lodgment within our lines behind traverses
and in covered ways.

It is now about 2 p. m. While the enemy has made five
desperate and ‘distinct ventures to break through the gap, we
have only been waiting for General Mahone to bring us a
small, but important reinforcement of one brigade to our line
of battle from the extreme right at Hatcher’s Run, to make
a counter-charge. He now arrives, and the forlorn hope,
made up for this purpose, consists of the Twenty-fifth and
Forty-ninth Regiments of Ransom’s North Carolina Brigade,
Wright’s Georgia Brigade, Gracie’s Alabama Brigade, part