On the night of the 28th, Hancock's corps was secretly withdrawn from
the north side, and every preparation was made for the great
forthcoming event.
Grant had constructed a mine under one of our forts in front of
Petersburg, the main gallery of which was five hundred and twenty-two
feet in length, with eight side galleries; in each of these galleries
was placed about fourteen hundred pounds of powder. Gen. Burnside, in
charge of this new feature of warfare, was to explode the "infernal
machine," and walk into Petersburg with his colored troops, supposedly
unmolested.
About daylight on the morning of the 30th, this famous mine--afterwards
known as the "crater"--was exploded with a great noise, as of a
"rushing mighty wind, and there was a great earthquake, and the sun
became black." About one hundred of our men and three or four guns were
moved out of their places into the air, and when the smoke cleared away
an opening about one hundred and fifty feet long, sixty feet wide, and
thirty feet deep appeared in place of our earthworks. Simultaneously
with this explosion the enemy opened a terrific fire along their whole
front, and the white division selected for this occasion came slowly
through the abattis up to this _hole_, where they were met by a
merciless fire from our artillery, enfilading them right and left, with
our infantry in their front. They were badly led, and, being
demoralized, they faltered and sought shelter in the crater. Next came
the "nigger" division, and the "colored troops fought bravely," until
the withering fire from our guns created a panic, when into the crater
pell-mell they rushed, white and black, a disordered, mangled,
quivering mass; our shot, shells, balls, and canister creating a
perfect carnival of death. Some few endeavored to leave the crater and
run back, but they were immediately shot down. Those who witnessed the
scene say it was beyond the power of words to describe. Our lines were
soon re-established, and our brigade was sent to relieve the troops
holding the lines where the mine was sprung. Thus ended this "miserable
affair."
The space between the two lines, as now formed, was so close as to
endanger any exposure whatever, and we had to hug our earthworks very
closely. Our company was in line immediately at the crater. In our
front, and almost under our noses, lay the bloated, festering bodies of
their dead, exposed to the scorching rays of a July sun. To make our
situation still more interesting, it was supposed that the battery on
our right was also mined; and we were daily and nightly in fear of
another explosion, and to be landed--no telling where. We remained in
this position for a week, when Grant asked for a truce to bury his
dead. We were then moved a short distance to our right, where we
remained until about the middle of August. While on these lines, we
literally lived under the ground. We had to pass to and from the front
in covered ways; our rations were all prepared in the rear, and sent to
us. We were compelled to sleep in bomb-proofs to avoid their mortar
shells, with which they enlivened the scene at night.
On the 18th of August, Warren's corps seized a portion of the Weldon
Railroad near Petersburg, when we were withdrawn from our position in
front of the city and moved to this point. On the 25th, this success
was followed up by an attempt under Gen. Hancock to take possession of
Ream's Station, farther south, on the same road. A. P. Hill's corps was
selected to drive him from this position. On our arrival we were
deployed in line, and ordered to go forward. The undergrowth and fallen
trees over which we had to climb our way retarded our advance, and Gen.
Cooke ordered the 27th and 48th regiments forward first. When they had
gotten sufficiently advanced, he directed the other two regiments of
our brigade, the 46th and 15th, to advance. When we reached the enemy's
works, we found them heavily manned with infantry and artillery.
Nothing daunted, however, we still advanced through shot and shell
until we came to a hand-to-hand fight across the breastworks. The two
other regiments now came up and in a few moments the enemy broke and
fled in confusion, leaving their guns. The colors of the 27th, carried
by Sergeant Richards, of the Orange Guards, were the first seen on
their works. We pursued them, and turned their own guns upon them; but
having no friction primers, we could not use them to advantage. We
captured over two thousand prisoners and twelve pieces of artillery.
Our loss in this brilliant dash was very heavy, and North Carolina's
troops alone, consisting of Cooke's, McRea's, and Lane's brigades, were
engaged. The 27th regiment came out of the fight with less than
seventy-five men!
The Grays lost in killed, private John Coltrain; in wounded, Sergeants
William U. Steiner and A. C. Cheely, privates Hardy Ayers, James S.
Scott, Emsley W. Stratford, and Wash. Williams.
Warren had now made good his hold upon the railroad, and these events
did not materially affect the general result. The enemy's left
gradually reached farther westward, until, in October, it was
established on the left bank of Hatcher's Run, eight miles southwest of
Petersburg.