55*

THE BATTLE OF THE PETERSBURG CRATER.

THE CHARGE TO THE CRATER. FROM A SKETCH MADE AT THE TIME.

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dismounted guns of the battery in position on the enemy’s side of the crest ofthe crater [see p. 562], a portion of the leading brigade passed over the crestand attempted to re-form. In doing so members of these regiments werekilled by musket-shots from the rear, fired by the Confederates who werestill occupying the traverses and intrenchments to the right and left of thecrater. These men had been awakened by the noise and shock of the expl°'sion, and during the interval before the attack had recovered their equa-nimity, and when the Union troops attempted to re-form on the enemy’s sideof the crater, they had faced about and delivered a fire into the backs of oil-men. This coming so unexpectedly caused the forming line to fall back int°the crater.

Had General Burnside’s original plan, providing that two regiments shouldsweep down inside the enemy’s line to the right and left of the crater, be® 11sanctioned, the brigades of Colonel Marshall and General Bartlett could andwould have re-formed and moved on to Cemetery Hill before the enemyrealized fully what was intended; but the occupation of the trenches to theright and left by the enemy prevented re-formation, and there being 110division, corps, or army commander present to give orders to other troopsto clear the trenches, a formation under fire from the rear was somethingno troops could accomplish.

After falling back into the crater a partial formation was made by GeneraBartlett and Colonel Marshall with some of their troops, but owing to theprecipitous walls the men could find no footing except by facing inward;digging their heels into the earth, and throwing their backs against the side