THE BATTLE OF THE PETERSBURG CRATER.

the enemy would have produced a stampede, which would have endangered the Union lines, and might possibly have communicated itself to the troops that were massed in rear of the Ninth Corps. General Burnside thought, tor these and other reasons, that it would be possible to leave his command there until nightfall, and then withdraw it. There was no means of getting food or water to them, for which they were suffering. The midsummer sun caused waves of moisture produced by the exhalation from this mass to rise above the crater. Wounded men died there begging piteously for water, and soldiers extended their tongues to dampen their parched lips until their tongues seemed to hang from their mouths. Finally, the enemy, having taken advantage of our inactivity to mass his troops, was seen to emerge from the swale (see cut, p. 554] between the hill on which the crater was situated and that of the cemetery. On account of this depression they could not be seen by our artillery, and hence no guns were brought to bear upon them. The only place where they could be observed was from the crater. But there was no serviceable artillery there, and no infantry force sufficiently er resistance when the enemy's column pressed toward. All in the crater who could possibly hang on by their elbows and toes lay flat against its conical wall and delivered their fire ; but not more than a hundred men at a time could get into position, and these were only armed with muzzle-loading guns, and in order to re-load. they were compelled to face about and place their backs against the wall.

The enemy's guns suddenly ceased their long-continued and uninterrupted fire on the crater, and the advancing column charged in the face of feeble resistance offered by the Union troops. At this stage they were perceived by our artillery, which opened a murderous fire but too late. Over the crest and into the crater they poured, and a hand-to-hand conflict ensued. It was of short duration, however ; crowded as our troops were, and without organization, resistance was vain. Many men were bayoneted at that time-some probably that would not have been, except for the excitement of battle. About 87 officers (1) and 1652 men of the Ninth Corps were captured, the remainder retiring to our own lines, to which the enemy did not attempt to advance.

(1) Among the captured was General William F. Bartlett. Earlier in the war he had lost a leg; which he replaced with one of cork. While he was standing in the crater, a shot was heard to strike with the peculiar thud known to those who have been in action, and the general was seen to totter- and fall. A number of officers and men immediately lifted him, when he cried out, "Put me any place where I can sit down." But you are wounded, General, aren't you?' Was the inquiry. "My leg is shattered to pieces," said he. "Then you can't sit up," they urged; "you'll have to lie down." "Oh, no!" exclaimed the general, "it's only my cork leg that's shattered!" W. H. P.

MAJOR-GENERAL ROBERT B. POTTER