THE MINE.
The mine, though not devised by Meade, was approved of by him and
a majority of the corps commanders. The work was performed by one
of Burnside's regiments, who had been Pennsylvania miners. It consisted
of a main shaft five feet across and five hundred and twenty
feet long, with lateral continuations extending forty feet in either direction.
The work began on the 25th of June, and was completed on
the 23d of July. The charge placed in it consisted of 8,000 pounds of
giant powder.
The explosion was to take place at half-past 3 o'clock A. M. of the
30th of July, and at the same instant Burnside's division was to rush
through the breach thus created and seize the works on Cemetery Hill;
General Warren was to support him on the right and Ord on the left—
the charging columns to consist of 50,000 men.
At the appointed time the fuse was lighted but the explosion did not
take place. Then Lieutenant Douty and Sergeant Rees entered the
mine and found the fuse separated within fifty feet of the magazine;
the damage was repaired, and they had barely time to escape when the
awful explosion took place. The charging columns rushed forward, and
behind them opened ninety-five pieces of heavy artillery. But the Confederates
were not dismayed, and in a few minutes their own batteries
were replying. On came the rushing columns, furiously assaulting the
second line of works, but behind them were men who had never flinched
from death, which they had faced on many a gory field, and who were
not now to be dismayed by the explosion of mines and the thunder of
artillery. The Federal advance was led by a brigade of negro troops
under the command of General White, who, appalled by the deadly fire,
rushed panic-stricken back through the lines of the white troops to the
rear. Terrible carnage ensued, and it is doubtful whether all the circumstantial
horrors of war were ever before displayed in such awful
intensity on any field. At last came the orders to the Federals to fall
back and re-occupy their former position. That order was obeyed with
alacrity, and thus failed the monstrous device by which it had been
hoped access would have been opened to the now famous "outpost" of
Richmond. The Federal loss was 4,000, of whom 1,900 were prisoners.
That of the Confederates was given in detail thus: Mahone's division,
450; Elliott's South Carolina brigade, which was blown up by the mine,
300; and Ransom's, Clingman's and Wise's commands, 300.
