August 2, 1864, T. W. Brevard, "In front of Petersburg," to "My Dear Mother"
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The “situation” here is unchanged. The armies occupying the same relative
positions held five weeks ago. Grant varied the monotony which had so long
“dragged its slow length along” by a few days since exploding a mine beneath
one of our batteries. The affair was managed very well and came very near
resulting seriously to us but in the end proved a decided disaster to Genl Grant
himself. Great secrecy was observed by the enemy relative to the operation,
and although they were several weeks in excavating the mine, it was completed
through without detection, with several tons of powder. A few days since, it was
sprung, a little after good day-light. The battery was destroyed and the men in it
blown up. The enemy poured in through the breach in large numbers and
succeeded in establishing themselves upon a portion of our line. A portion of our
division was ordered promptly to the point assailed, and after some obstinate fighting
recaptured our works or rather our line—the works being destroyed with a large number
of provisions. The slaughter of the enemy was very great. Our Brigade was not engaged
in this affair. I visited the scene of the explosion and fight, however, shortly afterwards,
and the sight was ghastly enough to have satisfied Abe Lincoln himself. The dead
covered the ground more thickly than I have ever seen them else where; the victims
of the explosion particularly were mutilated and disfigured beyond description, and the
whole spectacle was at once grotesque and horrible.
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