"That was enough; we charged."

Saturday, July 30, 1864, Fort Harrison

On Monday last, the brigade marched north up the works east of Richmond. At some point, I know not where, we were stopped and countermarched back to our original positions. No one explained why we were marching in the first place or what happened to cause us to return.

On Thursday, we again took to the march and the Yankees took an objection to it. As we moved, they shelled us. The day before, they shelled us as we stayed in one place. At least on Thursday, we took some satisfaction in knowing that we would be soon be returning the compliment.

Near Fussell's Mill, the brigade formed into line. All of the our regiments were there. The First, having being detached to garrison Fort Harrison, had rejoined us about ten days earlier. The Twelfth was on the far left of the brigade line. If we looked to our own far right, we could see the distinctive flags of Lane's brigade of North Carolinians.

Before we could light into the Yankees, we had to make our way through a woods. Once breaking the woods, there was a road. There was a marsh after crossing the road. This was not to stop us or slow us down. We pressed on and by doing so, lost contact with Lane's brigade. After the marsh we entered a cornfield. After the cornfield we came to a hill and reached the crest.

All the while we were moving through these obstacles, we were under fire. First there was their artillery and then their muskets once we came within range. When we took the hill, we found that the Yankees had fled to a line of woods in their rear. They had artillery there and continued to shell us from the other side of a field that separated us. That was enough; we charged. Across the field we went, faster than they could flee. The Thirteenth charged with us and we took one of their guns.

Our elation at driving then from their position and taking one of their guns was short lived. We had advanced past any support and were taking flanking fire from our right. Lane's brigade finally caught up after being slowed in the marsh and drove them off. We would have suffered greatly had they not made a timely arrival. Under orders, we reformed our lines and advanced.

We intended to keep the ground we had won and started digging new works to protect our new position. All the while, that d----d Yankee artillery kept shooting at us but caused no significant damage. I know of only one casualty in the company- John Neill who suffered a wound. There were a fair number of prisoners taken and one of them is missing his shoes.

Chaplain Betts visited us earlier today. He brought us news and not all of it was good. Sullivan has died of his wounds. Truesdale, wounded two months ago, had his leg amputated and now is with Sullivan in that Great Place. There was some good news. We had all believed that Howell had been killed at Falling Waters. He was not killed but instead captured. He is somewhere North in a Yankee prison.

I wonder what happened to that gun we took.


I Send You These Few Lines


The battle described here came to be known as Deep Bottom. The details come from the original brigade historian's account of the battle.

Today marks the 150th anniversary of the Battle of the Crater. This was an attempt by the Union to break the Confederate lines at Petersburg by digging a tunnel to an underground chamber underneath the Confederate works, filling it with gunpowder and igniting it. The explosion caused many casualties and created a large crater in the Confederate works. Union troops charged into and around the crater. The Confederates rallied quickly and inflicted numerous losses upon those troops stuck in the crater. The costly attack failed.

Tooms and his pards knew nothing of this at the time. They were too far away.

Sullivan was Andy Sullivan. Truesdale was John C. Truesdale. Their deaths, as well as the wounding of John Neill and the good news about John N. Howell are a matter of public record at the National Archives.

Chaplain Betts was assigned to the 12th South Carolina.

Despite my best efforts, I can find nothing to indicate what happened to that captured cannon.