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in the breach.
While Mahone was still forming, the Federals advanced on him. ‘He,’ says General John.
son, ‘met their advance by a charge, in which the Twenty-fifth and Forty-ninth North Carolina regiments, and the Twenty-sixth and part of the Seventeenth South Carolina . . . gallantly joined, moving upon the left of General Mahone's line.
The enemy was driven from three-quarters of the trench cavalier and most of the works on the left of the crater, with moderate loss to our forces.... During this time a large number of the enemy's troops, black and white, abandoned the breach and fled precipitately to the rear.’
Three separate attempts were made before the Union soldiers were entirely dislodged.
This charge, which General Johnson says gave him entire possession of the crater and adjacent lines, was made by Sanders' brigade, of Mahone's division, and by the Sixty-first North Carolina, Colonel Radcliffe, and the Seventeenth South Carolina.1 Ransom's front had been more than once assailed during the day, but no success attended such assaults.
The only result of this novel warfare undertaken by General Burnside was the loss of 3,500 lives on the Federal side.
On the 16th of August, Hancock's corps being engaged in a demonstration in force to prevent aid going to Early, Birney took a part of the Confederate line at Fussell's mill.
Lane's brigade, led by Colonel Barbour (General Lane absent, wounded), recaptured the intrenchments on the Darbytown road, in the presence of General Lee. General Clingman's brigade took part in Mahone's and Heth's attack on Warren's corps on the 19th.
In this engagement, General Clingman was so seriously wounded that he was never again able to join his brigade.
Hancock's corps marched for the Weldon railroad on the 22d of August That officer was to destroy the road to Rowanty creek.
His force consisted of his first division, commanded by General Miles, his second division, under
Atlanta, Ga. 1899.
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