Today in History:

121 Series I Volume XL-I Serial 80 - Richmond, Petersburg Part I

Page 121 Chapter LII. THE RICHMOND CAMPAIGN.

Question. How did those troops of the Tenth Corps that you took forward pass over the parapet of our line?

Answer. They went over by a flank movement.

Question. How long did those troops of the Tenth Corps hold the pits that they took?

Answer. Just as long as I was walking about thirty paces. I had just got into the mouth of the covered way when they came back. I saw officers waving their swords on the pits, but they did not stay a great while.

The Court then adjourned to meet at 10 o'clock on the 5th of September.

THIRTEENTH DAY.


HEADQUARTERS SECOND CORPS,
Jones House, September 5, 1864.

The Court met pursuant to adjournment.

Present, Major-General Hancock, president, Brigadier-General Ayres and Miles, and Colonel Schriver, judge-advocate.

TESTIMONY OF CAPTAIN FARQUHAR.

Captain F. U. FARQUHAR, U. S. Engineers, being duly sworn, says to questions by JUDGE-ADVOCATE:

Question. Were you at the assault on the 30th of July, and in what capacity?

Answer. I was present and was chief engineer on the staff of General Ord, commanding the Eighteenth Corps.

Question. Were you in a situation to observe the operations on that day?

Answer. I was, a portion of the time, after the smoke cleared away.

Question. Did you witness the explosion of the mine?

Answer. Yes, sir; I saw the explosion of the mine.

Question. Relate what you saw done unusual on such occasions-occasions of assault; state some of the omissions, if any, and the principal causes which conduced to the failure of the assault.

Answer. At or near 15 minutes before 5 a.m. the explosion of the mine took place. Immediately on the explosion the artillery opened, and I should judge three or five minutes afterward we heard the cheer of the assaulting party. Nothing could be seen from the time of the opening of the artillery for twenty-five minutes or half an hour when the smoke commenced to clear away. At the time of the explosion the Turner's division, of the Tenth Corps, which was under General Ord's command, was lying at or near the mouth of or entrance to the covered way on the right of the fourteen-gun battery. Ames' division, of the Eighteenth Corps, was in rear of that strip of woods which is in rear of the fourteen-gun battery. both the covered ways on the right and left of this fourteen-gun battery were filled with troops of the Ninth Corps, the negro division being in the left covered way. There seemed to be an unaccountable delay in the advance of the supports to the first assaulting column. I cannot tell the exact time. I did not see the second one go up, but I heard the cheer some time after, how long I cannot recollect. Somewhere between 6.30 and 7 o'clock I went to the front line to which the assaulting columns had started. The ground immediately in front of our salient, from which our forces started, was favorable


Page 121 Chapter LII. THE RICHMOND CAMPAIGN.