Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 8.
Frank Moore, Ed.

At last the ditch was reached, and the slaughter became butchery, as if on a wager of death against mortality. Benjamin's guns on the salient swept the ditch, as the tornado would the corn. The earth was sated with blood. Men waded in blood, and struggled up the scarp, and, slipping in blood, fell back to join their mangled predecessors in the gory mud below. The shouts of the foiled and infuriate rebels, the groans of the dying, and shrieks of the wounded, arose above the din of the cannon. Benjamin lighted shell, and threw them over the parapet, and artillerymen followed his example. One rebel climbed the parapet, and planted the flag of the Thirteenth Mississippi regiment on the summit; but the rebel shout that greeted its appearance had scarce left the lips that framed it, than man and flag were in the ditch together, pierced by a dozen balls. Another rebel repeated the feat, and rejoined his comrade. A third essayed to bear off the flag, and was cloven with an ax. One man entered an embrasure, and was blown to fragments; two more were cut down in another; but not one entered the fort. The three veteran regiments of the Ninth army corps stood up to the work before them unflinching and glorious to a man. The heroes of a dozen campaigns, from the Potomac to Vicksburgh, they found themselves, for the third time, arrayed for trial of courage and endurance with the flower of the Southern army — the picked men of Longstreet's boasted veterans; and saw the sun rise, on that chill Sunday morning in November, on an entire brigade annihilated, and two more severely punished, Even the dead outnumbered us, for not more than three hundred of our force participated in the defence of Fort Sanders. Benjamin, of the Third United States artillery, and Buckley, of the First Rhode battery, were foremost in acts of daring and gallantry. General Ferrero, who has never left the fort since Longstreet's appearance before it, to whose skill and foresight much of the admirable dispositions for defence were due, was in command, and right nobly he has earned his star. His coolness, energy, and skill are subjects of universal encomiums.

The dead and wounded were left on the field, and the ghastly horrors were rendered sickening by the vain cries of hundreds for water and help. In full view from the embrasures, the ground was covered with dead, wounded, and dying. Forty-eight were heaped up in the ditch before the bastion; thirteen in another place, almost within reach of those who, though late their foes, would have willingly heeded their anguished shrieks for water; yet none dare go to their assistance. The humanity of General Burnside was not proof against so direct an appeal, and he at once sent in a flag of truce, offering an armistice until five o'clock P. M., for the purpose of burying their dead, and caring for their wounded.

Our own loss was but four killed, and eleven wounded. Some pickets have been cut off, and skirmishers captured, raising our loss to forty-five in all. Before Fort Sanders, south of the river, however, the Twenty-seventh Kentucky having abandoned the rifle-pits, the enemy, of course, entered them, and enfilading the line, killed, wounded, and captured some fifty. Colonel Cameron pushed forward other troops, and rooccupied the works without further mischief. Our entire loss during the night and day is within one hundred. The rebels removed their dead and wounded, and the occasion was improved to exchange the wounded of other occasions. Among ours, I note the gallant Major Byington, of the Second Michigan, who was wounded in the charge of his regiment upon the rebel works on Tuesday last. His wounds are severe, but not mortal. He speaks highly of the kindness of the rebel surgeons. Among the rebel officers killed was Colonel McElroy, of the Thirteenth Mississippi. His lieutenant, John O'Brian, a brother of Mrs. Parson Brownlow, is our prisoner. The rebels were posted on the fight between Grant and Bragg, and have two stories concerning it. As one of them agrees with ours, we believe that. As Longstreet has now tried the siege plan and the assault, and failed in both, we can conceive no further necessity for his longer residence in East-Tennessee, and if he be not gone to-morrow, we shall be unable to account for it.

November 30--A. M.--It has been comparatively quiet this morning. A few shots have been exchanged between the batteries and an occasional one along the skirmish line.

The enemy exhibits no indication of a renewal of the attack.

The total number of prisoners taken yesterday, is two hundred and thirty-four.

December 1--A. M.--Still quiet. The, enemy show no signs of another attack.

The weather is clear but cold, with severe frosts at night.

The following order, congratulatory to our troops for the victory of Sunday last, was addressed to them this morning, and was received. with enthusiastic cheering all around. the line: