Alfred Roman, The military operations of General Beauregard in the war between the states, 1861 to 1865

[269] Whereupon. General Grant is credited with having said in regard to this masterly stroke, in which the highest expectations were centred, ‘Such an opportunity of carrying fortifications I have never seen, and do not expect again to have.’ And yet, writes General Badeau, with a frankness that does him no little honor, this affair proved to be ‘one of the most discreditable to the National arms that occurred during the war.’ This we will not contradict; but when he states that ‘it was more than thirty minutes after the explosion before the rebels recovered from their panic and returned to their lines,’ he is in error. He no less errs when he asserts that ‘the [Federal] advance was not checked; the troops were not discouraged; the ground was clear before them; there was yet no serious resistance; they halted simply because they were not commanded to do otherwise.’ The Confederate officers there present—and foremost of all Colonel McMaster—testify that they rallied their men, restored order, and opened fire not more than five minutes after the mine had exploded. What stopped the Federal troops in their advance and prevented them from reaching the crest of Cemetery Hill—as they had been ordered to do—was the tremendous and raking cross-fire of artillery, prepared by General Beauregard for that very purpose, and the unflinching stand and prompt and accurate infantry fire of our troops, in front, as well as to the left and right of the crater.

Upon this very point General Bushrod Johnson, in his earnest and straightforward manner, says:

The 23d and part of the 22d South Carolina regiments on the right, and the 17th and 18th on the left of the crater, opened a destructive fire from our parapets on the advancing column and on the enemy in the breach. The flanking arrangements of our works, on both sides of the breach, afforded peculiar advantages, and soon the fire along the line of my division extended far out on each flank, wherever the enemy's column could be reached, and swept the ground in front of the crater.

To the men on the left of Wise's brigade, occupying the eminence, south of Baxter road, about two hundred yards from the crater, the enemy's masses presented a most inviting target.

Wright's battery of four guns, admirably located and intrenched on the left of Elliott's brigade, and in rear of our front line, poured its whole column of fire on the enemy's masses and right flank. The position of this excellent battery was perhaps unknown to the enemy, and the superior manner in which it was served, the rapidity of its fire, and the terrible effect on the enemy's forces, no doubt greatly astonished and demoralized them.