Freedom by the Sword - US Army Center Of Military History

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Freedom by the Sword: The U.S. Colored Troops, 1862–1867
mass of troops, black and white, who rushed back upon it, . . . until the enemy
occupied the works to its left and the opposite side of the intrenchments,
when, becoming exposed to a terrific flank fire, losing in numbers rapidly and
in danger of being cut off, [the brigade] fell back behind the line . . . where it
originally started from.” 58
That left hundreds of men still in the crater. These included about one
hundred officers and men of the 19th USCI, still a disciplined force, who struggled
into the crater, Thomas said, “and remained there for hours, expending all
their own ammunition and all they could take from the cartridge boxes of the
wounded and dead men that lay thick together in the bottom of this pit.” Capt.
Theodore Gregg, commanding one of the veteran regiments in Potter’s division,
was present for the aftermath of Thomas’ unsuccessful charge. “A major
of one of the negro regiments placed his colors on the crest of the crater, and
the negro troops opened a heavy fire on the rebels,” he reported.
In a few moments, the rebel force . . . dashed into the pits among us, where a
desperate hand-to-hand conflict ensued, both parties using their bayonets and
clubbing their muskets. . . . During this brief contest the negroes in the crater
kept up a heavy fire of musketry on the advancing enemy, compelling them to
take shelter. Many of our men being killed and wounded, and the enemy pressing
us hard, we were compelled to fall back into the crater in order to save our
little band, while the negroes kept up a heavy fire on the rebels outside. . . .
[Brig. Gen. William F.] Bartlett and one of his aides-de-camp . . . did everything
in their power to rally the troops on inside the crater, but found it to be
impossible, as the men were completely worn out and famished for water. He
succeeded in rallying some twenty-five or thirty negroes, who behaved nobly,
keeping up a continual fire. . . . The suffering for want of water was terrible.
Many of the negroes volunteered to go for water with their canteens. A great
part of them were shot in the head while attempting to get over the works; a few,
more fortunate than others, succeeded in running the gauntlet and returned with
water to the great relief of their suffering comrades.
As occurred throughout the IX Corps that day, the behavior of the men in Ferrero’s
division varied from panicked to heroic. 59
Meade heard from an officer in a signal tower that two brigades of infantry
were on their way to reinforce the Confederate defenders and sent a message
at 9:30 to tell Burnside to withdraw the troops if he thought they could accomplish
nothing more. Fifteen minutes later, the suggestion became an order, although
Meade left it to Burnside’s discretion whether to begin the withdrawal
at once or wait till dark. General Bartlett of Ledlie’s division replied at 12:40
p.m. from the crater, where he was the ranking officer: “It will be impossible
to withdraw these men, who are a rabble without officers, before dark, and
not even then in good order.” Most of the men on the spot did not take time to
58 Ibid., pp. 102 (“passed to”), 105 (“Colonels Sigfried”), 106–07, 596 (“a number”), 597 (“until
pushed”), 598 (“the fire,” “a heavy”), 599 (“and after”).
59 Ibid., pp. 554–55 (“A major”), 599 (“and remained”).