Thomas Wright's Diary

July/ August 1864

July 27, 1864

Been darn near a month, that I wrote down anythin. Don't know why, just tryin ta stay busy. Joe say, that blame Bowman been grabbin up my letters! He best put himself down, or I will put him down, but hard an good! Steal my letters home, I will fix him when's I get home! Least ways Betsy an Ma are fine. Crops doin good. Joe say he is takin care a this problem at home.

I grow tired, of this here War. I miss home, Betsy, Ma the farm. Kentucky an Ohio. My longin ta go home calls hard, think Theo feels the same. We both tired, pass the point of carin about war.
My boys gettin home is all that matters. Why Bobby Lee well, he can have Virginia, let's just end this. I'll go home, be with Betsy not give a care. Why I could die, not even be identified as who I am.
Just buried in place or a mass grave. Since I'm an officer bought me bottle whisky, been touchin on it spell now. Think that brought on this despair. Gave Philotis some, he been silent not like him. Think maybe he got the home blues also.

So what been goin on, well been a few shootin matches, just probin is all. Still tryin ta keep our area clean, of food an such. Dang rats an critters are bit mean. Around these trenches, don't need none bit by one those. Had the latrine moved couple times.
Water been fresh we can get. Men not been takin to any illness thus far. Bein so close tagether been lucky no fever took hold.

Band just started, soon they all be a playin. Music a fill the air.
The sun movin westward heat not near as bad. Days an nights just seem ta be one, time is lost. Find myself askin the day of the week an month. Band must be homesick they opened with Home Sweet Home, they usually play that in the middle then again at the end.

Philotis just wiped his eyes, know how he feels, love ta just cry like a child, I am actin like I didn't see it. As I say earlier days are just one long day anymore. So I could not tell one from the next.
Finish this here whisky get some sleep.

28, July 1864

The Pennsylvania boys, heard tell they been workin on a mine or tunnel a some sort. Haven't heard why, did hear tell some colored troops been trainin just out the trench area. Could be just talk is all. Haven't heard of any plans of an attack. Think I would a heard somethin about it. Well I am not privy to all thins so, who knows.
Theo didn't seem ta know, we had supper an a drink. He stayed maybe an hour little longer. He hadn't heard tell of any attack.

We spoke about his Da takin my mail, Theo was a might upset, think his Da was standin here, Theo a shot him. Philotis came in, had a tin a meat an pickled eggs. He shared some with me an Theo better than that pork we gets. Theo left before I poured a second drink. Late best check the Company over my round tanight.

29, July 1864

Just got word they is an attack set up fer, the mornin about 3  little after. Supposed ta wait till we hear an see an explosion ta our front then go like hell! Take those Rebs on. Told the boys just at dark ta make ready the ladders and planks ta get out these trenches. The nerves are startin ta set in, just after dark, boys are sleepin, best they can, course they probably like me can't rest. The fear the dread has set in, will I finally break an run! Will I stumble an fall get run over, will I get killed before I even see those Rebs?

2, August 1864

I had ta think this over, best way ta word what happened. My from the start, it felt wrong no explosion after 3 it was about 4:45 maybe a touch earlier. My goodness the ground felt as if it moved up then shook, like a dog shakin water off. The heat felt like a blacksmith shop or a foundry, the blast was louder than any thunder I have heard, I stood still fer maybe two seconds. Yelled forward boys!

I yelled double-quick! Then Charge boys! Dear me! We just stopped they was no Salient left! Dead buried in the ground around us! Arms legs sticking from the ground! The hole had ta been close ta 200 feet long near 60 wide very deep! Had ta kill least 200 men right off! Some reason they just stopped started takin positions around and in the crater. I kept my Company out that blame hole! The Captain don't know where he was, tried ta get them ta keep movin exploit the gap! Move right take more line keep us from bein flanked!

Those Rebs counter attacked, cannon musket fire, they moved swiftly! What a mess we took ta hasty positions doin our best ta keep thum back. No turnin this now, as we fired I tried ta wheel the Company ta cut thum off! Nothin worked! They was on us, we fought back! We hadn't made it pass that blame hole, we was stuck around it in it! I'd stand ta try an get the Company ta move!
The fire an noise was one hard storm, they we were stuck! I directed the men best I could. They hadn't broke us yet! Philotis pulled me down several times, while bullets flew past me, the sweat an fear the powder all combined ta create a smell like no other. Only men in battle know this smell.

Those poor fellas in that hole, they was like turkeys bein shot down faster than they could climb out or find a place ta not be shot! Some attacks made it further, takin the second an possibly the third line of defense.

After what felt like five days, only about 3 hours max, not sure how long. We tried fer a re-treat! This was as horrific as bein stuck around that blame hole! They had us in a cross fire, men were fallen screams of pain an death, the sweat an fear was tremendous! The Company struggled back, it took next ta three hours ta get a complete count of the fellers. Lost ten in the Company either dead or captured. The Captain never found out what happened ta him, Theo ended up puttin me in charge till he decided on what ta do.

If had only pushed on! Not stopped, we could a maybe least put a permanent gap in they lines! Maybe even took part a Petersburg!
We stopped, lost men because we stopped. I should of lead the way across that line, well I can't take all the blame. Theo couldn't get the Regiment ta move, the General decided ta stop. That's best I can remember what happened, still I think on it more than I should.

                    The upper picture part of the crater in 1864
                    The crater now as it looks.

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Thanks for reading please comment and vote.

Few after thoughts on this Battle of the Crater. Meade and Grant should of went with Bursides plan. I think the USCT understood the plan, even if it failed it still would of had a better chance at success than what happened. I give credit to those men that tunneled the two that went back in to fix the fuse. The plan was well thought out, just lack of command. Lack of re-action through it. A Commander must adapt to a changing battlefield. It is a constant game of cat and mouse. That is best way to put it. I could armchair General this to death, so I'll stop here.

Thank you for your continued support, I'll try to update more often.
The next chapter Thomas has full charge, of the Company. This might very well be that moment I mentioned. Everyone take care.