I immediately ordered John Phillips, a brave soldier of Company I, to go around the “Crater” to inform the commanding officer of the serious wounding of General Elliott, and to inquire as to the condition of the brigade on the south side.  Major Shield replied that Colonel Fleming and Adjutant Quattlebaum, with more than half the Twenty-second, were buried up, but with the remainder of his men and with the Twenty-third, under Captain White, and a part of Wise’s Brigade we had driven the Yankees back, and intended to keep them back.

Being satisfied that the object of the mine was to make a gap in our line by which General Meade could rush his troops to the rear, I ordered Colonel Smith to take his Regiment, and Captain Crawford with three of my largest Companies, Companies K, E and B, containing nearly as many men as Smith’s, to proceed by Elliott’s headquarters up the ravine to a place immediately in rear of the “Crater”—­to make the men lie down—­and if the enemy attempted to rush down to resist them to the last extremity.  This was near 6 o’clock A.M., and the enemy had not made any advance on the North side of the “Crater.”

By this time the “Crater” was packed with men.  I counted fourteen beautiful banners.  I saw four or five officers waiving swords and pointing towards Petersburg, and I supposed they were preparing for a charge to the crest of the hill.

* * * * *

ELLIOTT’S BRIGADE.

The line and strength of the Brigade from left to right was as follows: 

    Twenty-sixth Regiment, two hundred and fifty men;
    Seventeenth, four hundred;
    Eighteenth, three hundred and fifty;
    Twenty-second, three hundred;
    Twenty-third, two hundred.

In all one thousand and five hundred men, a full estimate.

* * * * *

BENBOW’S REGIMENT.

The first severe attack of the enemy was on the South of the “Crater,” which was defended by a part of the Twenty-second under Major Shedd, and Benbow’s Twenty-third under Captain White.  The enemy attacked with fury.  Our men fought nobly, but were driven down their ditch.  Wise’s Brigade then joined in, and our men rushed back and recovered the lost space.  About this time they shot Colonel Wright, leading the Thirteenth Minnesota regiment, and then the Federals slacked their efforts and bore to their right, and multitudes of them climbed the “Crater” and went to the rear of it and filled the gorge line and every vacant space on the North side.  No serious aggressive attack was made on the Twenty-third Regiment during the rest of the day.  The principal reason I suppose was the direct line to Cemetery Hill was through the Seventeenth Regiment.  Every Federal officer was directed over and over again to rush to the crest of the hill.