bombproofs. In the turmoil, the 30th
USCT fired on the 9th New Hampshire
and rendered it hors de combat. Despite
the blunder, the black troops moved into
the Rebel entrenchments and confronted
the 17th South Carolina, inflicting and suf-
fering heavy casualties as they pressed
ahead.
More of Sigfried’s brigade followed and
helped launch the fiercest Union attack of
the day as the African American fighters cap-
tured the damaged cavalier trench held by
Elliot’s survivors, all the while screaming,
“No quarter, remember Fort Pillow!” in ref-
erence to the recent notorious slaying of sev-
eral dozen black troops during or after thebattle for the West Tennessee fortification.
They rounded up hundreds of prisoners,
killing any who showed the slightest resis-
tance, and after hours of stalemate it seemed
that the breach might begin to expand.
Ferrero’s second brigade commander,
Colonel Henry Thomas, however, trying
to follow up on the success of Sigfried’s
men, lost control of his regiments when
they descended into the maze north of the
Crater or moved into the pit itself. Thomas
managed to get some of his men formed on
Sigfried’s left flank west of the cavalier
trench, but a barrage of shells and bullets
blasted them back into the trench. McMas-
ter’s Confederates, still sheltering inside the
creek depression 200 yards to the west,
massed their fire into the van of Sigfried’s
advance, wrecking it. Ferrero’s depleted
ranks fell back into the cavalier trench.
Burnside, who would be instructed by
Meade to order a withdrawal in less thanan hour, still believed his men had another
charge in them. He ordered Sigfried and
Thomas to again attack Cemetery Hill,
reinforced by Marsh and Bartlett, Ledlie’s
two brigade commanders. Waving a regi-
mental flag, Bross of the 29th USCT
climbed out of the cavalier trench and
exhorted his men to follow him. The
courageous remnants of the division
moved up and formed a ragged line on the
colors. With Cemetery Hill 500 yards
away in plain sight, the USCT troops once
again moved forward into the fiery sum-
mer morning.
Shortly after arriving at the front,
Mahone saw the confusion in the Federal
ranks but, concerned about the enemy’s
numbers, he called for his third brigade—
Willcox’s Alabama troops under the com-
mand of Colonel John Sanders—to come
up as well. Colonel David Weisiger’s five
Virginia regiments had led Mahone’s ini-
tial march, moving through the covered
way into the creek depression where
McMasters’ South Carolinians had made
their heroic stand. Mahone sent the Geor-
gians to support Weisiger’s right flank,
and as the Rebels moved into place, word
spread that black units had taken part in
the last attacks and that no quarter had
been asked or given. By 9 AMMahone’s
units were in place, locked and loaded,
with bayonets fixed.
About 200 black troops had answered
Bross’s call and begun advancing west
from the cavalier trench, their cheers catch-
ing the attention of Weisiger’s men. In a
line 200 yards wide and three lines deep,
Weisiger’s Virginians, backed by two
North Carolina regiments, McMaster’s
survivors, and parts of two Georgia regi-
ments, leaped out of the creek depression
and charged the isolated and outnumbered
USCT column, which floundered and fell
back. Mahone’s gray wave approached the
cavalier trench, where it was met with a
sweeping Union volley. The fire tore gaps
in the Confederate line but couldn’t slow
it down, the attackers sweeping over the
last few yards and crashing into the trench.
Fierce fighting exploded along the entire
front, bayonets flashing and gun butts flail-Following the explosion at the Crater, the main
Union thrust in the center was blunted by a
spirited counterattack organized by Brig. Gen.
William Mahone. Confederate defenders tossed
abandoned muskets like javelins into the Union
ranks. By 1:30 the battle was over.Map © 2016 Philip Schwartzberg, Meridian Mapping, Minneapolis, MNQ-Spr16 The Crater_Layout 1 1/14/16 12:42 PM Page 30