red troops, although I
have been in upwards of twenty battles, I never saw so many
cases of gallantry. The 'crater,' where we were halted, was
a perfect slaughter-pen. Had not 'some one blundered,' but
moved us up at daylight, instead of eight o'clock, we should
have been crowned with success, instead of being cut to
pieces by a terrific enfilading fire, and finally forced
from the field in a panic. We had no trouble in rallying the
troops and moving them into the rifle-pits; and, in one hour
after the rout I had nearly as many men together as were
left unhurt.

"I was never under such a terrific fire, and can hardly
realize how any escaped alive. Our loss was heavy. In the
Twenty-eighth (colored) for instance, commanded by
Lieut.-Col. Russell (a Bostonian), he lost seven officers
out of eleven, and ninety-one men out of two hundred and
twenty-four; and the colonel himself was knocked over
senseless, for a few minutes, by a slight wound in the head;
both his color-sergeants and all his color-guard were
killed. Col. Bross, of the Twenty-ninth, was killed
outright, and nearly every one of his officers hit. This was
nearly equal to Bunker Hill. Col. Ross, of the Thirty-first,
lost his leg. The Twenty-eighth, Twenty-ninth and Thirtieth
(colored), all charged over the works; climbing up an
earthwork six feet high, then down into a ditch, and up on
the other side, all the time under the severest fire in
front and flank. Not being supported, of course the storming
party fell back. I have seen white troops run faster than
these blacks did, when in not half so tight a place. Our
brigade lost thirty-six prisoners, all cut off after leaving
the 'crater.' My faith in colored troops is not abated one
jot.'"

The Congressional Committee on the Conduct of the War investigated the
affair, before which General Grant testified. He was severe upon General
Ledlie, whom he regarded as an inefficient officer; he blamed himself
for allowing that officer to lead the assault. General Grant also
testified:

"General Burnside wanted to put his colored division in
front; I believe if he had done so it would have been a
success."

On the morning of the 13th of August, 1864, a brigade of the Phalanx,
consisting of the 7th, 8th, 9th and 29th Regiments, crossed from Bermuda
H