Civil War fact of the day. On this day in 1864, Confederates at Petersburg were digging counter-mines in an attempt to find the Union miners they could hear tunneling near them. The following report gave the updated progress and spoke of rain hampering the digging efforts. HEADQUARTERS ENGINEER TROOPS, Blandford, July 25, 1864. Colonel W. H. STEVENS, Chief Engineer, Army Northern Virginia: COLONEL: At Pegrams, mine No. 1, the night detachment drove the side gallery 3 feet 4 inches, a total distance of 12 feet 2 inches. At mine No. 2 the night detachment drove side gallery 2 feet 2 inches, a total distance of 6 feet 2 inches for the work at this gallery, and a total distance for the days work at Pegrams mine of 5 feet 6 inches. The men above ground had to stop work at 1 oclock, in consequence of the severe rain filling the trenches with water and making the ground so slippery that the men could not keep their foothold. The day detachments were engaged in putting in the frames and sheeting squaring and dressing up the work, the condition of the trenches and parapets not allowing the men to work at removing material from the mines. At Colquitts mine the night detachment extended the third gallery a distance of 4 feet 5 inches, the day detachment extended this gallery 5 feet 4 inches, a distance for the days work of 9 feet 9 inches, and a total length of this gallery of 22 feet 6 inches. At Gracies mine the night detachment extended the gallery 3 feet 2 inches, the day detachment a distance of 2 feet 8 inches, a total distance for the days work of 5 feet 8 inches, and a total length of the gallery of 23 feet 4 inches; a distance for the days work at all the mines of 21 feet 1 inch. The rain interrupted the work at Colquitts and Gracies mines, the day detachment being principally engaged in dressing up the work and clearing out the mud and water. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, HUGH THOS. DOUGLAS, Captain, Engineer Troops, in Charge Mining, &c.
Posted on: Fri, 25 Jul 2014 13:27:13 +0000
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