"Fell Into the Trap."

Twenty-nine graying years after the event, First Lieutenant James O'Conner of Company F, 27th Missouri returned to his memories to share a particularly exciting event during the 1865 Carolina campaigns. The incident is particularly palpable now due to its Improvised-Explosive-Device related nature -- proof that unconventional warfare can be a truly American tactical concept as well.

FELL INTO THE TRAP.

How the Fifteenth Corps Was Thrown Into Confusion at Cheraw.

Editor National Tribune: The Fifteenth Corps was advancing on the road toward Bentonville, N.C., going through the town of Cheraw, arriving at the Pedee River about 10 o'clock in the forenoon. The First Division was in advance, commanded by Gen. C.R. Woods. The First Brigade led the advance of the First Division, and consisted of the 27^th Mo., 76^th Ohio, 12^th Ind., 26^th Iowa, and 32d Mo.

On arriving at the Pedee River we found the bridge had been destroyed by the enemy, which necessitated its reconstruction before our command could cross. A halt and several hours' delay was the consequence. The division was drawn up en masse on the most available ground near the approach to the bridge, on a bluff overlooking the Pedee. The First Brigade occupied the ground near the cut in the bluff through which the road to the bridge led. This cut was about 25 feet deep. in our front was a bluff some 60 or 70 feet high, under which the river flowed, and on our left was a ravine, or a depression in the ground, leading to the river, and still further to our left and rear, across the ravine, was an old warehouse, in which the enemy stored fixed ammunition, shot and shell and gunpowder.

On our approach to Cheraw the enemy destroyed the bridge and distributed the shot and shell in the ravine, and scattered a large quantity of gunpowder broadcast amongst it. They knew we would have a halt to build the bridge and that we would occupy the ground with our train, it being the most available, and hence laid the trap for us.

When our command stacked arms the men set about cooking coffee, and in hunting up material for fuel made the discovery of the fixed ammunition in the ravine, and also that ti had been stored in the old warehouse, the floor of which was nearly covered over with loose gunpowder and a train laid to the ravine, and in the warehouse yet remained a quantity of shell and gunpowder. Q.M. Serg't Marvin Trott, of the 27^th Mo., first called my attention to it.

The trap was not over 75 feet from where my company was. I went with Trott, and found the arrangement for our destruction as here stated. Several of the men of our brigade were passing to and from the warehouse across the ravine, hunting fuel to build fires, and I cautioned my company the danger we were in.

It was not over 10 minutes after I returned to my company that the explosion occurred. Somebody dropped fire in it, probably from his pipe. The shells commenced exploding very fast, something after the fashion of a barrel of firecrackers set off. I hallowed to my company to drop flat on the ground.

The supply train was drawn up en masse close in our rear, facing the ground the men occupied, the teamsters not in their saddles, but preparing some coffee. The mules took fright, and a general stampede of teams commenced. The direction in which the animals went was directly over the ground occupied by the First Brigade and right on to the men, the most of whom dropped on the ground.

A grand scramble for dear life now ensued. Between running wild teams and exploding shell the danger was fearful.

Those first to their feet ran before the teams, while many were run over or caught amongst the mules and wagons. Some of the teams tore loose from the wagons by running into one another. The men in hundreds jumped and tumbled down the cut leading to the bridge to the road below, the most of them falling in the scramble and rush down, and many of the teams came dashing down on top of them before they were able to regain their feet. Gen. J.A. Logan and Gen. C.R. Woods and Gen. William B. Woods were down at where the bridge was building at the time of the explosion. I think there were more shells exploded in 10 minutes here than was exploded by the artillery of both armies on the memorable 13^th of May at Resaca, or was exploded a few weeks later at the artillery duel at Kenesaw Mountain.

This was the first time I ever saw any of the First Brigade run for safety, and the only stampede I ever saw in the Fifteenth Corps.

– Jas. O'Conner, First Lieutenant, 27^th Mo.

Source: The national tribune, 18 October 1894.