My ancestor, William Cowan McClellan (9th Alabama), echoed those comments in a letter from Petersburg on August 10, 1864 talking about Gen. J.C.C. Saunders when he commanded Wilcox's old Brigade at the Battle of the Crater:

"Col Sanders of the 11th Ala has been commanding our brigade since the death of Gen. Perrin at Spotsylvania C.H.- he was made brigadier on the field on the 31st. Sanders is 22 years of age and a rigid disciplinarian."

He described the charge of Sanders' brigade (part of Mahone's Division) into the Crater:

"A.P. Hill told Mahone to bring up the old Wilcox brigade. They were soon in position. Mahone walked to the crest of the hill and showed General Sanders the position he wanted him to take. Sanders came back to the brigade and said boys, I won't deceive you, you have a powerful position to take . We will meet negroes and yankees by the thousands. The eyes of the commander in chief are upon you. They walked slowly to the top of the hill. Sanders clear voice rung out...trail arms cross on the center double quick...The earth trembled with the sound of artillery, not a sound uttered by the brigade while within ten paces of the enemy. They gave a yell and fired a deadly volley into the Negroes and Yankees and now commenced hand to hand fighting (which) soon killed all the Negroes and drove the whites into the cavity of the explosion...Our men formed around this hole and commenced pitching in clods of dirt, guns with bayonets on, cannon balls and anything that could kill or frighten. Finally they surrendered"

John