Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-07-28


small number of our lorcos it took every MAI
tn defend the lines sn that the men had M
time whatever to rest. Occasionally 4 company
would be permitted 10 go out u wash theil
clothes, t0king their arms rih them, and re-
ceiving strict orders at the first sound of mus
kerry to hurry back to their position. Whole
comnanics would lie back of the breastw"rks
for three weeks withort leaving the line for {;
mnmcnt.
1t had been previously known that the en-
envy were undermining our works, particu
larry the fort on the immediate left OF thu
jackson road and occupied by the sd Loulsi
ana regiment. Of lIcrhcrt's brigade. At about
hall-past four or five on Thursday. the 25tl
of June, terrific explosion took place, canset
BY the blowing up Of the above mentioned
ioort. Luckily, most ci our forces occunyina
that line had withdrawn to an inner line %
entrenshmcnts. erected by our forces in antici
patton Of the fort being blown up. 80 tha
only Il few men were wounded by the cxp!s
sion. As soon lis the fort was destroyed, {
column Of the euemy advanced, rs if withrthe
inr:nt!nn of sto-!niIg the line. hut 'tcrc met
by the 9Th MlSS0uri, under Col Eugene Er
win. 4 desperate struggle ion mastery now
tock place Col. Erwin WAS the first 10 asccar
the parapct As sooI rs he had Amounted, I;
shot lrnm TIC cncmy'S shaipshoo:crs pierced
his heart. and he fell dead. lie was = -rand
son Of Henry Clay and one Of the most ardent
supporters 0i Southern rights. The 9th Mis-
Snnri, @rraScl AT his DEATH ana aided hy tn,
sd louisiana, sprung Oh the dlaman,!ed lori;
and a.ter q Seyerr combat. drove the enemy
from their no>itiJt. our loss on this occasion
was heavy. being no l"sS than cightv-six killed
and wounded. The !pS- of tbe enemy WAS c,.
stimatcG between ;;Gu ana 'iuu. They were
Srvcrlv nunisc. in their first attciuHt u,
..h!nsing up" our works.
,'c nvw have 20 record .n ""cr; u Il lanst
nature. Ga thc 9th u! June,
B.i.?uiior ten. Green. al Missouri. was Shot
in tn" neck by Minnie ball. lie fingered
for about an hour, ,slcn lie d.c;i. Il! ra5 IN
AGED man. beloved ~ nil @ho knew liiin. for
his devotion to our cause. his intrepid va!or,
and his Genial and amiablr qualities: hc was
4 GGict and una-,llmnG Mlla; the mCanc>t
private in his command had free access To hi
presence, and he was l,okci upon l,y his men
not rs 7 general, but q father to his brigade.
Many noble SONS U' Missouri have fallen iu-
ring this war: bat none Of her martyrs in uur
war Of independence will be spoken oi i'll
more glnwing terms, or more deserved praise
than The old inaa who fell in defence OF
Eickshur-. His wish w&1 Sratiiic,i-dc Tired
MT to SIC IichSbHrg taH!!
Daring the siege many instance; Of daring
took place. Several lines orr forces Sali;ct!
out, taking prisoners; among them were ono
Lieut. Colonel. 'Cann, Of an Illinois regiment,
with Il. good many subatcrn officers and pri-
Yates. On the 22I May, the ID Texas, oi
Moores brigade, captured o stand OF coiors
from tic enemy in the following manner: The
enemy charged up the hill towards our works;
rs soon us they hai arrived about thirty yards
from our line Of breastworks, the color-bcarcl
Of the Yankee regiment rushed forward and
planted the United States tag on the edge. OF
Our works One of the men of the I'd Texas
quickly jumped ont Of the rifle PITS. shot the
color bearer, and taking away the nag, return.
ell to the lines. Many other instances Of in
dividual hcrosm occurred during the siege,
too numerous to narrate. Our forces, buoycd
up with the hope of speedy -rciief,- deter
TO permit the enemy to crosythe
line of works. Repeated ASSURANCES were
given to the mcn that succor would 'soon
arrive. Couricrs arriving from Johnston
brought most exaggerated reports of the
strength Of the army under his command,
many placing it as high as 81, 900 effective men.
While these events were transpiring at the
breastwOrks around the town, the enemy were
MT idle on the peninsula opposite. One con-
slant stream Of InortasshellS w;s poured into
the devoted city. the enemy exhibiting u re-
tncmcnt Of cruelty i'll throwing their shells at
the hospitals particularly. aware that the men
H. e., Il
Indifferent; to tue storm of shot and shell pnur-
cd Ike bail upon them. They fred into build
ings on which the yellow liag waved, killing
aud wounding several Of the inmates. WhetI!-
rr Cen. Pembcrt"n offered any rcnpnstrancc
a; their dcing 50, has not been aSccrtaine1. II
he did. no regard WAS paid to his complaint
Tie women and children remaining in town
suffered severely, no less 'iian three hayin"
been killed and twelve wounded during the
Sic-c. la spite "t which. with all the hero
ism that characternc> our Southern women,
those remaining well declared their willing
ness to run the risk Of hcin- killed rather than
lose Nicksbur%.
AM2nc the ladies wounded arc MrS. iIa2-
Mirl. Mrs c. ". Pt;uS. Mrs. H. II Clements.
Mrs. Major T. i. Read. Miss Lucy Rawlings
and Miss Maggie Cook. the most Of these Ia.
dies being well known III the State of MiSsis-
Sipni. The firing on the city was not marked
w,,lt u!" sane regularity and precision oh
served ON the front If oar brca>twork~, the
mortar shells falling in every direction over
tic town. as if u" particular object WIS aimed
ut. After tic surrender Of the town the Ian
kcc artillery officers stated that the mortar>
and Parrntt guns opposite the city wee
manned |.y fresh troops. nnd We're placed
there for Il hnb!c purr'>c-iirSJ, t" annny u-
in the city, and 10 practice themselves in that
arm Of the service. ana gave that as their Cx-
cusc Tor our hospitals having h"en struck so
often. The enciny's sharpshoutcrS were all
splendid shots, and after the first few days oi
the siege it was very dangerous thing ip7
any one to look over the lreastworks So ac.
curatcly did they aim, and in such numbers
were they, that IL hat placed on a stick and
held above the fort for two minutes WAS pierced
by fifteen minnie balls.
On the 29th of June the enemy succeeded
in blowing up the same portion Of car line
again. We lost several men of the 81 Lou,
isiana from the explosion. The enemy, how.
ever, made no attempt to charge the work
being apparently contented with the occupa
patton Of one portion of the ruined fort.
Tremendous cannonadins continued during
the remaining few days OF the siege with bn
little damage TO the C0nfcderates. The mcr
were all in good spirits, and appeared salts
fed to live on the nicagrc allowance Of ration:
given them, rather. than yield the city they
had defended gall:rntly for 50 long period
Not q murmur was heard among thcm-al
were inspired with the greatest enthusiasm
and devotion to their cause, and the wore
surrender" was never broachcd among them
Five or six days previous to the surrender o
the city mule meat WAS tried and found o
good quality-the meat being equal to tho
finest venison, and was literally eaten by th'
soldiers and citizens alike.
An attempt wis made by our forces i"conn
terninc the enemy, but the attempt signal,
failcd-ns from the position of the enemy
works they could not be mined.
On Friday morning, the Sd Of July, Gen
Pemberton sent out flag Of truce, and ;
short time afterwards himself and Brig. Gen
Bowen were seen leaving our lines As soor
as they left the works, the men conjectureC