The Abingdon Virginian. [volume] (Abingdon [Va.]) 1849-1883, 1863-07-17
The Bombardmept Of Vicksburg.
Explosion of a Mine.
TERRIFIC SCENE.

writing from before Vicksburg on the 26tl
ult., gives an account of the bombardment q
the day before, and the result of Grants frs
experiment in mining Vicksburg The letter
says
The way in which the fort on McPherson's
front was exploded is, as we learn from some
OF the participants, as follows After the dig
gers had cut across the middle of the fort.
which was prominent fort, and by reason of
our thanking it has been so pierced as to be
almost of the parallelogram or nearly an OBJ
long shape, they then deposited in it a ton Of
powder, and sealed up the cavity as tightly
as possible. A train Of powder and slow
match was only required to explode this i'm
mense mass and SET free the enormous ga
seous force so soon as the disposition was
made for the climacteric
On yesterday afternoon, about o'clock the
troops all along the line might have been seen
lnsorder of battle, the guns keeping up their
usual din and sharpshooters more than usual
ly brisk with their fire. Several prominent
ofhcers might have been seen, glasses in hand,
and their eyes turned in two directions, main
~, however, on the bump of land in the GEN.
tire. Presently a movement might have been
seen of the eayth; upward it rose as if some |
siumbering Man of the Mountain were shak- |
ing off the superfuous covering; in a moment
more. through a gaping crater, a shaft of |
white smoke rushed through, and then a cloud
OF dust. An instant elatter of firearms then
commenced and ragged with painful intensity |
tor an hour, when, out Of the confusion of the
smoke, something might have been seen of (
two sets of combatants almost, as you NAV |
say, at arms length.
All this WHILE before and after the eyplo-
sion. there was a terrific cannonade. Previ-
ously. every gun along the line was ia PLAY,
and the intervals Of a few seconds not filed
with the burst of shells. the crack of guns of
ali calibres, Were closed up by the more aw.
ful crackle of the infantry along the whole
line. 1t is true that no assault was being
made along the line, but the whole circuit OIL
muskets was fring-fring into the aimless
air; nobody was to be seen, there were the
bleak ridges as ever, there the silent forts:
but the bullets were whizzing into their en-
trenchments in myriads of. radial lines we
have come to learn and to realize how fatal
all this shower Of leaden hail may have been, I
if it had no Interior purpose, though not a
soul was to be seen. It's real purpose was,
however, to prevent any concentration on the q
critical points by feigning an attack at ALL j
Besides the one on the centre, another was
selected on Blair's front which, as we learned t
afterwards, proved abortive, there being an !
nsufdciency of powder, or being placed too l
loosely in the mine. a
After the explosion which, by the way,
vas noseless, or at least not noticeable in the il
oar of heavy guns--our soldiers rushed for l;
he breach, intending to occupy the whole of "
he work. The blast had opened up a rift r
light across the fort, extending from wall to G.
vali. The rebels, as if they had knowledge b
4 the design, or else by marvellous coinci- ST
lence, rushed simultaneously from the other il
nd The powder had left a couple of huge
lips. and between them crater h.
ike assure, making the distance from flrrow in
farrow from ten to twenty feet Thus, bl
anged behind these new formed walls. our b,
aen found themselves face to face with their as
oes, and dire and dreadful slaughter COM to
aenced from perhaps three hundred men on til
acn side, within this arena of two hundred Of
eet length 81
Inc IN contest was severe, and the fresh packs Pl
7 rines Kept an opening on all sides. The Sc
I ~ loaded and fired away vigorously til
me rebels crowded up with great spirit P,
,u =, luen went IN, regiment at time, with is
1ii cartrioge boxes, and in 80 minutes were ca
eileved 5y others. The firing for abont an n.
our was more terrific than any hattie 6ald In
yer the CORY field Of war has witnessed 80 ad
Lad every shot touched its man theya world v;
ave been half million slain; as Il was hv to,
y sne greater portions Of them found lodg- sid
The ilrst regiment which rushed in was tho No
,hoso roo,.ha.s =: +. slo ip,.yrnith Illinois, vie
elds. led by Colonel Malthy. Its loss ,uas -, -
ecessarily severe. 1t was seconded bv tbs e -,
Bloody Seventh" Missouri, who were soon le 80
ecalled. SUN rs ~
Next went. in the Twentieth Illinois, who e. e.