Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1863-06-05
TIE SIEGE OF vscysBURe.

From the Chicago Journal. :
ls THE Hr,n OF vrcKsnuls, IL
Alay 9th, 1868. =
General Grants army is ins9h sArear 4
Eicksburg, in most excellent military 20
sition, the line extending from the uppe,
batteries, on Walnut Hits, above Vichgburr
around to the heights above Warrenlon ant
sbelow tVicksbnrg The average distance o.
our main force from the city is two miles,
Our line Of skirmishers, however, is. quite w
20 the rebel entrcnchments-a few wards gem
orally measuring the distance Between our
ssharpshooters and the rebel earthu orksy
ID a, detailed account of tall the operations
including the battles and marches by which
the position has been attained, would be too
long for your columns. "A briefg resume must
answer g45nue3 9df fa iIas sa' u T9BsUa 1i
10 A three months campaign In the front,
with the attempts to reach and carry the en-
ceIny's right through Yazoo Pass md Steele's
Bayou having demonstrated that the flank
could not be turned in that way-tfie battle
of Chickasaw Bayou having shown that a
single column could not reach Vicksburr by
mfront attack on Walnut Hills, Haines' and
Snyderls Bluffs proving altogether too strong
for thcanayal fotla, and all the eanal projects
failing after immense labor, it was deter
mined to attempt the movement which has
so far proved successful The hi tory Of
modern warfare furnishes few that equal II In
sboldness and aildacity of conception, and, SO
far, in brilliant, triumphant execution. Ea'sS
while the 10Th Army Corps (Shern,ar,'s1
was posted in full I'M the immediate
front Of Vicksburg, the 17th (NFcPherson's s.
was moved by divisions and brigades across
%~,v ~, U,
nlilessabove Sterman's Landing and encamp.
ed below and about Carthage Admiral Por
ter ran the blockade with his iron clads and
two transports. Ayigorous cannonade from
Sherman's lcaseniated batteries opened the
next morning On the townaI1 -Four other
transports followed the Admiral sfleet The
18th Army Corps {McC iurhand' s. followed
the 18th across tho country. otThings being
thus prepared, General SHERMAN, at fnidday
on the 3Oth Of April movcdupathe Y azoo Of,
alarge fleet ofltransports, preceded by sever,
gunboats. EARLY inithe morning she opened
n fierce attack upon Haines' ands Snyder's
Bluffs. The same day Porter attacked the
batteries at Grand Cub. bsThe rebel Generals
were completelytdeceived Their main forces
were concentratcd,at Vicksburg aid Haines'
Bluff. z Grand Gulf was dcft with "a garrison
of about seven thousand9 On the "a OF May
Shermanirenewedt hoattack on 1Iaines' Bluff.
and Porter on Grand Gulf The transports
ran the batteries below, and two divisions
were rapidly crossed ovor>the Mississi,,pi IL
Grand Gulf was evacuated and Grant had
foothold on the rebersidd Of the Mississippi.
ms5the night time,9 Sherman returned to
Youngls Point, and the arext day moved his
corps Qhe 15th) TO Grand Gulf, and Joined
Grant. In the mean time, Grant had with
Osterhaus' and Logan's divisions, overtaken
the rebel Bowcn's force at Wilson's Hill,
completely routing them, and taking seven
hundred prisoners. Pushing rapidly up the
line of the Big Black river, near RAYMOND,
he met the enemy under Gen. Gregg, and at
once attacked and defeated him, with 10.
gap's division of McPherson's S, and Tuttle's
Of Shcrmans Corps, capturing some two
Thousand prisoners.ol Without, delay Sher-
mans and .iMcPherson'ss corps. moved to
Jackson, scaptnang the StateuCapital, after q
short engagement, on the l4tl, McClernand's
Corps the head Of whose column was eight
niles in the rear, was at once ordered to
move by Edwards Station towards the Big
Black bridge. McPherson, moved along the
line of the road, through Bottom and Sher-
man,f the right, towards the bridgeport
Ferrv.a9 between Bolton and Edwards Stas
tien,y ct champion q Hill, the ienemy under
Gen. Tilghman were found posted in avery
strong position. Crocker'sland Hovey IS d-
visions attacked them lin front, and a very
severe battle took place. Our field was
fought over three tinles.l The rebels finally
gave way as Logan was moving inupon them
flank. Gen. 1Tilghman was killed and his
army. utterly routed. Several thousand pris-
oneis and thirty three piecessof artillery were
captured. The army crossed the big iIlack
by three columns the, next morning, and
moved at once upon the work lin the rear of
Yicksburg. Sherman on the right, MePher-
son in the CENTRE and ahIGCiernand ION The
left. The enemy retreatoet to theii5entrerch-
Inants in the rear of Nicks burg and calong
the limo of Chiclasaw Bavml and the Yazoo,
Inithe night Steele's Diyision7of Sherman's
Corps, made night attack Nipon theilrebsl
works on w alnut Huls--the same which he
attacked in December last-4-lahd after n hard
battle of five hours duration, defeated them!
Outright was thus brought to tho heights
above the Yazoo. s9GI iaines' and Snyders
Bluffs were captured, with all their ordinance
and stores ag 1l!' Pa u"G2.g4 jfai % Dr.
sThe next day , Gen Grant ordered an as
sault to he made on the whole line, Ito o.
clock. Ihe assault was delayed until two II,
the afternoon, in consequence, Of aiftport
from ,McCleInand, that he was not ready 10
move. Promptly at two o'clock iShermai,'s
Corps and the right of McPherson's under
Logan moved to the assault. The left OF Me-
Pherson's corps waited for the right Of Nc
Clernand McCernaiid did not move. s7The
assault was therefore nhadeibyathe tight and
right center. twas most gallant attack!
Our men, in the face,Iof stormsof grape
and canister and rifles, charged down hills,
uprayines, and up bills, straight to the enc.
my'si earth works. The rebe! bitches were
circular and. deep, and the parapets Of such
height that our brave men could not scale
them. The enemy, finding that they We're
not attacked by our left, inassed in front of
Sherman and MCPHERSON, and we were re-
pulsed. Many brave officers and men fell in
this assault Our troops lay close to the
rebel orks until night, when!tley were with
drawn.Q "eGfgIa 5sITI sat GtiW giasuoina'
DOur line Of supplies by the way of G snd
Gulf had been abandoned for several DAYS,
ID consequence of its great length 80 During
the night after the assault Gen Sherrnan, ia
person, with a small escort Of cavalry looked
up and opened a road across Chickasaw bot
tom, to the Y aZoo, and succeeded in getting