Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-06-09
BEroRE VIoKsnrRe. Mav 81 1se8

BEFORE VICKsBURs, May %, 1868.
FRIEND PHILIP Your letter of the 5tE
was received to-day and hasten to answer.
Since last wrote we have had very busy
time. On the 18th inst we attacked the enc
my at Raymond, and after five or six hours
fighting we compelled them to make hasty
retreat, and could not again catch up with
them until the I4th when they made a stand
at Jackson, the capital of Mississippi, but
were soon again forced to leave the city in
the hands Of the " Yanks." Before leaving.
they released all of their State prisoners, and
several Of them came into our lines. We
captured five pieces of artillery from them,
and the next morning started in the direction
of Vieksburg. On the 18th the rebels again
stopped us at Champion Hills and determined
to give us battle. They held US in check un-
til the middle of the afternoon, when the sth
Illinois and the S2d Ohio made a ebar0s m
battery of six guns, on the left wing, and
captured the whole battery beside about 200
prisoners. In this charge Company E did
not lose man, and as we had driven them
too far for our own safety, we fell back to |
d 9nGF msn E66aa6dded 6ad fg fag cfdrth d h5a
cided the whole fight The rebels drew off /
and our boys followed, until night put an end
to the pursuit. Our battle cry in that charge
vas Harper's Ferry" owen show you
T,tD.siag VINO flflEaJds at Harper's Ferry I" and
"a Rebs." LieutenanJsest moved down the
the charge, on his old war-hOrse, wiley led
been through the whole war thus far. He I
was constantly at the head of his men, and if |
the rebels had not been in too great hurry \
to take their departure, he might easily have
been shot, for he presented a splendid mark
for them to test their skill upon. The ground
where the battery stood, was literally strewed
with the dead and dying, for that was the
center of attraction to us. We followed them
as fast as possible, and in two days came on
their works in the rear of Vicksburg. Gsner
al Sherman was sent to the right to get be-
tween Haines' Bluff and the rest of their |
forces, but they evacuated the Bluff, which
our own men had fought so hard for once be-
fore, but fought in vain.
Our corps is in the center, and we had some
hot work on Friday. Their forts are very /
strong, and as fast as our artillery makes
breach in them they instantly repair them by |
shoveling dirt into the holes again. On Fri
day ladders were prepared and we were to
make general assault along the whole line,
but for some reason it was not made; and We
lay under their FIRE and the hot sun until we
had lost great many men. The sun disa-
bled nearly as many as the bullets. The ex.
pedition was given up and We were with
drawn from the range of their guns.
The intention now, think, is to starve
them out, which we can do, as they are com
pletely surrounded, and we can get our ra-
tions from the Yazoo River, distant only
about eight miles.
Nothing has pleased the army 50 much as
the arrest of Tallandigham.
1t appears that General Hooker was not
very successful on the Rappahannock. He
should have western troops and western Gen.
erals.
We will soon have Vicksburg.
Yours, &c, WV.