The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-06-19

protection against muskets and cannon of
small calibre. 1t was not designed as
secret bed of gunpowder, but as simple
approach to the enerny's works.
Such was the character of the mine
which / explored. Possibly the others
may be different in formation and design.
Those who imagine that we are digging
into the very vitals of Vicksburg, and pro-
pose to blow that village to the four winds,
with grand display of mechanic force and
pyrotechnics, and sublime tragedy like
the plot of Guy Fawkes, will doubtless be
disgusted at this matter -Of-fact elucidation
Of the subject. They will cry Mcclellan
and Richmond over again. Nevertheless,
simply as series of approaches, which
tighten the embrace of the Union army
around Vicksburg, I have great confidence
in them. As anything else, should have
very little.
THE STRENGTH OF THE FORTIFIOATIONS
AROUND yIOKsBURG
1t was supposed when the army was ad-
vapcing from the "Big Black" that we
had at last got upon a weak side OF the
city, where the Confederate Generals new
er dreamed that the Lincoln hirelings
would ever advance. Information picked
up on the way tended to strengthen this
impression. was so we'll persuaded Of
such state of affairs that hurried for
ward from the Black River bridge, so as to
be with Sherman's force, which was ad-
vancing on the north from Bridgeport,
when they entered the city. But after a
careful reconnaissance of the works, one
of our Generals assured me that he would
prefer to storm Vicksburg from the river.
Nothing could be more elaborate than the
defenses upon the east. To the north Of
the city, where it. was expected that they
would be most strongly entrenched, We
found the rebels on the morning after our
arrival busy as beavers constructing line
of earthworks. After heavy cannonade
by Landgraven's battery and others, they
we're dislodged, and Gen. Steele was ena-
bled to advance half mile or so nearer.
Opposite McClernand the rebels have hard
ly turned spade full of earth, except to
repair during the night breaches made by
our 80 FOUNDER PARROTS during the day.
The line of Notifications is constructed
after the most approved system of military
engineering It'describes zig-zag course
to illustrate by rude figure, like that
ORA werm fence. The sides Of the re-
treating angle are simply strong rifle
pits, but they completely enilade each
other, besides atfording tlanking fire
from the heavy guns that man the fortifi-
cations. These bastions stud the apex of
every assailant angle, which is naturally
the weak point, and are of the most for
midable description. One in particular,
of great size, and opposite Mcpherson,
which understand is called Fort Vicks-
burg, is in place apparently from fifteen
to twenty feet high, and nearly perpen-
dicular
The cannon which man them are of
heavy calibre, but not as numerous as the
river batteries. The great guns which
poured their death storm into our scud-
ding tiotilla OF transports, such as the far
famed Whistling Dick, - ct id onane genus
are not so mounted as to be moved, and
are most of them still in their old position.
And it is we'll known that of not far from
ninety field pieces, composing pretty much
all their available artillery, which Pember-
ton moved out to confront us, seventy
four were captured. Still several new
guns have been mounted and opened fire
upon us since the siege began, but not in
numbers sufficient to render them ex-
ceedingly formidable. The great strength
of the redoub.s lies in their internal con-
struction. The Forlorn Hopes of the 22d
ascertained, to their costs, that after run
ming the gauntlet of murderous volleys
from the rifle pits, and actually scaling
the rebel earthworks, they were still along
way from victory. Instead of being mas
ters of an apparently deserted fort, they
found themselves exposed to a fire from
ri1e-pits, which, running from front to
rear, pour in cross-fre upon troops en-
tering by the corner of the redoubt, and
after dislodging the enemy from the whole
interior, they were shot down from an
ambuscade behind another line of rihe-pits
which, instead of the usual curtain, forms
the rear of the fort. More than ono of
these intrenched works were actually
scaled, but the interior, so far from being
an asylum for the assailants, proved to be
a chamber, to which the open ground out
side, swept as it was by constant volleys,
was preferable.
This brief description will give some
faint idea of the strength of this Ameri-
can Sebastopol. The ill-fated Boomer
was wise when he said to his officers, with
the earnestness of dying man, "Don't
charge those works.. There were precip-
itOus bastions, forts. moats, from six to
eight feet deep, angles of enflading rifle
pits, and sixteen thousand desperate SOL
diers to dispute our progress. 1t is true
that since the action is fairly over, it ap-
pears that the
ATTACK ON THE 22D ULT.,
might have been better arranged. Gen.
eral Grant presumed too much on the he
roic ardor of the victors of Black River,
and estimated too lightly both the strength
of tho enemyH works and his firhtinp