Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1863-07-11
TEE vECKsBURG SIEGE.


way to Vcksburg, and ofthe way our
men are advancing TO the rebel works.
which we have not before seen published.
We condense such as we think 'will be OF
interest TO our readers: OF the battle OF
Champion Hill, he says: II am perfect
w willing to confess that if came near
curing me Of all my ideas of iighting.-
The fight at Port Hudson was only a
peasants DAYS amusement by the side
oft. l shall never mention the battle Of
Shiloh again; for though the real tug Of
this fight didn't last two hours, it was
dreadful while i did last Our division
for nearly that time was engaged with
the main body Of The enemy. When the
charge was ordered my position brought
us directly in front ot the battery, and The
way canister few was caution to all
sinners to say the shortest prayer they
knew. But 10y some strange good fortune
we didn't lose a man ont Of the company
until after we had passed the guns. The
bows knocked the drivers off the caissons
and gun teams, and fairly ran down TO
the ranks Of the rebels Unfairly, who were
supporting the battery. One of my men,
James Brown, big stout fellow, after
F firing one shot. club5ed bis rife and ran
down into their ranks and knocked down
two or three men with the butt eff his gun,
when bis left arm was s.iyered to pieces
hy i shot fired almost against him. He
then took his gun in one hand and again
struck ont right and left with it, when he
/ was shot through the knee. As he fell,
ihe rebels attempted to bayonet him, but
/ Corporal Mathews jumped in between
them, knocked up their guns, and drove
n saver bayonet Gear up to tbs hlt in one
of them, then drew ], out and struck an
other, but missed him.
Two or three times / saw our men
and the rebels take opposite sides Of the
same tree TO reload, but our m5n inva-
riablv beat them, and then there was
sure to be dead rebel CT the other side
Of the tree. At another time | saw one
Of cur men and q rebel II clear space,
ten Ieet Of each other, and as both had
empty guns. ana neither seemed anxious
for hand to hand ight, each undertook
to reload, Il was the quickest piece Of
work ever saw, but one man got ahead
bv firing his ramroal ct tic rebel and
driving II clear through him, leaving it
sticking in q tree Just behind"
OF the losses OF his own company, he
SAYS out of46 men I had in the, ranks
that day, three were Id or the field,
ana ninteen wounded, two Of whom have
since died. Of the balance, eleven were
wounded 50 seriously IS 70 be unfit for
service again, so ne Of them having been
lit two and three times each. One man
had SIX bullet hol s through his trowsers,
but not wound. The men lest, he adds,
"were the best in the regiment" Cfthe
nine corporals Of the color guard, all
picked men, only two came out unhur'.
His description of the works erected
By our men, aud their mode of carrying
on tic siege, is the most ineligible one
We have seen, and we copy it in full:
''This country Immediately back of
/ Nicksburr is t'nil nf riaga~. sororatod by
deep narrow hollows of ravines. Our
batteries are planted on the SUBMITS of
these ridges, and the infantry lie in the
hoilows behind or in front Of them
These hoilows are nearly all connected
with each other, and il this way we have
IN almost secure communication down
the line. Our regiment is now campcd
| 10 one Of these hoilows or rather on the
side of one, for we have cut steps on the
hillside, so as to have level places TO
sleep on. From the top of the hill above
as, we can sec, just across a wide hollow,
tho rebel lines. In plain view there are
not less than ten forts, all strongly built.
with deep, wide ditcies, and connected
by linas Of rifle pits, aud on the hills be-
piad tae c We caa still sec another liae
Ct eallh-works.
"Our batteries arc on the ridge
+! speak oE, and on The line with them, and
sometimes, where tie ground is favola-
DC, luudred yards Or so in front Of
hem are tie rifle pts iuiI Of their sharp
| sbootes, and every pi, &c Of ground that
an afford cover hts one Of our sharp
shoe rs III it.
! ''To the right of our position, and di-
roc'Iy On tie side o. he railroad, our
! batteries and rifle pits are within two
| bundled and fifty yards Of the rebel
! lines.
"Tho shots frel from the rebel earth
works knock twigs from the trees above
our heads, and strike tie opposite side Of
tho hollow, bat where we lie We are as
safe IS though We were nj home rs
long as re keep STILL The rifle pits
where we do duty, are about half
nile from here, to Tie left, and front, but
by tie road We have to 60 it is near two
Eif-s, rs VIC have 10 follow the hollows.
Since The PITS were ding, we have short
ened the road one half by cutting a cut !
through the bridge, AID SO got thrcur h
into a hollow only separated By single
ridge from the rebel works.
'.TLa pits were first dag on our side
Of the LII. but every night they have
| Laon moTed little closer, till now we
look down into the hollow separating us
from tie forts and now we are with
in good ri.ie range. Three regiments 90
one at time from the division, and re-