Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1863-07-30
1s-s esegc and Faia at Va, kshn' <.
1Y GNG OF TIE GARRISON.

On suoday the l7th OF Nay, the Confederate army
fell back from their position east OF Big Back, then
oasiw0rks uavlng been sOrntd by the Enemy Cn that
morning, and about eight O'Clock on Sunday night
reached the eny OF VIcksburg wht re they were imme
dlattly re-orga 4 aud placed in the following posi-
ions Gen. Smuhs DIVISION on the extreme left, Mai
Gen. FCrn il the centre, Mai Gen. stephens ca
he right. pad Brig den R9wens division Of Msscu-
Il ans Geld ia reserve. At a1ont two O'clock Mon
day afternoon tins tuemv's skt mishes came n sight
and o;H FIRE our line OF WORKS, wi bout doing any
damage whatever 10 tne Confederate army by seven
o'clock mat night hey led placed several batt.r: in
position ab:ut three hundred yards from the breast
works, but a0saiDed from firing GA Tuesday morn,
ing before day lgt they opened tie rom their bate
res orr guns RESPONDING Immediately and with foe IF
e, competing be my to shit their batteries
Ilts. At the time toe enemy endeavored to
throw :ocwac,t Ootig Of shaEps10oter5, but pre-
vent d. by fire n,en, from doing he
artillery 0ue! end saarpshoo1ing continued for about
three hours, hen Gen temberon de up and ordered
lag. as he desired no artillery dueIs
In obedience 10 the oCGrf ceased hriug, and the
Result that next Dc enemy, emboldeDed by
silence, approat he'd .anrcd yar.s than
they we're before, without any opposition.
On sGay tie enemy Made their fret assault the
line of works hld by Brlgad;er Genera! Shoups Bill
gade OF I)uisianai they marched up in one solid
column, our men withholding their tire until the AN
KEGS hal sppECached within thirty yards OF the iinee
when they oncaed q terrific voty d musketry. The
enemy waye:td m nent then mar he'd forward, they
ag ala met by another voey, when trey broke and
fed under cover OF he hits Thus he Only attempt
made thas day 10 force cur lines, and the atttnpt
was evidently mere with the intention OF " feel
lDg " Our lines than with any serious idea Of stornng
them. ,he days intervening from the 19 to the %
were spent ia continued bcmoardiDg aud sharp
shooting during the day, IN the night they generally
ceased firing, On the morning OF inc 22d the enemy
opened terrific IRE with their Parrot guns, aud
tlnued 5ili atout eleven o'clock when the lombard
ment ceased, and heavy columns oil the enemy could be
forming III line nf battle Our tcccea were al
ready for them and eager their advance A about
d quarter twelve the coiumcs OF she Yapkee army
advanced al a0l the lines il speLdid order a1d with
loud ch5tr dashed up 10 the works. lhsy gal
Ianty respoOhd 10 By brave boys and tee first
charge rcilistd. Ga right of our lines the
nature OF the gCCund prevented &C enemy f:om ing
any heavy attack tut the right Of centIe, the
caUtFe and the lett CT the CENTRE the assault despe
rately and CALAMITY met--but once did our lines
break, aud that Lees brigade; the enemy gain
I'd temporary footing the rife pits but Lee quick
ly rallied bis men, aSd after despera hand to- hand
hlht drove them out and lie captured the lines. The
engagement at this point aid the right o. the ne Led
BY Brigadter General l. Hernert, Oh tcrrh nH-
lure, the aUkeS bavog tbFONn ther b. 81 troops On
these works. Five TIMES did 'hey cha~ee, and e8ch
time Were REFUSED.
The laet charge Oh he rig"t 81 Btigadier General
Hegbert's lines was made by Lisa regiment, (the
18th Wisconsin, carrying tie g,een 1g OF Erin. They
Came at dUnbe quick up the bill, each man in the
a
Three times they es.ayed to plant their ladders but
prevented by the COS mate resistance offered by
The consolidated 2l.t and 23d Leu sans regiments -
At the third Charge they within var OF the
line, buC voltys buck shot from shot guns OF
forces compelled them 10 make Pre- cptae retreat
from tie trent OF Cur works. At about two O'Clock
they made Their last charge and again rtpais d.
WHEN they tired and did not attempt any further de-
m0ustratlou that day The loss OF the enemy that
day is lnaed, by competen parties, at hss than
f,,n IN q OH! Joca hp+-
AID 200 IN ki!leu aud wounded TO describe the bat
tie would De an impossiby. The cannonadlDg ae
pealed ike one con luuons peal OF thunder and the
sharp crack ot Thousands OF lent grandeur to the
scene that d lies description. Thursday do1bt
The heaviest and most de peEate assault lice I
DeastWOrks that has ever been attempted during this
war. No higher Pr slse be given tro ps Tor
tpusIng the enemy tnap the acknoW .ment that the
Yankees fought Win vaor worthy OF better cause
aud The frank acknowledgement of Gen Grant that the
troops that kept him out OF Vcks0ug Tor tortyseve
days, one arter rat ons were the bFavest be
saw and that could have kept him out as long
as lhry ht1i provisions Ga the ~ I'd we lost SOM
noble meD, among whom were Colonel Herrick of the
2ls J. ulsaaa, Captain Gomez, Of the regiment,
AID other gallant and Oh valrons SOU bern
From TIE commencement of the siege to the 26th of
May, the Yankees had only feed during the ia but
trom Tuesday the &c they kept up one Continued fire
uight day. The mortsrs the peninsula opposite
VI,bsbug opened fire tie 35th OF May, and coEtin-
ued uAceag.ng fire until the surrender OF the city
Z Oh day new batteries Were.er c,ed, AID larger
unt OF guns brought to Gear upon the tewE. II Is
mated that many as 900 mortar shells alone
we're thrown into Vcksburg every twentyour hours
aud on tie line the OF the city many 1000
Per day.
After the grand attack on the 22d of May the enemy
evidently perceived The hopelessness of taking Vlcks
ourg By storm they then commenced mining our
works. To give idea CT why they ventured to mine
our lines would that our men, having to obey
The order OF Gen. Pembertou, did not "waste any gm
nuntloa on the enemy" bnt allowed them to come
within fifty yards of line Of breastworks when they
throwing up works and erecting forts this
hey were allowed to do without any further noesta-
ton than the occasional throwing OF few hand glen.
ides, III meny cases the enemy hlngng them bach to
49, From the 22d of May to the 25lh of june no at
mpt made Of any serious nature with the keep
ion Of The attack by the turreted iron clad gunbuat
Cincinnati TO silence OF our land batteries The
Engagement lasted abou. fifteen minutes when the Gin
,lnnar commenced sinking, having been pierced sever
ii times by the Brook gun known Whlstllng Dick
This was spirited and exciting engagement, and the
esult appeared wholly unexpected by the Yankees as
they confidently anticipated the destruction of the bat
cry by their Wanted ironclad. During the engage
nent number of the enemy congregated On the bank
IT the river opposite Vicksburg, while Sherman with
entire corps rested their waiting for the de-
ructon of the works, when he would center Vicksburg
without any trouble" AS soon as it became evident
hat the boat sinking, she ashore and Bet
10 fire. She now lies dsmantled wreck Immediately
bove the city On the Mississippi shore.
From the commencement of the siege 10 the 25th of
une loss in officers had been very large 1t. Col
Rogers, of the 10th louisiana and Major Hoady, of
he heavy artillery, killed Col Patton, Lieut.. Colonel
'teever, Col Marks, Col. Harrison, Brig. Gen. Bald
'in Capt. Brusle and others wounded all belonging
0 the Geld and staff. Col. Carrot, commanding an