The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1863-07-16
HEADQUARTERS BIRD r. w. Y.
CAMP NEAR VICKsBURG, Miss,


DEAR SISTER 1 have but little news to
write of the doings here Of general matters
can say but little, except that along our
whole lne the W orks are being strengthened
and siege guns and batteries are added each
night and dag mostly in the night.
Gen. Lanman has in this division caused
our rifle pits to be constructed within 800
yards of the enerny's works on our whole
front We have mounted three sixty four
Founders, and the number of smaller pieces
Of artillery already i'll position it would benin
possible for me to conjecture. The greatest
distance between them and the enemy works
is not more than eight hundred yards. | will
tell you Of few little incidents that have &C.
cured since was sick, as related to me.
In front of our battery on the right is a bill
III the form of horse shoe, not more than
two hundred yards from the rebel works. On
this the enemy had several rifle pits in form
of a seni-circle composed of sand bags. The
hill on which our battery is placed is some
higher and overlooks it to the enemy's works,
and slopes in ridges to the one occupied by
the enemy. 1t is also approached by two val
leys running diagonally to it, from the right
and left of the battery. Col. Moore is in com
mand of the line, and ordered Capt. Warner
of Co. j, with sixty men to proceed up the
valley on the left while detachment of one
hundred and twenty men from the 41st ILL.,,
was to proceed up the one on the right,
and thus attack them Oh both TANKS at the
same time. They started about halfpast one
in the morning, and proceeded up the valley
till they came to the foot of the hill on which
the enemy were posted, and there discovered
some men; soon some fifteen had collected
Not sure but they were from the 41st, he Or
dered his men to fall fiat on the ground until
he was positive of the position of the 41st
They had hardly executed the order when
they received volley from the fifteen in sight
They replied to it, and the rebel pickets fled
to their pits. They then began to crawl up
the hill when within short distance of the
enemy they halted and waited for the 41st to
come up, but no help came The rebel fire
had now ceased, and all was still, and every
object was visible for some distance in the
moonlight. To retreat then was extremely
hazardous and too remain there was to be
surely cut up. So the Captain, in a loud voice
called on two imaginary Captains to bring
up their two other companies waiting few
moments longer he spoke to his men loud
enough to DO heard by the rebels in the pits,
1--WE have men enough now, we can bag the
whole of them" Elk bayonets !" (Which
they did with much rattle) Charge" at
them they went, Double Quick" The Rebs
left without firing their officers cursing and
swearing because they didn't stand. Our
men took possession of the rifle pits without
loss and hold them.
Last Monday night Cos. 81" 'E' and 'B''
went out to dig a line of rifle pits in advance
of our line and within one hundred yards of
the enemys works. a portion of each Co.
were deployed as skirmishers while the re-
mainder took picks and shovels and went to
work. The work progressed we'll for some
time; they had quite pit dug when three
times their number came out and attacked
them. Co.'S and c were not in position to
assist in the defence. Co. ''H' was left al
most alone to hold the position. Capt Thay-
er and his men took their shooting-sticks and
began to use them. The enemy were on a
hill not fifty yards distant, i'll full view be-
tween our men and the horizon, a fine mark,
while our men in the valley were only brought
to view by their own fire. They attempted
to make flank movement on the left, so as
to give the rifle pits raking fire. Capt. Thay-
er discovered the movement, and called out
Bring up that regiment on the right" Had
there been regiment or two companies to
obey the order they could not have retreated
to their fort. They soon fell back, remain
ing only long enough to carry off their killed
and wounded, which our men could hear groan
and call for help. We had one man wound
ed, Enos Bush, of Paris, slightly in the arm
The next night the enemy charged on them
and drove the 14th ILL.,, from them. Last
night Co. ''H'' and ''C' of the 33rd Wis,
charged on the same pits aud took them and
held them. Last night Fred Taylor was woun-
ded in the thigh qnite severely though | be-
lieve not dangerously. Also William Dun
bar in the hand slightly. Jake Windish had
his thumb and fore finger shot off some time
since. Making four wounded in Co. 81"
Ever truly your brother