Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1863-07-10
FROM THE THIRTY FIRST IOWA.
Letter from Capt. Sheer.
WALNUT Hills, Miss,
June 21st 1868.

L W@ kl WALNUT HILLS, MISS,
# June 21sl, 1868.
| EAessrs. Editors are yet burrowine
in the hills near Vicksburg, and / can assure
you that it is a tiresome task to wait on reb
el stomachs caving in. am afraid that many
days will elapsc before Pemberton's supplies
will be exhausted, although they are very
short now. He viii not surrender as long
as the bone of mule can be found within
his lines with marrow in it. The rebels
touched the right chord when they called
Pemberton Coward" Incompetent" etc.
lie will strain every power Of body and mind
to prove these assertions false and when ev.
cry ray of light shall have disappeared, we
will be laundering in front of his works.
But thank God-Grant's ears are as long as
Pemberton's, and we have plenty to eat
We hope to celebrate the 4th of July in the
Hill City )" but if we should fail to do so,
our friends must enjoy life and eat and drink
enough Of the good things provided for such
occasions to make up for our loss. We have
resolved that before long there shall be an.
other sacred day, upon which you can meet
annually and sing the death song of treason
and rebellion, or point with the finger of
scorn to Peace Democrats, towards or Cop
perheads, who would now sell their liberty
and their country for an approving smile
from the Thorough bred chivalry of the
South" Oh how very thankful many Of
US will be, if the privations and hardships
which we now endure, shall atone for cling
ing to that party for years, which now sup
ports Mahony, Seymour, vallandigham and
jeff. Davis. During the past week every
thing has been unusually quiet near vicks-
burg until yesterday morning. We have
given them only few rounds before break.
fast and few after supper 70 satisfy them
that all is well and that we are still strongly
attached to them. -.....
Night before last all hands were ordered
to be in the rife pits by 4 o'clock A. NJ, as all
our mortars, field and siege guns would open
upon the enemy at that time and fire as rap
idly as possible for six hours. The program
me was carried out to the letter, and to all
who Were in the pits common thunder wod
appear like child's play and sound unnatural.
We do not know the result of our days
work, but large proportion of our grape
and shells were well put in, and / would
guess that at least two hundred rebels who
were fit for duty yesterday did not answer
at roll call this morning Only their sharp
shooters reply to US. We keep up the cter-
nal digging every night, and if the rebels
opposite to us were not well bred and very
civil it would be unpleasant work, as we (31st
and 25th Iowa regiments) are so close that
officers are obliged to whisper when directing
their men how to work. At one point Gen.
Logan has run one of his pits nearly to the
top of rebel fort. We are being strongly
reinforced and continue to strengthen our
works in the rear of Hane's Bluff and near
Black River. And should Generals Bragg
and Johnston see fit to meet us, we will treat
them to the best in the shop without any
fear Of a failure on our part. l have feared
that the rebels might blockade the river
above us, but if they should do so now they
could not injure us much as we have a very
large quantity of supplies on hand and could
soon drive them back. To morrow our brig
ade (Col. Wood's) will have two new Sab
ready to bear on three or four
heavy rebel guns which have been planted
to destroy our gun boats.
The weather during the last week has been
very pleasant. We have but little sickness
in the army and every body is in high spir-
its, mot commissary whisky as there is none)
Every hour in the day can be heard the re.
mark, " When we get into vicksburg."
Messrs. Caldwell, E. Graham and Wor-
,ester, Of Co. B, have been sent to hospital
either in Memphis or st. Louis. William A
crandall has been discharged. Messrs
Knowles, Yand, G.. Rath, Hoagland, Hart
,ough, and Seavcy are sick in division hos
oital about II miles from their regiment; all
loing well except Charles Seavey who can
lot live many days. Mcssrs. Tondro and
Rounds, who were wounded, will leave for
heir homes tomorrow on furlough. All the
,ther boys Of Co. B. who are here are well.
RPS.
Ordinance Of Missouri
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