Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1863-07-01
LATEST NEWS.
FROM THE 2UTa REGIMENT
BEFeRe THE TRENCHES AT VIcKs.
BURG, June 10Th, 1868.

EEITOR DkNOCRAT I'VE are OlvOu
acking in deep ravine within 600 yards
of what is believed to be the most i'm
portant fort on this end of the rebel
works, and within . mile and . quarter
Of the lowest water battery, and proba.
bly, mile from the river. The reports
of small arms and artillery are sounding
in our cara with osaseless din, but we
are told that no great damage results to
either side. The boys keep up the firing
for the fun Of the thing, without any ex-
pect alton Of effsct,ng very much. Mean
while our lines are daily being drawn
closer and closer, and heavy reinforce
ments continue to arrive. The city is
sooner or later bound to surrender.
Gen. Grant need only attend to the enc
my in his rear, and the place is ours
without fling another shot.
But although at Wick burg, We arc
probably less informed as to tho state Of
affairs than you are at the distance Of
more.than thousand mile-, (.o yon need
not expect any news from Vlcksburg,)
will try to give you some details
which you may not get from any other
source.
We disembarked At Shermans Land
ing, La. last Thursday evening; staid
there all night marched across the
neck on q plank road the next day !;
sta'd all night in good position for see-
ing the bomb Ardment OF the city by sut
mortar boats. which are moored on the
opposite side Ct the neck. Tue precision
with which they throw their shells is
something remarkable. Near us WAS
anchored q gunboat, which once every
half hour seat shell at the fort near
which We are now placed. AT nleht an.
other boat moved up aud joined in the
pleasant pastime. They made pretty
duett oil it, but it would have been more
iaterestiDg Is THO. The fort, however,
stood gvimly silent, and sullenly refused
to reply, and the same thing was true OF
ali the other batteries so far as We could
Gee.
Throughout the entire night the sky
vas almost constantly illuminated for
about three.fourths OF . circle BY the
flashes o. our heavy guns the ar was
alled with the rsverberation> the earth
vas trembling with terrible concus-
sion.; the f,ey course Of tho shells
could be t,ac by the light Of their
burning fuses. They could be distinct
ly seen bursting in the very midst OF the
rebel works, and yet those works behaved
as il the only object for which they had
been built was to lie quietly and receive
the missiles Of the Uulon army.
On Saturday We were ferlied across to
Warrenton by the Forest Queen, (she
don't look as If the batteries had been
entirely silent when she ran the block
sde) Warrenton is on the same side IS
V,cksburg, and about six miles below.
1t is the base Of supplies for our left
wing. The famous batteries thee have
been dismounled, and most Of the
houses burned.
We bivouscked for the night about
half mile this side OF the town, in q
very pleasant grove Of locust and cotton
wood trees, almost every one OF
which Was heavily laden with Spanish
moss, which article OF commerce appears
to grow here in considerable quantities
Ve,y near us was the camps Of = nigger
regiment, Of which ] shall say more by
and by.
On Sunday morning We moved for
ward . mile or two; staid in a ravine
till nearly night, when we marched to
our present position, since when nothing
Of interest has occurred 10 us.
We do not occupy the extreme left Of
our lines, an army corps from Gen. Burn
sides department having arrived, and i.
now preparing to close up the gap be-
tween us and the river.
Our division Tor corps) consists Of The
18th, 2O,h, 34th and ash Iowa, severa
Illinois, llnd,aua and Wisconsin reg
ments and q numb of batteries Of field
artillery, all under the command Of Maj
Gen. Herron. Brig. Gems. VaDdeve
and Orme hold commands under him
the 10th Iowa being 10 the la'ter's di
vision. The Goth, 34th and 3sth ar
IN Vandever's. The Goth and 34tb ~
in ono brigade commanded by Col. D,e
The health of our regiment is good, ant
the boys appear to eljoy the situation
very much, although the weather is no
and the water is not as good as we use'
to have 10 Missouri.
/ hear that there are no less than thir
tytwo Iowa reglments at Vicksburg.
don't know which are the absent ones.
Vioksburg, IS seen from the oppo.it
bank Of the river, is very pretty town
but not 90 large as Davenport ! shoul
say. It is si,usted at about the ceuie
Of . range Of hills, (some Of them risin!
to about the height Of 400 feet,) whicl
commence At Haises' Bluff, on the "
500, and stretch across 70 the MississipI