The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-06-19

secret bed of gunpowder, but as simple
approach to the enelny's works.
Such was the character OF the mine
which | explored. Possibly the Others
may be different in formation and design.
Those who imagine that we are digging
into the very vitals of Vicksburg, and pro-
pose to blow that village to the four winds,
with grand display of mechanic force and
pyVtechnics, and a sublime tragedy like
the plot of Guy Fawkes, will doubtless be
disguised at this matter-ot-fact calculation
of the subject They will cry Mcclellan
and Richmond over again. Nevertheless,
simply as series of approaches, which
tighten the embrace of the Union army
around Vicksburg, I have great confidence
in them. As anything else, should have
very little.
THE STRENGTH OF THE FORrlFICATIONs
AROUND vIOKsBURG
1t was supposed when the army was ad-
vapcing from the "Big Black" that we
had at last got upon weak side OF the
city, where the Confederate Generals new
er dreamed that the Lincoln hirelings
would ever advance. Information picked
up on the way tended to strengthen this
impression. was so we'll persuaded of
such state of affairs that l hurried for
ward from the Black River bridge, SO as to
be with Sherman's force, which was adj
vancing on the north from Bridgeport,
when they entered the city. But after a
careful reconnaissance of the works, one
of our Generals assured me that he would
prefer to storm Vicksburg from the river.
Nothing could be more elaborate than the
defenses upon the east. To the north of
the city, where it was expected that they
would be most strongly entrenched, We
found the rebels on the morning after our
arrival busy as beavers constructing line
of earthworks. After heavy cannonade
by Landgraven's battery and others, they
were dislodged, and Gen. Steele was ena-
bled to advance a half mile or so nearer.
Opposite McClernand the rebels have hard
ly turned spade full of earth, except to
| repair during the night breaches made by
our so FOUNDER PARROTS during the day.
The line of Notifications is constructed
after the most approved system OF military
engineering Itdescribes zig-zag course
| to illustrate by rude figure, like that
of werm fence. The sides of the re-
treating angle are simply strong rife
pits, but they completely enfilade each
other, besides atfording a thanking fire
from the heavy guns that man the fortiti-
cations. These bastions stud the apex Of
every assailant angle, which is naturally
the weak point, and are of the most for
midable description. One in particular,
of great size, and opposite Mcpherson
which | understand is called Fort Vicks-
burg, is in place apparently from fifteer
to twenty feet high, and nearly perpen-
dicular.
The cannon which man them are o.
heavy calibre, but not as numerous as the
river batteries. The great guns which
poured their death storm into our scud.
ding tlOtilla OF transports, such as the fal
famed Whistling Dick, 'etid Onenc GEM;
are not so mounted as to be moved, anC
are most of them still in their old position
| And it is well known that of not far from
ninety field pieces, composing pretty much
all their available artillery, which Pember'
ton moved out to confront us, seventy
four were captured. Still several new
guns have been mounted and opened fire
upon us since the siege began, but not in
numbers sufficient to render them eX-
ceedingly formidable. The great strength
of the redOub:s lies in their internal con-
struction. The Forlorn Hopes of the 22d
ascertained, to their costs, that after run
ming the gauntlet of murderous volleys
from the rifle pits, and actually scaling
the rebel earthworks, they were still along
way from victory. Instead of being mas
tiers OF an apparently deserted fort, they
found themselves exposed to fire from
ritle-pits, which, running from front to
rear, pour i'll cross-fre upon troops en-
tering by the corner of the redoubt, and
after dislOdging the enemy from the whole
interior, they were shot down from an
ambuscade behind another line of rihe-pits
which, instead of the usual curtain, forms
the rear of the fort. More than ono Of
these intrenched works were actually
scaled, but the interior, SO far from being
an asylum for the assailants, proved to be
chamber, to which the open ground out
side, swept as it was by constant volleys,
was preferable.
This brief description will give some
faint idea Of the strength of this Ameri-
can Sebastopol. The Inflated Boomer
was wise when he said to his officers, with
the earnestness of a dying man, "Don1
charge those works. There were precip
itOus bastions, forts. moats, from six t.
eight feet deep, angles of enflading rifle
pits, and sixteen thousand desperateesol
diers to dispute our progress. 1t is tru'
that since the action is fairly over, it ap
pears that the
ATTACK on THE ODD ULT.,
might have been better arranged. Gen
eral Grant presumed too much on the he
role ardor of the victors of Black River
| Il a.4;,,otod too linhtlu both thu otronntl