The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1863-06-11

wagons passing at time. The rebs
artillery, at first, bore directly upor
the main road on which our army ad
vanced toward their works and har
raised us considerably, until partiall
silenced by our infantry. esncceed
ed, notwithstanding the many disad
vantages which surrounded us, in get
ting exactly the positions our General
wanted for the commencement OF hos
tilities. But while doing so | >coul'
not help thinking of what planter sail
to me last winter, speaking of the prob
ability of movement in the rear o
Vicksburg aud the impossibility ofsuc
Ecessful results from it. "Yon might a
well try to climb trees with your artil
lery as to get them along the roads il
the neighborhood Of w alnut Hill" sait
he. fully realized the truth of his re
marks as | saw the difficulty witt
which guns were moved from plac,
to place on the 10th. l doubt if an,
city in the South is as well calculated
by nature and art, for defence against
an invading army as the defiant me
tropolis on the banks Of the Mississippi
Once in position on the hills which
surrounded the southwestern Gibraltar
it seems as if an army of FIVE Thousand
men ought to check the advance OF
fifty thousand. Ifindeed it be not true
as one of our Generals said to- day, that
fInnuanA 10, ii n<.l
fighting as fifty thousand, from the diff
ficulty of maenvering large bodies OF
troops on such hills as We have here
EVACUATION OF HAINEs' BLUFF.
Haines' Bluff was evacuated by the
rebels on the l7th-the day on which
they were whipped at Big Black. The
position became untsnable to them as
soon as Sherman crossed Big Black.
They knew they could not prevent us
from marching an army between Vicks
burg and the Bluff, aud according they
deserted the position in time to avoid
capture. They spiked all their guns,
and removed nearly all their portable
property.
WHAT WAS DONE ON THE 10Th.
On the night of the 10Th Col. Mather,
Chief of Artillery on McCleinand's
staff, advanced his heavy guns to with
in SIX hundred yards of the rebel bat.
teries. He met with no resistance.
The goth was spent i'll artillery prac.
tice all along the lines. There was Tic
infantry firing done except by sharp
shooters, but that was most effectua
in some place. The rebel gunners
were driven from their guns in several
forts by our experienced rifemen, who
crawled up within seventy five yards
of their works, and keeping vigilant
watch, ''drew bead" OH every butter.
mt who showed his head above the
rife pits. Our lines advanced a shor,
distance on the goth. AT night oul
skirmishers were not quarter Of 9
mile from the rebel breast, works.
ON THE 2IsT.
Very little was done on the 21st.
Our artillery kept up heavy fire OH
the rebel works, but elected replies
only from few batteries. The rebels
acted as if intending to save their am
munition, and not expend it except in
case of an advance on them. Our ar
tiIlery made breaches in the enemy's
earthworks IN several places, but on the
morning of the 22d We found these
were ali repaired. The gunboats and
mortars kept mp brisk FIRE on the
night of the 2lst They must have
burned several buildings, Judging from
the fires TO be seen in the city from our
camps. The rebel batteries on the riy-
err replied to the gunboats, aud between
the two heavy csunoBading was con-
tinued until morning.
THE BATTLE ON THE 22D.
Gen. Grant was of opinion that the
key to Vicksburg was in front of Gen.
McPherson's corps, the centre of the
rebel lines. There are a number of
forts there, the two principal ones COM
handing the main road to Jackson, and
directly in the rear of Vicksburg Court
House. To silence the guns here, sew
eral of our best batteries were ordered
into positon-among them three Par
rott guns, manned and officered by the
LIST Regulars. Between our sharp
shooters and our artillery, We silenced
the guns in these forts, but, as we after
ward learned, that damaged the rebels
only little. Our shells set fire to a
number of cotton bales inside of the
forts.
Before 2 O'clock on the morning of
the 22d, our artillery had fired and des-
troyed three service magazines in rebel
forts, one on the centre and two on the
LETT. They were small affairs, judging
from the explosions which occurred.
THE ASSAULT ON THE CENTER
The assault was to have been made
all along the lines at ten o'clock A. M.
The order was not obeyed, | think by
a single division of the army. At the
appointed time, our lines occupied sx-
actly the position assigned them on the
previous day, and up to eleven o'clock,
the skirmishers had not advanced, save
those of one or two divisions. On the
center, the LIST and Sd Brigsdes of Gen.
Logan's division, commanded by Gen.
John E. Smith aud John D. Stevenson.
advanced at about half past eleven
O'Clock. Tworegiments of Steverson's
bripade were proyidej with scaliuo