Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-07-27
BY M'CLANAHAN & DILL.
94itg gypeal,
INSIDE VEEw or THR sERGE OF
VEEKaMErRG

INSIDE VEEW or THg SERGE 0F
/ VECRsBUHG.
] By our Regular C0rrespepdeutI
Prom about the l2k Of May, we Of Yieksburz be
care 10 a certain extent isolated from ths baIascs o
the ConfedsracY by the interruption of communication
with Jackson Much apprehension was manifested
and many lsterday prophets arose proaulgste thai
which every perssn knew beforehand ts wit: "Tbat
uness Yioksbutg was relieved In the rear it would
eventually, after endsring the horrors Of siege have
90 fucoudb 10 enemy more thres' 'sui1g and power
full than that o. the Federal aInyslsrvation Up ID
The Ijh there st cay egrsss from the city snJ
Communication with the rssE coad be had BY any Of
The uufrequented routes lsadis out but sfei
thig time the doors closed the belts lightly drawn
aad the people Of Yicsbarg were vi-tuay imprisoned
beyond the Of escape aad without hope Of sue
cor from aHy quarter Ia the In-aums the enemy was
making rriumphal march aroand aid TO the rear Of
Visls5srg, defeating car frazmsrtssy army at every
psiRt and securing psssezion Of Ray3nd Clinton and
Jaczssz, In quick succession.
Although aVsrs Of the fact that we had no army in
the department able 70 pit elf against ths victorious
column ef invaders could rot resist the hope that
kind fortune would cone 30 rescue saa that some
f0ruiiOus Circumstance mlgh. iztsFpose to relieve us
from Tie swfaI danger which looming up In sueA
uHcomfortabls 2rozia-i,y to our locality.
The battle Of Champion h.l, or B-s-rs creek, was
crushing 6sa.tsr TO sur arms Eed soon followed by .n
other and sill ors sar5us defeat 81 o crsssngsg the
Big Basr. 1t was Row evident that tEe fate Of vcks-
burg depended upon her oa strength and TIE eozr &c
ana for.tads sf the lstl= army wihn hsT sasrsnch-
msRtE No relief could be locked FOR from vEsgt ana
none could be hsd within The warlke ber.zJz had
assumed ihreasen and fsrbldl.Bg asPsct arms
had bs4a overthrosn aad rut=d afer having endured
continued sad uniHtsuupted march, ard succession
of disastrous hshus for the two preaching weeks.
Sunday morning May lssh, presented the humiIis;ng
spectacle ef cur troops struggling back town disor-
aHz=l, tagged ogt from fatigue, sgsrng from hunger
R=d ihrst dlskssr5snod and ds1noralz-d The scenes
presented in Ae streets Of the city on This memorable
day viI ever be remembered by those vlo Witnessed
them Gsssrzl PsHbsrlon an5 escort srriyed ia town
Ga shs sId Of b4lls, a.d saer then the surg
gs and 81 the .ooss nczmtrazccs aud aai1uets sf he
army. TIE city ss lsd with troops, wih teams, az.
tierJ. stores szd every imsgins5Ls thing connected
with and belonging 70 an army The oilen prevailed te
q great extent that the enemy would slv41os and oe-
eapy the place hat night, as no opP0si ion eoud bs
Inase, Ehsuid Gen Grant Be disposed follow up the
q siYantass which he had gained. to possess the cry
without ary farther bioo5shsd. For the first tiae id
TIE citizens comprehend that tie place IL 5aBgr
sad thai tie enemy virtually had it tla his grasp.
The army was dsmors.izs5i ths field artillery had
been nezlly ali espt-rsd by the enemy and tu-n
against us the citizens were discouraged dsgustgd and
dissatisfied with the bad management 1nl want OF lkl
dsRlayed BY General Penbs-ton. Loud complain
az5 thre ats wers uttered against ocis Inccuystsay
ssd eovsrnmen. 81 delinquency in nos providing tie
Necessary means of ease. or seczrag suPPis s.ore
ssHusition pruFison1 aza forage ad quEts 60 siege
Of at least six months duration. When tn ensmy Erst
a7pssrsd st Port Gibson Ger. PsnbsIteB ordered all
tys people Ia that vieiity bring 'he stock and
v2Hts witka our IHss Tks increased sur rPulstos-
all u which ives non productive Ezd consuming
while iu the esutme TIE liges were being contracted
and he cirs became smaller Rzd smaller tie siege
siysncsd that by the time that our comRunicstoR
interrupted ia the rear, he limits Of lts e Ii
tory eoRd be rsscsa from every point Of the snemys
lines by crsss ir- fr6E his artillery. Being .thus cob-
aRsd within Ha-rsu sPsce with an increased popuis
on, snd e0Hsuuing sImy, without any productive
facilities, nor means OF recupezating EOm any quarter
t soQn bGczme ev dent 20 the NO bedsrkezed uadsr-
szding that unless o1tside relief should come quicF
zIs famous stronghold OF the Confisr-ey mrst fa by
n-sas ef rtaryadon. 10 one Sresasd thst tie Gov
srRmsnt al Iicsmlnd would quietly couts,p sts our
distress aud refuse 70 render hs. aEs which the
bravery Of the reoPE and ss sacrifices OF the citizens
II Wick s5urg had 80 well mertsd and which every sne
nss colnscted with red tape was viting to secsrd.
It was IN ihls unexpectedly Strengthened coudi.sn
Tat the morning Of the 18th Nsy fO1n5 the gallant city
which on this day one year ago Witnessed the frst ap
pressh Of he caeuys foraidab'e feet OF vessels
iron Commodore Farragu.'s gulf squadron. Then she
sent the defiant answer 90 the gf surrender
that 8ssssiPpilas 5d not kse and refused 70 IssrR
how to surrender to an enemy" This tine her status
was quite different sfr as also was that Of TIE exc
my. Then she wss oRIy threatened in fonti now she
is menacsd both iH froRt rear aHs sa-surrou8lgd on
the outside and short sf supplies for svss the small
garrison within. The h5sizla sssasd to have q shade
cast the bright and hopsfzl prospects which hithe=
to hEd obeersd and encouraged Thngs did not look
gratifying in the lsaz-tks enemy vss now vhia fifteen
sss q Tloks5urg and bis appearance ia sight sf
ails was momeutarily sEpsctsdi oar army was Hssr-
,zn'zes and scsttersd sucb OF the field artillery was
5si but little work had yet been done on the trenches
a the rear aud the men were broken down from .he
asigue OF the previous fourteen days; many Of the
izsss arssy sgared the place At tss mercy Of the
nsay and FER the frat tine did their hopes fs them
Gen. Psm0srton went to work In reorgauizing bis
ry for the last desperate stragge and with the assist
nee Of the ether g-ners succeeded in placing force
the dltehes sufficient TO hold themi check until the
sssss could Be completed and the troops rscuperated
ron their late fatiEse and exhaustion
Daring the Bigat the troops were placed IA position
ma the ditehss rather that part Of them which
ras sufficiently advanced t. admit OF occupancy Brig
isu. BALDWIN, in examining the line, discovered that
be most Vulnerable plsee the pgi8t a. which the
rs1 assault wsald be made, being on lett and In
irect liRe with he eueny approach. Al his own re-
uest he assigned, with his command Of veterans
ecCupy and hold that position The troops were then
rdsrsd 10 their places with General Baldwin on the
FL, General Lee the right General ForueY in the
enter. and the remainder Of The commanding olieers
sspecdvey TO the rigst and left Of The center The
ight however, passed over without any tdlngs frou
be enemy bnt vita grelt trepidat0n and uncsrtaiuty
uong the citizens The forenoon Of that day vrss
sn uupranEHg, sad fearful prsseutinens Of the fual
roubled tbs miHs Of our beleagusrsd people, but
re were allowed rest and reflect Peculisr
ltuston uudislurbsd by the "csanoAs opening rear
nal Ebest three eoIsck p X, when guns were heard
syvard tbs left az FIRST enly feeble and irsgul,r but
rev mere rapid ara boitsrous as night approached,
nd extended itself all sisag the line until there was
sntaues rearing fro the extreme rghtto the further
most extremity Of the lefL Snail aras wsrs also in
bundast usa aHd several charges were made and re-
ulsed with great disaster the enemy The firing Of
nall srns csstuued throughout the entire 1iEst.
On Tuesday morning, May 2)h, there was a very
srcopabls change n public sentiment. and much bsi-
sr state Of feel ng prevailed both in the army and
mong the citizens The enemy had sppssrsd in sight
nd oomneHced thund,dng at the breastw0rks on the
vening bsfsrs receiving cheek that gave our forces
ne to improve tbeiE works and recruit their strength
.verythiag were q smiling and hopeful csuntsnance,
nd the panlc which had threwH Eu b elsud Of dss-
ondeHey ever tAs whole conmunity wssnow dspelled.
Iope, confidence, and determination Eailngly de-
ictsd on every face snI troops felt good hu.
Tor 10 meet the enemy.
OPportunly was nsi long delayed, they were so0n
Elisd rspuse a charge, which accomplished
riA dresdful slaughter to the enemy Agaia and agsin
"a the zsrTisd ranks approach and charge upon the
itcheE which splitting forth death and destruction
ato their midst. The struggle ahaly extended arong
be whole line, and eoRnusd to rage frlously Until The