Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-07-09
THE SIEGE OF VICKSBURG.
Interesting Account of Affairs There.
corresnondence Of the State journal.

The last time | wrote you was on Sat-
urday. the 18th, at which time had been
at sherman's Landing, and had a plain,
clear view of Vicksburg. 1t rises from
the river, and is built on high slope, its
upper buildings being nearly 800 feet
above the landing. Fronting the west,
the setting sun brought out distinctly all
its prominent buildings-a fine Court
House. church and Odd Fellows hall,
while the dwellings, scattered among the
trees, gave truly rural and peaceful as
pect to the place. In its main features
and outline, it looks very much like Mad
ison without its surroundings.
On Sunday, the 18th, the boat, j. B.
Perry, Fl. @. P. D., again dropped down
the Yazoo and Mississippi to sherman's
Landing. It was beautiful, clear day
q light mist yelled the city, and from our
distance, three miles, as rural scene, it
was most charming. While looking out
at it, about 10 a. NJ, about the time your
people were on their way to church,
mortar boat within half mile suddenly
opened FIRE, and then long line of eight
boats, lying under the bank, along the
"tongue," further to the East, followed
suit. This firing was novelty, and
watched it from the upper deck of the
boat for about an hour. A great jet of
flame-a column of smoke shoots up
from % to 40 lbs. of powder has been
ignited-an iron globe weighing 225 lbs.
rushes up from one to two miles into the
air, and in its descent goes crashing
through the roofs or falls within the trail
tor works-a puff of smoke marks the
spot where it explodes-and everything
near is torn to fragments. Then comes
the report of the mortar, which makes
the boat tremble throughout its huge
frame, and later of the shell, which
comes back as distant echo. The fire
was incessant from the boats, though each
fires slowly. Shells exploded about the
churches, over the houses, and the huge
embankments of the forts. Great COL
umns of smoke commenced rising from
the city, but what actual damage was
done, we failed, with the aid of glass,
to make out 1t seemed impossible that
this village, embowered in trees, on that
quiet Sabbath morning, could be the
Vicksburg our forces were beseiging, 1t
is reported that $4,000 sick and wounded
rebels fill the buildings, that the families,
of whom numbers have fallen--men, wo-
men and children-have burrowed in the
hills, and that terror and dismay sits on
every countenance. The avenger is at
their doors.
In the afternoon, the boaS returned
back to the Yazoo, and proceeded up to
Snyder's and Haines' bluff, about five
miles above Chickasaw Landing. l visit
ed both places, and for the first time be-
gan to see why Vicksburg was not taken.
Snyder's bluff is lowest down. 1t is a
succession of broken ridges, rising full 800
feet high, cut and worn into most irregu.
lar and strange shapes. The traitor
works consisted of q series OF rifle pits,
rising in tiers to a height of about 10O
feet, to a line of batteries. They had
blown up or dismounted their cannon
Gas and 100 Founders, planted to sweep
the Yazoo-burnt the carriages and what
could be destroyed, and the enormous
guns lay scattered about within the works
Higher up, they had batteries upon the
crests of the hills, which breaks ont in
high, vertical-faced and rounded knobs
The place could in no way have been car.
ried by direct front assault.
Your headers may as well be told here
that terms in common use do not convey
a correct idea of this country. We NEAR
by "ravine," depression with sides slop
ing more or less sharply, but all capable
of ready ascent; while george" is sup
posed to have very steep or vertical banks
There are no ravines in our sense, or but
few, here. The deposit of these hills i;
of marine origin, as | have found abund
ant sea-shells in it. 1t is the remains o
an ancient country-but among the lates
geologically is rapidly disappear
ing, owing to the wash from its heights
Wherever q channel is made for water
however small, it has cut down vertically
to great depths. ! have seen numerous
" dltches," not four feet at top, which
could not be seen rod off, owing tC
vegetation. that were full fifteen feet deep
and a person once in could not get GU
alone without following down to the out
let. The soil is yellow, plastic, and ad
hesive beyond stint in wet weather, ant
makes first class dust in dry. The side
often vertical; and it would be quite a
easy to lead an army to charge from th
Fourth Lake up into the Universit
grounds by the highest and steepes
bank, as for General Grant to storr
Vicksburg. This style of country pre-
walls all the way to Black River, Gran
Gulf, &c. Vioksburg does not stan
upon ridge, as our people suppos
but upon the western face of an e
tensive inland series Of hills and ridges
its margin with the Mississippi. Louis
ana, which is but delta, has no hill
while Mississippi has much of its surfa
high and broken.
Haines' Bluff, two miles above Snyder