The Smoky Hill and Republican union. [volume] (Junction City, Kan.) 1861-1864, 1863-06-06
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[From The Chicago Tribune, May p.
Z The, following letfsr from Sesgeans s. F.
Branch, Of the 20,h Illinois volunteers,
to his viis, viii b rad with De. . interest.
L giyes vivid, and, no doubt, truthful
desaiPtiod q the 6tst six days Of Grants
sampai&n. after be lauded at Bruinsburg.
This account has frsshnsss about Il which
caa hardly b foand in the dstails q army
correspondents, o. in the o05sial reports of
olicers: ~ Esiff1ss s4g'si9'i = 'slr,
a. In CAxP xEAa Bro BIAcx, % NM.
- SovTH OF vIcKssuao, May 6, '6s. I
DEAR vi - = We
started from Milhkea's Aend On The morn.
ing Of the 25th Of April at seven O'Clock.
and marched for Carthage, below Yicks-
burg. We marched nine miles and en-.
eanped. The roads were ID good order,
bat ten days before they could not have
been travelled at all. It. Was through .
swampy county, and it MAS plain to be
seen that If it rained We should have fun.
And sure enough on the night Of the 26th
it began to. rain in earnest, continuing oil
night We were marching without tents,
and were vet through BY morning but no
matter. We started in . terrible thunder
storm companies + and E were the rear
guard. It rained all day, and Of al the
the roads | eyer saw, ours was the worst.
That day We passed over one hundred .vag-
.ons stuck in the mud. We we're drenched
with water oil day. We made six miles
and encamped o. an old deserted plantation,
and slept in . bed Of raw cotton without
blankets, in our vet clothss. slept first
rate, got up 10 the morning al right, and
started again. Made ten miles that day,
and csmped At Perkins plantation, on tho
Mississippi river below Yicksburg, Per.
kins Was United States Senator az years
ago. When he SAN the Yankees coming,
be set ERE to al his buildings, cotton, &C.,
and took his family and left for Grand
Gulf, twelve miles down the river. l
We lay there until midnight, then started
down the river bank BY land, and arrived
opposite Grand Gulf at 2 o'clock, P. NJ;
the same evening We crossed the river on
gunboats and transports which had run the
blockade before We left Milliken's Bend,
and landed six miles below Grand Gulf and
encamped. Gen. McClernand had crossed
before US, and marched out the same night.
On the morning Of the 1st Of May, We
started at six o'clock out into Mississippi.
We had gone about six miles Whem boom
boom from the front told rs Of work
ahead. The men quickened their pace
without orders, and for four miles We
marched So fast that the men began to drop
from heat. Some six or seven were sun
struck. About that time Gen. Smith,
commanding our brigade) came back and
asked 10 if We could stand It to 20 three
miles further; that We were wanted badly
10 front; that the rebels were holding Mo
Clernsnd very closely, and be must have
help. We all said 90 ahead, and the next
three miles were made on the ble.qulck,
the noise Of cannon and musketry increas.
ing all the time ; aud at noon We unslung
knapsacks, loaded guns, and we're marched
to the front. The Adjutant took command
Of the regiment, and We lay under FIRE for
three hours, without any chance 70 retaliste.
We were held ~ reserve. One regiment
after another was sent to the front to try
and dislodge the enemy from high hill,
which they lad got possession Of. The hill
was covered With houses and full Of deep
cutters, surrounded By deep rsvines, which
with the side bills, were covered with cane
brake so thick you could not see road.
Every regiment that went into that cane
brake came out badly cut up, and in eoufu.
sion. Il was no use trying 70 take the bill
from the front All this time two l2.
pound guns Of the rebels were making bad
work among our boys, and could not be
silenced BY our guns. At 2 o'clock P. H.,
the 10th and 45th were called in and sent
to the left and rear Of the coveted hill.
We "ent and lay in . deep rsvins, await
ing orders, when Gen. Mcpherson came
down and gave the following order: "Swing
that 20th around 20 its left will rest on tie
right of the 45tb, and 60 up that bill
and give those rebels h-ll!' Quick
~ thought We swung around and started up
the hill 80 steep and thick With cane brake
that We had to draw ourselves up By the
cane, and when We made the top Of the
oane We were within Is rods Of The rebel
battery. Then the order was given to iis|
bayonets and charge the battery. We did
70 with one Of those peculiar Wild yslls ;
bnt when within Eve rods Of the guns, .
line Of rsbs rose, - If out Of the ground,
Just behind the Guns, but they did not get
lime to 6rs gun. We stopped short
without order and fred one solid volley into
Ehem; and what We did not kill and wound
left on double quick, We then went ahead,
'oek the guns, killing aud capturing Tie
yunuen. / stssddlsd 90 ef lie eusS and
ired two shots at the retssaaisg rsbsla