The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1863-06-18


hand will be found interesting, in giving
description Of the st, ong fortific 'tions
about Vicksburg and the fighting in
that vicinity.
Youn.s PORT, La, Nav -.
l wish I could give you and the
friends correct idea of Vlcksbu'g and
it's forti6cations. I will try. Suppose
that all the hl'l country west Of Deer
Creek from the river to Union Grove
was fortified in the strongest possible
. manner and as far. west as Indiantown
| and Sugar Creek not Hill no, ravlne
over all that area but what was planted
thick with rifle pits and commanded by
strong for,i!ications mounting the hea
| West artillery. Every hill side is co
| rered with what's called abba.,is work
Trees are felled SO as to make the adj
vance of infantry almost impossible and
where roads are left open they are I'M
der the raking fire Of artillery. These
| Notifications commenced on the Black
river 10 miles in the rear Of Wick burg.
Our army has advanced to within y
70 2 miles of town on all sides and have
taken over leo pieces Of artillery and
10 900 prisoners already. So you see
Is days Of hard fighting has not been
in vain, bu, the most formidable works
Of vicksburg arc to be taken. Grant
advances his line Of rifle pits every
nigh, and then the next day brings the
infantry line up gradually to its support
Two complete lines Of battle and one Of
,ile pits with sharp shooters are formed
around the entire place. Nicksburg is
in the jaws Of a steel trap an! unless
heavy rcinfarcemcn,s brake our lines
from The rear, mus, soon give up. NJ
ore knows the rebel force in Nlcksbnrg
it is estimated from SO to 100 600. The
rebel prisoners say it is very large, 80
much The better II taken.
Think Of the hills west OF Toledo
planted thick with cannon in holes or
cells thirty feet deep and only port
hole out to the enemy, what artillery
can ever dsmount them. On F:ilas
our .unhoats and nortars Ii in all en-
gagged, had the most terrible conflict
with these Notifications ever exyacrienc
Ell bv our fleet in the river. I Witnessed
this terrible battle having obtained a
position on tie river bank along side the
feet. Curiosity overcame my fear and
I gave my whole attention to the grand
encounter. Apparently the whoh' hill
side below Vicksbnry and near the river
is filed with batteries no embM.kment
is thrown up, the volley seems to come
out Of the ground. You can't see any
thing until the smoke leaps out and in
this way the position of the battery is
fourd.
One llinch rife gun nick named
whistling Dick from the peculiar scream
Of iis shot is q dangerous customer and
hard to handle. He seems 10 be the
prince Of the devils in his vicinity He
inflicted serions injury on the Benton
and perhaps on other boa's Of the fleet
About nine o'clock the gunboats moved
up from below and engaged the lower
batteries. The mortars laying above
opening terrible bombardment on The
batteries and town. In an hours time
our gunboats silenced Two heavy bat
teries opposite the mouth Of the canal
and then moved up within close range
of the town batteries. Now the scene
beggars all description. Fifty guns
from the hin SIDE open simultaneous
and our gunboats reply with full broad
sides. The combatants are engnlfea in
smoke, but strong breeze Is blowing
which barely clears the way for another
vOhCy. rcetUb dS tllOuSH lItC UChtcUh
were crushed and the earth was dodg-
ing from under at times. The fire Of
our gunboats was more rapid than that
Of the batteries, though all were active,
for verify the destinys Of nation might
hang upon that hour. It did not seem
possible that 4 boat could live under
that terrible fire ten minutes, and vet
| four Of our boats withstond it for an
hour and half and then dropt leisurely
with the current ont Of range after the
signal was given to cease firing. Our
boats freing ceased though fifty shots
were fred by the batteries. When at long
range shot or two rs valadictory
was fired, jnat to let the rebels know,
they wan. msch scared Not boat