The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-06-06
The Siege Of Vicksburg-The Rat
tie OF the 22d. se.tf ~

us. NO army was ever more cOnnuent VI
achieving glorious success than was ours
of entering Vieksburg on the, 10th. So
fully assured were we of victory, that we
postponed it from day to day.
1t became known on the morning OF the
2lst, that at ten o'clock next morning the
whole line of the enemy's works would pc
assaulted, and 1 did not hear of single
doubt being expressed as to the result
TO storm tho works is to take Vicksburg,
was the universal opinion among officers
and men.
| Gen. Grant was of opinion that the key
to Vicksburg was in trout Of Gen. McPher-
sons corps, the center of the rebel lines
There are q number of forts there, the two
principal ones commanding the main road
to jackson, and directly in the rear OF
i VicksbuTg Court House. To silence the
guns here, several of our best batteries
We're ordered into position-among them
three PARROT guns, manned and ofhcered
by the lst regulars. Between our sharp
shooters and our artillery, we silenced the
guns in these forts, but, as we afterwards
learned, that damaged the rebels only lit
| tie. Our shells set fire to a number of cot
ton bales inside the forts.
Before two o'clock on the morning of the
ed, our artillery had fired and destroyed
three service magazines in rebel forts, one
on the center and two on the left They
were small affairs, judging from the explo-
sions which occurred. ~
The assault was to have been made all
along the lines at ten o'clock a. m. The
order was not obeyed, think, by single
division OF the army. AT the appointed
time, our lines occupied exactly the same
position assigned them on the previous day,
and up to ii o'clock the skirmishers had
not advanced, save those of one or two di-
visions. On the center, the LIST and Sd Bri-
gades of Gen, Logan's division, command
ed by Gen. John E. Smith and John D. Ste
yenson, advanced at about haf-past eleven
O'Clock. Two regiments of Stevenson's
brigade were provided with scaling ladders,
= forty feet long, but had no opportunity to
use them, being driven back before reach
ing the ritle-pits. Logan's men went for
. ward bravely, but We're met by overwhelm-
ing numbers of the intrenched foe. Hum
dreds of them jumped into the bitches, but
the number who reached the parapet was
small. Nearly two companies rushed into
, the fort and were captured. The flag OF
, the 9th Missouri was planted on the para
: pet after seven color-bearers were shot
= down. Amid terrific storm ofbullets and
! grape shot, the Sd Brigade held it's ground
until recalled by order from the proper
source They advanced, holding their FIRE
. to pour into the rifle-pits, after their ascent
OF the parapet.. The enemy gave them vol
: ley after volley as they approached, send
ing terrible devastation among their ranks.
Col. Dollins, of the Slst Illinois, was shot
through the head while gallantly leading
: his regiment. He expired in few mo-
6 ments, while exhorting his men to push
? ? forward in the charge. The loss in Steven
. sons brigade will reach nearly 500. The
32d Ohio, one of his regiments, lost ten
= wounded and nine killed.
To the left Of Logan, in the centre, Gene
!. raj Quinby's division joined in the assault.
Like their brave comrades under Steven
. son and Smith, their valor and courage
= was great, but could not accomplish the
| lriv
:, back with heavy loss. Colonel Boomer Of
. . the Goth Missouri, commanding the %
9 brigade of this division, was killed on the
= field.
- On the left General McClernand com
= menced the assault earlier than any Other
:, commander. The first advance was made
y McClernand's centre, General A. j. Smiths
!, division, of two brigades, commanded by
. Col. Landrum and General Burbridge.-
:. early as ii o'clock, Landrums men took 9
! fort and were in actual possession OF it,
!, General Osterhaus, on the left, made 6
y his artillery. There We're two companies
= Of rebel soldiers in it at the time-one o
= them ran away, and the other actually
y burrowed their way through the earth TX
y y our men in front and surrendered as pris
= oners. Landrum, on obtaining possession
: Of the fort, put a pioneer force at work t
% throw up earth works in the rear, so as t.
j., bring the guns of the fort to bear upon thu
= rebels. In constructing the fortitications
y the rebels left the rear of all the forts opel
to give them an opportunity to assaii on
men, in the event Of our success in driving
n them out, The flags of the 4sth Ohio, 77tl
Fl Illinois, and 18th Kentucky, fioated from
u the inner slope of the parapet from hal
. past eleven O'Clock A. M, till four p. NJ
4 At the latter hour, the rebels were seer
- preparing for q charge to retake the fort
~ y An entire brigade YVES about to be pitttet
y against q few companies. Our men did no
= receive the support which had been prom
: ised them, and were again compelled t.
: fall back, leaving the enemy again in pos
session Of the fort The 4sth Ohio acquit
- ted itself very creditably in the affair. Tn
70 conduct of its officers and men is highl.
spoken Of I inclose a list of the casual
r ties of the regiment. Between twelve ant
:; one o'clock the 10th Indiana, after a des
~ perate charge, succeeded in capturing
fort to the right of the one in possession @
- Colonel Landrum. They held it galiantl.
/ against determined assault, until relieves
y by the 4Sth Indiana, from whom it was tn
*, y, ken by surprise force of the enemy.
The fighting on the left was done by tn
Y Il divisions of Generals Carr, Osterhaus, an
u Smith, and was of q more desperate char
acter, and Of longer duration than that up
! . on the right or centre. McClernand an
=, :, his men performed their part with energ
'e and determination, but were unable to dis
w iOQSe the enemy iTOiu LIS WoIhS, save Ten!
=. poralliy in the instances have mentioned
~ During the afternoon General Grant re
u ceived dispatch from McClernand, to tn
effect that he had taken three forts, an
would be in possession of the city soon,
Immediately reinforced. McArthur'sI q
:, vision of McPherson's corps was sent
~ his assistance, and, if l mistake not, tw
80 brigades of another division. But McClel
- - nand did not take Vicksburg.
. The assault on the right was commence
T.; T.. soon after ten o'clock by General Thayer
.. brigade of Steele's division, consisting {
! the 9th, 4th, 18th and Both Iowa Regiment
= The men of this command marched fol
ward heroically, under the leadership (
ia Thayer, The assault was made by thel
no no at a terrible cost; but the promised succc
,e did not arrive, and the prize had to /
a aS abandoned, when it could have been savet
60 had an equal spirit Of courage and Drawer
"a been displayed by those from whom sur
~, ~ port was expected. '5' e 's4
re General Blair, on the left Of the rigl
~ wing moved hiS mon forward for n