Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1863-06-30
Letter rROM THE xlxTEENTli.
BivouAo OF 10Th Iowa IsvASTRS, I
Siege of Vicksburg, June IL. J

nrorre,sinr slowly, and doubtless much
.urer than the famous anaconda wound
its folds around rebellion everything IL
moving forward in systematic manner,
and our movements SO far have been ~
irresistible as they were futile when
storming was the mode OF attack
Never was a siege conducted so grsndly.
Unlike Hallcck, at Corinth, Grant did
not begin to throw up his parallels eight
miles from Lis victim, but with the
caution OF Q Washington. combined
with the dash OF Wayne, he threw up
his first line Of works not four hundred
wards from the impregnably fortified foe,
with loss of life too triflng to mention.
Il wa. those mad charges that inflicted
the loss of life upon rs, but II we cap
ture Nicksburg, the terrible mistakes
will be forgiven and only be remembered
AZ proud memorials Of Northern man
mood.
For visitor approaching the hostile
lines, it il difficult TO distinguish our
works from those Of the enemy our
forts are frowning from ono cham Of
hills, while the rebel forts are opposite
item, aud on the side hills, under the
enemy's breastworks, are our rifle pats.
The sharpshooters are not regular
marksmen, but are volunteers or detailed
men, and being so close cannot help do
ing great deal Of damage, although
much unnecessary firing is done. The
rebel works look deserted, for it is death
Tor a man to show himself; their can
non are silenced by the united efforts OF
our batteries aud shsrpshooters and
not flag is displayed that have seen,
With the exception Of one on the Court
House il the city. All day long our
men toll on in the vesy jaws of death.
throwing up forts and breas,works ne.r-
or and nearer the enemy, and at night
fresh ONES take Their places, and still the
labor goes on--slow Int sure. APP
proaches arc dug in winding manner
30 as TO protect the advancers from
musketry, and as progress Is made tor
ware. pea ilile pits a,e constructed so
A. to keep the enemy occupied. This
cannot 90 on much longer without n
crisis, at least along McPLersonS line.
With forts twenty yards ia front OF
THERE, their batteries can be shclled to
pieces, as they are now sllenced; then
charging mus, be resortod TO, SUD it is .
question yet to be decided whether
they can repel our men with the interi-
or forts or not. II they can, then the
siege Of Nicksburg resolves itself into
a mere case Of starvation, for they IN
doabtedly have caves SO we'll construct
ei M TO defy all sublugation from shells.
As TO their commissary supplies, oil
course we know nothing, ~ some desert
ers place them at three months Iations
other, at ak month"; rati ms, while still
others represent the emmy as on the
verge Of famine. Ali Information from
such sources is unreliable; but Of one
thing We are convinced, just SO long a.
they can exist in the heat OF q South
crn summer in close, teversh holes, con.
sumed with sickness, dIspair and starva
ton, We can live IN excellent camps, de
YOUR our rations and amusa ourselves
by shooting and Smelling every poor va
grant who crawls out OF his hole for .
breath of fresh air. AZ to the ma
pruvres Of Johnston, no nneasiness is
felt, as the troops are convinced that
Grant" knows his business well enough
to attend to our rear with tho abundant
means at his disposal. Assuming that
he advanced on Vicksburg with $4,000
men, formed his lines with the loss OF
3 900 men in his seven victories, and
other fighting, he must OF course out.
number Pemberton by $4,000 men
l25, 900 men can now 90 on with the
siege, protected by massive forts and
breastworks, while the remainder, with
Tho large reinforcements which are now
arriving, can have \ choice Fiedericks
burg battle reserved for Johnston behind
the Haine's Bluff breastworks.
The battles Ct the war may rs we'll be
fought here as in any other quarter. and
with such leader as Grant, with such
troops as his, and with the prestige o.
seven recent victories to urge them &c
l,resis,abillty, who, for one moment, car
coubt the issue Our communications
can never be cut, our lines can never be
forced. Nicksbnrg can never be Supplied
with provisions, and OF course it mus,
eventually fall. In order to encourage
his troops, Pemberion has circulated the
most ridiculous lies among them. Being
IN the rife pits one night ] held CONVEX
sa,ious with many OF the enemy and was
much astonishcd to hear them offer us
cotice in leu OF that Gen. Forrest de-
stroyed (?) at Memphis along with mil
lions of dollars worth OF other stores lie
captured l was sorry to near that Pap
/ Price" had got tina. NAL We had been
waiting for so long; was chagrned 10
hear that Bragg had surrounded and
annihilsted Rosecrans | was anus, d
to hear that "hard lack" was so scarce 10
1 l.