The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-01-28
From n the clevelaIid Ilksld, jan. p
Battle. of VIclzsburg.

, - From the Cleveland Hftsld, Jan %.
- Battle. of +VIicIzsbu1.sx. -
We copy below the particulars Of: the great
battle of Yicksburg,cwhich we have. taker
: from the Cleveland Herald, we commendIi
! to pur readers. = 60 gsses - aaas :
j Rarely. have six days furnished graver ant
more various material for dissection. .ant
, never did correspondent feel more unequal I,
the task Briefly as may be therefore, and i'm
! perfectly as must be under such circumstances
: this account is offered Special eorrespon
dents who have access 80 reports and head
quarters, and who can sec engagements from
favorable points, enjoy a vast advantage ovs;
the soldier whose duty holds linn in the ranks
q a;Q9ls s the ..,,3 9utisg and Wh0a'
Hence little cap5Ju attempted or esP Press-ae
r UrIs 1etter beyond the doings ofpthe division
: with which the writer vas connected.
A glance at map of the vicinity of Vicks
burg will show that above the city the river
:. makes wide detour to the west, and that neal
the point where it again leans eastward it is
iaEsrsectea!p by the Yazoo river. There it will
b; ;saen that by sailing up the latter stream
! ten Of twelve miles, a point isreaehed oblieuely
to tbs rear of the city and distaut from it about
eigtrt' miles. It was here that the Aotilla ar
rived soon after noon on Friday thes26th OF
i December, and Immediately began disembark.
ing the troops. Scarcely had this been com
menced however, when we we're assailed by
the rebel skirmishers posted to observe our
movements, and for time matters looked
I threatening. 4iss ~
i De Courcys brigade was quickly landed, 8
Of Fosters twsnty-pounders run ashore and
j adding their shells to the spirited charge of
the infantry, the enemy was soon dislodged
and driven back.
. las yet we we're uncertain what force we
were contending against, and the order was
given to disembark everything with the ut
most dispatch. As our only levee was steep
nliry bank, this under the pressing crcumstan-
aea vas a task of no ordinary diligently
Roads through the bank were cut and work of
tugging up caissons, wagons and ambulances
began. Horses mired znd foundered through
the treacherous soiI;' gtih carriages sunk in the
mud to the. axels- and men strained at the
wheels and prolouges till the blood vessels
stood out in the dark ridges On their livil
faces. A heavy rain set IN at dark, but the
men persevered and by midnight everything
was landed, and the troops lay quietly in their
cheerless biyouac, y 80
/ SATURDAY.
| Dawned bright and radiant, and at 8 o'clock
Morcau's Division was on the moye.
The aiyaace was led by the AID, followed by
Fosters battery, The 9th Ohio, and the 22d
Kentucky, all veterans of Cumberland Gap,
and companies through many q long weary
march. Behind came the brigadcs of Sheldon
and Lindsey, eager to engage in what was to
many of them their first encounter with the
enemy. - = -
t---w e STRUCK directly across the country,
ffoundering through the soft aliuvial soil, keep
ing our line Of march parallel with the Chick
asaw bayou, a5uais which ran road which we
cared not occupY for fear of sharpshootefs in
the thicket beyond at the distance of a mile
our skirmishers,enc conntercd the pickets of the
eHeary, Ehorl they routed and drove in, cap
turing one prisoner, a member of the 18th
Louisiana.
Here VIC were ordered to halt and await the
! Co operation of Smiths Division, which had
landed below us, and was advancing. en- our
| right and in the same direction.
About 2 2o'clock in the afternoon Smith had
reached point half mile in front of us, and
a mile to the right. and opened battery. on
the enemy Immediately in front of US, but
whom, from the nature Sof the ground we had
been unable to discover: Westhen advanced,
passed large burning building that had con-
tanned cotton, it having been fired by the en-
emy as they fell back. Proceeding cautiously
| we soon reached the corner of the field which
was lined on three sides with heavy timber,
beneath which was thick growth of vines
and underbrush. In this the rebel sharp
shooters were concealed, aud as we approaced
they opened a brisk fire WHICH was returned
with spirit by our skirmishers. Our battery
came into position and opened perfect storm
of shell, but the rebels preserved and under
the thick cover of the tim Der came up SO near
4 that their fire was deadly. The infantry re-
piled, but they fought at every disadvantage,
and Capt Foster ordered His guns to substitute
canister for she'll This had better effect, and
the rebels gradually fell back and night closed
the scene. Our loss on this day was slight;
twenty .fye or thirty perhaps, bat considering
the advantages Of the enemy S position it seems
miraculous that it was not treble that number.
During the night the 42d threw up breast.
work of rails and earth to protect our gunners
from the rebel rifcman, and meantime we til
Estretchld ourselves on the ground and slept.
i' SUNDAY,
Dawned dark foggy and ominous. At four
o'clock the heavy thunder Of artillery below
/ ed from the heights opposite US, and the strug9
gle seemed begun. We could hear the whistle
and explosion of the shells, but SO rapid was
Ethe firing, SO deceptive the echoes and rever-
berations in the still morning air, that for a
/ time we could not determine at whom the fir
was directed. 1t appeared aftcrward that a
4 part of Smiths division had stormed battery
in the darkness, and taken it, but were
] Obliged to relinqush is after bard struggle
DAYLIGHT Camel and through the dense fog
that prevailed, Lardphere's Michigan Battery
and the 10th Ohio advanced to the margin OF
lthe Rood; and opened tie bailin gallant style.
For two hours the firing was terrific, neither
side giving or gaining an inch. g. -.
i The AID Ohio and I'D Kentucky were in
turn sent to the 'front.': and the fight became
general. Finally about 102 o'clock, the 42d
being in 'front.' Cos A. and +. of that regimeni
made charge through the woods, clearing il
of rebels, and taking number of prisoners. -
Beyond the. narrow neck of timber lay corn.
field, sAanked on one side by deep morass'and
the bayou, on the other by spasm of slashed
5 timber and miry gully or bayou, impossible
fos either cavalry or Infantry. iSey6nd this
plain at distance of half mile rose the bluffs
. running along our entire front, and bristlins
Iwith cannon, which up to this time, hadare
mained silent:since the spasmodic outbreak il
the morning No sooner, however, did ou
t7ffantry dislodge the enemy from the, timber