, 1863-08-15
WICK SBURG.
Concluded from First nr0r,

however. until the enemy had been driven
nom 1he field, nfter q terrible contest OF
hours, with heavy loss Of killed, wounded,
and prisoners, and o number Of pieces Of ar
f1lerY. It was found afterwards that the
, Vlcksburg road, after following the ridge in a
soufherly direction for about one mile and to
where 1t intereected one OF the Raymond roads
turns almost to the west, down the hui
and across the valley in which Logan WAS op.
Grating On the rear of the enemy. One bi-
Eade Of Logan's division had, unconscious OF
this Important fact. penetrated nearly to this
road and compelled the enemy to retreat to
prevent capture. Az It was, much Of Ids ".
hllery and Loring's division Of his army was
cut of besides the prisoners captured: Oa
the call OF Hoyey for more reinfofccmc cnts 1asI
before the rput Of the enemy commcncea, !
ordered Mcpherson to move What llooPs ~
fnonf. Logan rode up at this time and told
ma fhat # Hoyey could make another dash ct
at he cneray he could come up from where be
7hen Eps and capture the greater part Of thet1
force. / Immediately rode forEnrd and found
fhe troops that Ind been 50 gallnntly engaged
yapced position, and were filling their CART
ridge boxes, directed them to use all dis.
match and push forward as soon as possible,
explaining to them the position Of Logan's
division Proceeding still further forward,
expecting every moment to see the enemy,
and reaching what had been his line. ! found
he Mas tetreatdng- Arriving at the Raymond
road / enw to my left aud On the net RIDE a a
column Of troops which proved to be Carr's
division and McC1crnand with.it In person: :
and to thelet Of Carr, Osterhaus' diy1sion
Foon Afterwards appeared with his skirmishcrB
well in advance I cent word to OstarhauB
that the enemy was in fall retreat, and to
soon e1plained, after which ordered Carr to
pursue with Ill speed 10 BlackRfyer and across
It If he could, and to 0sterhaus to follow.
Some Of McPberson's troops lad already got
into the road In advance, but having marched
and engaged the enemy au day. they were "a
tinued the pursuit till after dirk, capturing q
train Of cars loaded with commissarT and Or
dInence stores md other property. The de-
lay in the advance Of the troops Immediately
with McClernand was caused, no doubt, BY
the enemy presenting front Of artillery and
ture Of the ground and the density OF the for
est, to discover his numbers. As 1t was, the
battle Of Champions Hill, OF. Bakers Greek,
was fought mainly By Hoyey's division Of Nc
Clernand's 5 corps md Logan's and Qnimby'e
divisions {the latter commanded by Brigadler
General ". H. Crocker,l Of McFherson'e
Rausom's brigade, Of McPhersou's corps,
cnme On to the field where the msin battle
had been fought Immediately after the enemy
had begun his retreat.
CROSSING OF TIE mC RLApE.
Word was sent to Sherman, ut Bolton. al
the result Of the days engagement, with d.
rectaons to turn bis corps to yards Bridgeport,
and to Blair 10 Join him at this latter place.
At Daylight, on tho 18th. the pursuit was re.
newcd with McClerpand's corps in the i'd
vance. The enemy was found strongly posted
on both sides of the Biack River, al fhfs
point, on Blnck River, the bluffs extend to
the water's edge on the weat bank- On the
east side is an open, culdvated bottom OF
near one mile In width, surrounded by a
bayou Of stagnant water, from two to three
feet in depth, and from ten to twenty feet In
width, from the river above the railroad to
the river below. Following the inside line Of
this bayou The enemy lad constructed rifle
pits, with the bayou to Eerre as G ditch On the
outside and Immediately in front Of them.
Carr's division occupied the right In invest
ing this place, and l.awler's brigade the right
of his division. After few hours skirmish-
ing, Iuwler discovered that by moving Dor
ton Of bis brigade under coTer Of tho bank,
ht con1d get position from which that place
could be successfully assaulted, and ordered a
level ground over which portion of his
troops Ind to pass without cover, and the
great obstac1e Of the ditch In front Of the
enemy'e wdfks, the charge was ga1lantly and
successfully made, and in a few minutes the
EH09E E811i6NN AAG4 btft1lEGEH 1HEEG3 OIL AfE1i-
lery we're the trophies Of this brilliant and
daring movement. The enemy on the west
bank Of the river immediately set fire to the
railroad bridge and retrcated, thus cutting of
all chance Of escape for any portion Of his
forces remaining on the east bank.
Sherman, m R;. b. tbts ti@s, bad rsaened @ Bridge
Ioon train with the expedition was With hlnl.
By the morning Of the 18th lie had crossed
the dyer, md was ready to march on Walnut
Ellis. McClcrnand aod McPhergon bui1t
loating bridges du-ing the night, aud had
Them ready for crossing their commands at
The march WIS commenced by Sherman at
m early hour By the Bridgeport and Vicksburg
road, turning to the right when within three
and half miles Of V1cksburg, to get posses
sion Ct Walnut Hills and the Yazoo River.
This was successfully accomplished before
the night Of the 16th. McPhcrson crossed
Black River above the Jackson road, and came
into the same road with Sherman, but to his
xcnr. He arrived inter uightfau With his ad-
vance to where Sherman turned to the right
McUernand moved By the Jackson and Vicks-
burg road to Mount Abans, and there turned
to the left to get into the Bsldwin's Ferry
corps covered all the ground their strength
would admit OF. and By the morning of The
18th the investment Of Vlcksburg IVES made
as complete rs could be by the forces at my
command
TIE AsaACL7s on y1CKsBCRG.
During the day there was continuous skir-
r,ishing, and was not without hope Of carry
ing the enemy's works. Relying upon the
decentralization Of the enemy In consequence
of repeated defeats outside Of Vicksburg,
ordesed general assault ut 2 o'clock P. N.
On this dry.
The 18th army corps, from having arrived
in front Of the enemy's works in tine on the
18th to get good position. Fere enabled TO
make vigorous assuult. The 18th and 18th
corps succeeded no further than to gain nd
vnnced positions, covered from the fl1e of the
edemy. The Goth md 21gt were spent In per-
fecting communications with our supplies.
Most ot the troops had been marching and
fighting battles for twenty days, on an ave-
rage Of about five days rations, drawn from
the commissary department. Though they
had not suffered from short rations up to this
time, the want Of bread to accompany the
other ratfons was beginning to be much felt
On the 2lst, my Arrangements for drawing
supplies Of every description being complete,
determined to make another effort to carry
Vick6burg by assault There were many rea-
believed an assault from the position gained
by t1l1s time could be made successfully. Il
..nown that Johnston was ut Canton with
The fofce us:~ nv him from jackson. rein.
forced by other troops nozn .ss esss, & nna that
more were daily reaching him. Mnn ioe
force had, = short time must have ~~-'ae!sd .
him to attack me IN the rear, and posslG.,'
succeed in raising the siege. Posses:
would have embed me to have turned
upon Johnston and driven him from the
6tate, and possess myself Of all the railroads
ally secu1ing to ourselves all territory westof
the TombIgbee, and thls before the season
was too far advanced for campaigning lin this
1atitude. I would have Raved the Govern
ment sending large reinforcements, much
needed elsewhere; and, finally, the troops
burg, and would not haye. worked in the
trenches with the same zeaJ, believing it up-
Dccessary, that they did after their fn1lurc to
cn:Ty the enemy's works Accordingly on
the 21st, orders were Issued for a genera! as-
esult on the whole line, to commence at 10 a.
m, on the I'D: All the CORPS commanders
set th!er time by--minc, that there should be
no difference between them In movement or
assoult- Promptly at the hour designated,
the three amy corps then In front Of the enc
my's works commenced the assault. I had
talen commanding position near McPhey-
advancing columns from LIS corps, aud part
of each Of 6hcrman's md McCleInand's. 4
portion ofthe commands Of each succeeded
in planting. their flags on the outer slopes Of
1ne enctny's bagtions, and maintained them
ssa tne9e I'M pnta nlgat. Each corps had many more
sault, over such ground rs intcrrened be
tween them md the enemy. More men could
only ayhu In case Of Breaking through the
eremy's lire Or IN repelling sortie- The
assault wns gallant In the extreme on the part
Of NIL the troops, but the eneny's position
was too strong, both naturally nud artlfcially,
to be taken IL that way. st every point as.
eaulted, and at all Of them at the same time.
the enemy WIS able to show I'LL the force his
works could cover. The assault failed, re.
10 4r{}E To17r 10 ~