Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-06-30
Tiers follows detailed account Of the fight

Hers follows a detailed aoooun; Of the fight
at Millikcn's bend on tho Ith.
In order to keep open the river it is ncccS-
sary for the gunboats to keep cruising contln-
ually the whole length hence to Helena. The
Texans are reported to have . herd of cattle
which they are DESTROYS of getting into Elcks-
burg. Unless Admiral Porter is asleep they
can hardly accomplish any such projcc II
is humilating TO know, however, that they
cross from the city to De Soto Point almost
daily.
WORKS.
A Yicksburg correspondent of the Cleveland
"Herald" gives the following interesting dcS
cription of the operations Of General Grant
against Yicksburg:
(" Let us climb the parapct and see the siege
by moonlight In front Of us, beyond the enc
my,s works, but hidden from us, lies the city 81
Vicksburg Look carefully. and YOU can dis
tinguish the spires of the courthouse and two
or three churches. Tile rebels had 4 signal sta
ton on the former when we came, but oul
shells made it too warm for then. and they
withdrew. The mortars are playing tonight
and they are well worth seeing. We watch 4
moment, and in the direction of Youns's Point
beyond the city, suddenly up shoots Il flash Of
light, and in moment thu pondcrous shell with
its fuse glowing and sparkling, rises slowly
from behind the bluffs: up, up, it goes, IL
though mounting to the zenith. over it comes
towards us, down through its flight trajectory
into the city, and cxplodcs with Il shock that
jars the ground for miles. There are women
and tender children where those shells fall but
war is war.
"Sherman'S cight-inch monsters are Srum-
bling far away on the right. Nearer, McIhcr-
sons, too, are playinS-we can even see the
cannonnecrs beside them ut each flank. Our
will open at midnight; then there will be
music to your hearts content. Meanwhile.
let us 20 tire front. \ hundred yards to the
right Of where we now are we enter Il deep
trench. Following this, lis it winds down
around the hill, We reach the opening Of cave
or mine. The air within is damp and close.
like that of Il vault. Candles are burning
d;rqly ut intervals, and we hear hum Of
'SS.tcs far within and out of sight. We pro-
coed, and presently meet two men carrying
Il barrow of earth, for our boys are ut work
night and day. This is the main approach
on this part OF the line. Finally we reach the
moonlight again. and emerge into wide, deep
trench, cut across the line of the covered way.
This is open and filled with troops. VIII"
protect the working party. \ heavy parapct
of cotton bales and earth earth is huiit on the
side towards the enemy, and We must mount
them to look over.
We are now within sociablc distance
of the chivalry Those mrn lying on the
ground. ID or 80 yards from us, are our boys,
our Advance pickctS: but that cray fellow, with
the bright muSkct which glstcns 81, Il few
steps beyond, is Il 'rcb, long-haircl aud hot
bloodcd, one of Walls. famous Texas I.c-
gon-a bulldog to fight, YOU may he sure.
Now jump down and enter the mouth Of
the other mine. which leads towards the salient
of the cncmy's work. Stumbling along ""
reach the end where the men are digging
The candle burns very diml y--thc mir sal
most sitting. Never mind, let us watch
them. See that slender, bright looking fellow
swinging that pick Great headed drops Of
tricklc down his face; there is not
a dry thread in his coarse gray shirt: but nn
matter the pick swings, and each stroke slices
down six inches of the tough subSoil of Mis-
sissippi. That fellow was Jim, unce ten
dcr-handcd, smuntll-iaccd, nice young man.
whose livery stable, billiard and cigar bills
were Il sore trial 10 his worthy governor. Jim
says that lie used to wear gloves and store
Clothes" and that girls called him good hook
ing, but that's played ont nov; he is son@ ti'r
Uncle Sam.
"But we return 10 the fresh air. Look over
the parapct again towards the turrrt, where
we saw the rebel picket. Do rou see the little
grcy mounds which cover the hillside ST thick
ly?-tcn, twenty, thirty you can count an II
few square rods. All, my friend, this is sacred
ground YOU are looking upon. There our gal
liant boys charged: there they were slain in
heaps but they pressed and lrapcd in;o
the ditch. They climbed the parapc and
rolled back into eternity. Others followed
them; their flag was planted, and they >pran@
over to meet their certain death. An hour
passed, and one returned: the rest were dead"