The People's vindicator., 1874-12-19
Fighting at Vicksburg.
PARTICULARS BY MAIL.


inst, contains the following particu,
lars of the first days fighting at and
around Vicksburg:
About 3 O'Clock Yesterday morning
an alarm WAS sounded from the court
house, and many citizens fastened to
that place, but as there being
NO lMEEpfATE DANGER,
retired to their homes.
About S o'clock the alarm was again
sounded, aud the citizen solliery
again gathered in small numbers.
About 8 o'clock, however, the court.
house fire bells rang out Il general
alarm, and from mouth to mouth
from one to another--aIl over the
city, went the intelligence that the
negroes in armed bodies were a'ivan'
cling on the city from several d'rec'
tons. Immediately iii every street,
from almost every house, armed men
hurried to the courthouse, and in halt
an hour q company Of about one hun.
dred men, under command of Col.
Horace Miller, marched out Grove
street and
NET TIE NEGROES.
inside Of the city limits, at a bridge
near Point Lookout, under command
of Andrew Owens. Col. Miller or
dcred \ halt, and himself rode for
ward and advised the negroes to dis
perse. He warned them that they
were violating the law, and unless
they dispersed to their homes the con-
sequences might he severe. Owens
replied that he was there, with his
followers, in response to orders from
Crosby, and would only dispense at
Crosby's orders. Owens was then
permitted to visit Crosby, who was
under guard ut the Courthouse, and
returned to his men with orders from
Crosby to retire to their homes. This
they apparently consented to do, but
as the whites We're retiring to their
command, the negroes detiantly au-
nounced that they had come there for
a ight, and were going to have it.
FIRING THEN COMMENCED
on both sides, the negroes fleeing af-
ter the first few rounds, followed up
by the citizens with q desultory fire.
Six Or seven negroes were killed in
this skirmish, about as many wound
ed, aud fifteen or twenty taken pris-
oners. This body of ''invaders" hav-
ing been dispersed, Col. Miiler's COM
MaDd returned to the courthouse.
A little past ten o'clock a heavy
body of armed negroes was reported
on the jackson read, near tile Pem-
berton monument, aud q detachment
Of the citizen soldiery was dispatched
thither, and there
THE MOST sANGU1NARY ENGAGEMENT
Of the day occurred. The negroes
were encountered, strongly entrencl..
ed ut the old Federal breastwork,
just under the brow of the hill i'm
mediately this side Of the Pemberton
monument. The citizens opened a
skirmish fire upon them, which was
kept up for more than half an hour,
without any effect on either side.
While this skirmish was going on,
Capt. John Hogan, with several white
men from the neighborhood Of Sny-
de1's Bluff, su route for the city, came
up on the opposite side Of the hill,
aud were fred upon from an ambush.
Mr. Oliver Brown, a sou in law Of NJ.
Snyder, was shot through the head,
and almost instantly killed.
Capt. Hogan's company and the
citizens then made terrific charge
ubon the negroes, who took refuge il,
a cane-braks, after short and bloody
fight. About twenty-five Of the poor
dupes and wretcl,es were killed and
wounded here. After their first VOL
ley upon Capt. Hogau's company they
fred wildly, aud though their loss wa.
heavy, no other casualty was report.
ed on the sides Of the whites.
About the same time that the troops
were sent out the Jackson road, an.
other detachment of two companies
was sent
OFT cHERRv aTRcEr
to meet a body Of negroes approach.
ing from that direction. The negroe.
were found in considerable force just
south of tho city ; and while one com.
pany advanced in front, the othe,
made a detour to the right, aud a
third company (which had gone out
the Yazoo Valcity), came up on the
left flank, and with q yell the three
companies charged, the negroes, after
a few shots, scampering as fast al
their legs could carry them. They
we're followed by the cavalry for some
distance, and utterly routed.
Numerous bodies Of negroes were
dispersed on other roads by the cav
airy, aud by half past IL O'Clock
scouts reported the negroes routed
from all their position. A piece ol
artillery was out, but ito big moutl,ed
talk was not required to convince the
negroes that it was q bad day to cap
ture city.