The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1879-05-07
A Thilling Incident of the Siege of
Vicksburg.
Col. Ashbel Smith-The Man Of the 22d
May.


State" makes special mention Of DR.. Ashbe
Smith, as one Of the most prominent and dis
tinguished members OF that body. In his sketch
Of this profound scholar, brilliant publicist and
gallant soldier a." William with a few stroke,
Of his facile pen has "held the mirror up true
10 nature and outlined the character and pub
lie services Of one Of the ripest scholars, and
the most eccentric genius Of the age
Gen. JubI Early, by common consent, is re
garded Is the most eccentric and philosophical
soldier Of the 3" late uupleasantness and most
unquestionably, his iron nerve and sum fr0id
were remarkable under the most irving circum-
stances, but in this respect think be must yield
the palm to DIR. Ashbel Smith, who was par
eyceHe7tcs, the coolest man that / ever saw on
"the perilous edge OF battle"
In the ever-memorabie siege OF Nieksburg,
the hero OF this scrap of war history that / am
now writing, Colonel OF the Second Texas
Infantry. In order 10 prepare the mind OF the
reader for the narration of the events that are
to follow, slight depression j. necessary. IT
viii be remembered that after Pemberton :
crushing defeats in the wretched and ill-sIarred
battles OF Bakers Greek and Big Black river,
that he fell back pell-meu. with the remnant of
a once-tiHe army and turned ike "a stag at bay
upon the enemy, behind the frowning bastions
of Nicksburg. Three DAYS after the miserable
fGsro at Big Black river, Gen. Grant had COM
plcteiy invested the historic city, with army
estimated to be 10000 strong, provided with a
formidable train OF over 300 cannon, and SUI
tFEblN tAuipptt Win All the Htttfff fNt "a war
Against this enormous army stood a thin fringe
Of 81, 900 Confederate bayOnets and 100 pieces
OF artillery, holding a crtsceHtIc defensive line
seven miles long. The boys in blue" were
flushed with recent victories, and had unbound
ed confidence in the skill and boldness of Grant,
while on the other hand, the 81 grey jackets
had not a particle Of faith either in the general
ship or patriotism OF Pemberton, and besides
the morale OF our boys had been considerably
lowered by reason Of the recent disasters that
had overtakeu them and the wonder II that
they made such a plucky and heroic resistance
behind the carthworks at Nicksburgl But
viii leave TO ADLER pens than mine to discuss the
relative skill and generaiship OF Grant and
Pemberton, for each viii have his place in
the picture near the flashing OF the guns, -
when the hard, cold light OF real history IS
thrown upon them from the far-oh headland Of
catholic charity. If you will pardon the d-
erosion, / will return again to the sodier-phil-
osopher, Col Ashbel Smith-the iron man OF
the 22d of May, 1868, in the trenches before
Nicksburg. ON that eventual day, Col. Smith,
four companies of his regiment, Second Texas
Infantry, and "A l2-pounder Napoleon gun Of
Battery a" Withers Miss Artillery, under
command Of Lieut. Chas. J.. Hooker, (the pres
ent distinguished Representative in Congress
from the 9th Miss District, were stationed in
a section of the defensive line about 800 yards
north OF the railroad, and near the wagon road
leading from the city TO Big Black river.
This road is the continuation of Grove street,
and we that is to say the four companies of
Texans and the detachment of artillery, TO
which the writer was attached were resting on
the south side of the road. The 22d May ushcred
in bright and beautiful day; there a dead
calm in the warm, slumbrous air and the silence
was terrible. Every old soldier viii understand
the situation, when ! say this respite was terri
BILE. Even the persistent and annoying Federal
sharp-shooters had ceased their dropping and
desultorV fire. and were invisible in their adj
yanced rine-pitS. What the meaning of
this ominous silence? Was this dreadful calm
but the precursor of the bowling tempest? All
I,..l H-las
was the lava against the lightning cylone of
fire against simeon OF death!
About 5 o'clock A. NJ. thin wreath of smoke
was seen to float up, 'li5e the least visible lis
sue of a cloud" over a powerful battery planted
on the crest Of a ridge about 1000 yards in front
OF our position; the heavy boom OF a Parrot
gun shook the air like peal OF thunder, and
the next moment:
nThro' the poisoned air with rush and yell,
Came the screeeh and the roar of the bowling
she'll"
All at once, more than 200 cannon opened fire
with an appalling chorus of " sound and fury"
that was absolutely deafening.
Every gun the Federal side was in awful
activity; the air was hideous with the grand and
terrible diaPason of death; shot and shell raced
through the sulphurous canopy like avenging
furies on their death-dealing missions the very
earth trembled with the concussioT Of this ter
ribIe fen d' infer, and the hills seemed to reel
as though shaken by the throes OF an earth
quake This tremOnduous cannOnade was kept
up win uninterrupted Jury lbI Ubtul 80 iioutN
suddenly il ceased the curtain OF smoke lifted
and hoated away; then dense masses of Federal
infantry could be seen cover the hills and far
AWAY" formed in triple lines OF assault, As
far as the eve could range a forest of bayonets
glittered in the sun, and soon the long lines of
battle swept forward like dark waves OF death
and hurled themselves against our works again
and again in a series of frantic daShes. Along
our whole line a girdle of flame Ieaped out from
the threats of cannon and small arms, forming
a solid sheet OF fire, sending torrents OF shot
shell, grape, canister aud the death-slngIng
mnie's into the serried ranks OF the enemy,
who fell by hundreds under this whitening fire.
where Gin every inch of air was the wing Of
death and against the breadth Of each mans
body rsars the red crest OF destruction An
entire brigade OF infantry assaulted the position
held bv Col Smiths Texans and Lieut.. Hook
er's artillery detachment. The 12-pounder was
served with deadly effect, firing double stands
al canister at pistol range into the hostile Storm
ing columns and the blood-stained slopes were
dotted with blue coats who had fallen under this
deVouring fire.
Meanwhile the gallant Texas boys opened
terrible fusilade of musketry on these brave
troops the flower of the Federal army, who ex-
hibited in these headlong charges, a despera-
ton and Indifference TO death, rarely equalled
by any soldiers on any battlefield OF the late
war. During all this time, while the fierce storm
of death was raging around him, what Col.
Smith doing? He was seated a camp-stool
in the center of his four companies OF infantry,
watching the progress OF the battle from time to
Il
book that he reading in that whirlwind of
death What kind OF a book was ii? Was it a
treaties physics, or chemistry or military
tactics he was reading in that tempest OF fire +?
Was it a work from the pen OF a Darwin, a Hux-
lev or a TvndalI? Do you think ii was the Test
ament of our blessed Saviour that he was read
ing there on the battles bloody marge,' I'M
der that grilling SUM- No! 1t was a light liter
arv repast, the title Of which Z" Elizabeth"
and it was printed in Frenchi Some people are
so constituted that they cannot read at all, when
Others are talking around them, but this man OF
iron was reading book, and French book at
that on the 22d of May, 1868, in the trenches at
Vicksburg! During the assault on this day of
horrors, Federal regiment leaped into a trench
Just in front of our position, and huddled there
like flock of sheep, afraid to advance or re-
treat. After they had been there about two
hours, a Federal soldier, who was either a coop
perhead,' or a Knight of the Golden Circle-it
matters not which, he gentleman, the boys
said-threw over slip of paper wrapped around
a clod of earth. A soldier picked 1t up and
handed ii to Col. Smith, who reed aloud the
writing it contained Only a few words were
written thereon. but those words were fraught
with terrible meaningi 1t was a terrible warn
blow us into atoms! As well as / can now re-
member, the words were: 1.-The Colonel has
sent for picks, spades and a key of powder. He
intends to blow YOU up" The situation was
quickly TO avert the terrible danger. We could
hear the dull thud of the picks where they were
exeavating for the keg of powder. Col. Smiths
first thought was to make sortie and drive the
Federals out of the trenches, but this would
have been sheer madness. Like the fatal charge
of Milhaud's cuirassiers at Waterloo, IT would
have been magnificent, but then it would not
have been war. In this supreme moment of
peril he appealed to Lieut.. Hooker to suggest
some plan TO dislodge the enemy. That gallant
oficer-whO had been wounded in the arm with
a spent bullet early in the day, and who had
been walking restlessly to and fro with navy
revolver in his hand, ready to shoot the first
Federal that mounted the parapet-promptly
suggested that 12-pound shell be thrown over by
hand into the trench. A number of shell were
quickly prepared and field fuses timed TO burst
in four seconds were inserted in them. The fuses
were carefully luted with clay to prevent pre-
mature explosion, lighted by slow match, thrown
as quick as thought into the trench, and-that
nina came To grief and thai trench Was cleared