The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-06-28
IN rRosr OF vIokssURa.
The Last Days OF ths sisEs--The SCENE on
the Day Of Surrender.
The AIneriesn ciyl War; BY the Count OF

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The Last Days OF Ihs sisEs-Ths Scene on
the Day Of Surrender
1.-THE American Ciyn War, BY the Count o.
/ An almost continuous line Of hall
bastI,,ns, int=rspersed With redoubis foI
the field artillery from Haines' Bluff 70
Big Black RiYer, was completed by the
22d of June. This enormous work OF
decentralization, which had develop
ment equal TO that of the lines of coun-
tervallatlon. enabled Sherman to hold
in check all the force that Johnston
could bring against him, by allowing
him to concentrate the troops for re-
pnlsing an attack, whatever might be
the point menaced.
This epoch, from the 22d TO the 25th Of
June, made tbs termination of the first
period Of the seige. The situation of fhe
two adversaries may be summed up In &
few words-Grant's army, which on May
% only numbered $4,000 combatants,
has now reached Is, 900. 1t has erected
around Vieksburg from twelve to
thirteen miles of Qualifications and
| teries, IN which, few DAYS
later, 320 pieces OF artillery were placed
in position. Eight approaches have
been directed against the place by
Woods, futile, Blair, Logan, A. j. Smith,
Carr, LanmRn and Heron. At some
points the foremost saps are within ten
or fifteen yards Of the enemy, works. FL
Rally q corps of observation is located
between the Yazoo and the Big Black /; It
keeps watch over q long line of circum-
valuation extending from river TO river
and resting its Left upon the intrenched
camp at Haines' bluh.
Meanwhile, Johnston has gradually
formed an army of $4,000 men; he has
gathered the material and the means OF
transportation, and is preparing to take
the field. In VicksbGrg the scarcity of
provisions Is beginning to be felt the
ammunition is used sparingly, and the
health of the able bodied men,
whose numbers are daily reduced
by sickness, is attended 20. The
artillery fire has ceased complete
~, and the combatsnts are so near each
other that they are Obliged to fight at
throwing grenades into the trenches of
the besiegers, which cause much dam
age. They try to undermine their
works. and the Federals reply by re-
sorting to the same means. This kind
of warfare soon gives rise to fresh Incl
dents. Logan's soldiers succeed in MN
ing the great redan situated on the
Jackson road, which was guarded by a
portion of Forney's diYisian- On The
25th of June, al 3. 80 O'clock in the af-
teFloon, a violent explosion was beard,
and the air was filled with the fragments
of the salient angle of this work, leaving
vast crater in lis place; the whole in
terror was laid in ruins; few sappers
engaged In digging countermine
were crushed; nearly all the
soldiers-feW in number, how
ever-whO guarded the redan we're kill
ed, and it is even asserted that some
among them were thrown alive into the
federal Inca. where they found them
selves prisoners as result of this
strangea mode of travelling. a column
of infantry soon. climbs over the debris
which the explosion has piled up il
heaps, but the enemy is not taken un-
awares he hassezected second line at
the entrance of the work. The 9TH Mis-
souri, rushes forward IN its aurn to dis
pute the redan with the Uni0nists; be-
ing repui sed in this attack it nexerthe-
less succeeds In maintaining its position
behind the new obstaclesand pours per-
feet torrent of greaades aRd packages
of lighted cartridges upon the as
sailants, who are crowded within the
crater. CockeFell's brigade comes to its
assistance, and the combat is thus con-
tinued the whole night. In the morn
ing the intarIoF of the redan Is abandon
ed by both parties, and the Federals
plant themselves upon the remnant of
the interior parapet. They had lost
about thirty men, and had only gained
few feet of ground, but they had weak.
ened the eaemyis line of defence.
Ia order to add to his discontinue a
new mine was begun under another re-
dan, situated on the left Of the jackson
Eoad, and On July 3st is explosion en-
tirely destroyed this work, killing and
wounding large number of Confeder-
ates some of them were buried under
the debris, but disInterTed safe and sound
several hours after. IN consequence of
the position of this mine the greater por-
ton of the earth was thrown
to the side Of the beseigers. who
quickly took possession of this
kind of parapet and planted themselves
upon it, but did not try to carry the sec
ond line of the defenses. Thenceforth the
shovel and the pickax were no longer
sufficient; it was necessary to prepare
for the assault which was to give the
final blow TO the garrison. The psral-
lels we've enlarged and the drilling
grounds widened all the necessary ma
terIals-ladders, planks, fasclnes, ga
bions-were got together near the point
of attack, and the batteries SO arranged
as to concentrate their fire at u given
signal. The solemn hour was approach
ing.
On the morning of the Fourth of July
Ia day when the whole of America cell
ebrates the anniversary of the Declare
ton of ndependeHee-thew white flags re-
appeared upon the Confederate works.
They made known to both parties that
Grants conditions had been accepted
by PembertOn after consultation with
all, his generals. At 10 O'Clock precisely
the Federals beheld long columns of
men, dressed in brown or gray, emerg-
ing from those works which, until then,
they had not been able to approach ex-
cept at the peril of their lives. Some
defile by way Of the postern
gates, others jump over the par
apets, which are thenceforth useless;
they stack their muskels, and, silently
planting their colors upon that soil
which has been watered by the blood of
their comrades. range themselves in front
of their lines. These. troops number
81, 600 men, of whom 2, 136 are officers
and fifteen are gensrls the artillery
consisted of seventy-tw0 guns, more
than half OF which were field pieces.