Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-06-22
THE FALL OF vICKsBURG.
A Memorable Event In the History OF
the War for the Union.

A N honorable Event In the History oi
the War for the Union.
From the Come de Paris's History OF tho Civil
| War.1
An almost continuous line of half bastions,
intcrspersed with redoubts for the field artil.
!ery from Haines's Bluff 10 Big Black river,
was completed by the 22d of June. This
enormous work of decentralization, which
had development equal to that of the lines
of valuation, enabled Sherman to
| hold in check all the forces thut Johnston
could bring against him, by allowing him
time to concentrate the troops for rcpulsing
an attack, whatever might be the point
mcnaced.
This epoch, f:om the 22d to the 25th Of
June, marks the termination of the first peri
od of the siege The situation of the two
advcrsaries may be summed up in few
words Grants army, which on May 22 only
numbered SO, 900 combatants, has now reach
cd 10000 1t has erected around Vicksburg
from twelve to thirteen miles of fortili-
cations and constructed cighty-ninc' batter
les, in which few days later, 220 pieces of
artillery were placed in position. Eight ap-
proaches have been directed against the
place by Woods, Tultlc, Blair, Logan, A. j..
points the foremost saps are within only 10
or 10 yards OF the cnemy's works. Finally,
| "A corps cf observation is located between tho
Yazoo aud the Big Blacl; it keeps watch
over n long line of decentralization extending
| from river to river, and resting its left upon
the intrcnchcd camp of Ilaines Bluff.
Meanwhile Johnston has gradually formed
an army of 2G, 900 men he has gathered the
material and the means of transportation,
and is preparing to take the field. In Nicks-
burg the scarcity of provisions is beginning TO
be felt the ammunition is used sparingly, and
health of the able-bodied men, whose num-
bers are daily reduced by sickness, is attend
ed to. The artillery fire has ceased COM
pletely, and combatants are so near each
other that they are obliged to fight at short
range. The Confederates are throwing gre
nadcs into the trenches of the besiegcrs
which cause much damage. They try to un-
dermine their works, and the Federals reply
by resotting to the same means. This kind
of warfare soon gives rise to fresh incidents.
Logans soldiers succeed in mining the great
redan situated ON the Jackson road, which
was guarded by portion of Forney's divi-
sion. On the 25th of June, $3.50 o'clock in
the afternoon, a violent explosion was heard,
and the air was filled with the fragments of
the salient angle Of this work, leaving vast
laid in ruins a few sappers engaged in dig
ging a countermiue were crushed ; nearly all
the soldicrs-few in number, however-who
guarded the redan were killed, and it is even
asserted that some among them were thrown
alive into the Federal lines, where they found
themselves prisoners as result OF this strange
mode of travelling. A column of infantry
SOON climbs over the debris which the ex-
ploson had piled up in heaps but the ene-
my is not taken unawares he has erected q
second line at the entrance of the work. The
Sixth Missouri rushes forward in its turn TO
dispute the redan with the Unionists. Being
repused in this attack, it nevertheless sue
ceeds in maintaining its position behind the
new obstacle, and pours perfect torrent
of grenadcs and packages of lighted car
tridges upon the assailanls who are crowded
within the crater. Cockerell's brigade comes
to its assistance, aud the combat is thus con-
| tnued the whole night. In the morning the
interior of the redan is abandoned by both
parties, and the Fedcrals plant themselves
upon the remnants of the exterior parapet.
They had lost about thirty men and had only
gained few feet of ground, but they had
weakened the cnemy's line of defence.
| Iu order to add to his discontinue new
mine was begun under another redan, sltuat-
cd on the lett of the jackson road and on
|
work, killing and wounding large number
of Confcdcratcs some of them were buried
under the debris, hut disinterred safe and
| found 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 besiegers, who quickly took possession of
| this kind OF parapet and planted themselves
| on it, but did not try to carry the second
line of the defences. Thenceforth the shove
and the pickaxe were no longer sufficient il
was necessary to prepare for the assault
which was to give the final blow to the gar
rison. The parallels were enlarged and the
drilling grounds widened all the necessary
materials ladders, panks fascines, gabion!
were got together near the points of ATTACK
and the batteries SO arranged as to conccn
tratc their fire at given signal. The solemn
hour was approaching.
On the morning of the Fourth of July-l
day when the whole of America celebrate.
the anniversary of the declaration Of It's nde
pendcnce--the white flags Ieappcared upol
the confederate works. They made know
to both parties that Grants conditions ha,
been accepted by Pemberton after consulta
tion with all his generals. At ten o'clocl
precisely the federals beheld long column
of men, dressed in brown or in gray, emerging
from those works which until then they ha
not been able to approach except at the peri
of their lives. Some deiie by way OF tn
I, postern gates, others jump over the parapets
which are thenceforth useless they STAG
. their muskets, and silently planting thei
4 colors upon that soil which has been waterc
g by the blood of their comrades, range then
} selves in front of their lines. These troop
, number thirty-two thousand six hundred an
5 thirly-eight are officers and fifteen are ger
. erals the artillery consisted of seventy-tw
+ guns, more than half which were field piece
$ AT llillsville, Va, Friday night, four W.
men and some men, after caurousing in