The National tribune., 1884-10-02

threw it into confusion. Some regiments had
comparatively easy footing, and got ahead
rapidly; others found declivities down which
or activities up which they had to climb in
single file. The enemy,S line was crooked and
irregular that the distances TO be travelled
by the different regiments and brigades were
quite unequal. Above all. the rebel fire was
HOT AND SHARP,
heavy guns raking the ravines with great
charges OF canister, and the musketry fire
being severe on all exposed points. The ground
was strange, and had 10 be traversed cautiously,
and the result was that night came on before
the troops had advanced to within charging
distance Of the works. 1t was seen that an
assault, 10 be successful, must begin about
where the advance of that day had ended, and
the situation being alike IN the three corps,
Gen. Grant ordered the corps to hold the
ground they had gained and await further
orders. Blair of Shernans Corps, had rushed
in rashly. been severely cut up and, though
fighting like heroes, his men had only the sat
isfaction of having
PLANTED THEIR coLoRs
on the counterscarp of work they could not
enter So the attack of the 10Th failed of its
grand object, and served only TO get the enc
my's lines closely invested in readiness for
final assault.
But the army had done ali il could without
food and rest The enemy had shown uneX-
pected tenacity and spirit The strength of
their defenses the 5000 fresh troops of the
garrison, added, no doubt, TO a fierce vengeance
against the assailants who had so overwhelm-
ingly humbled them in the open field, COM
bined TO give Pembertons army OF 10000 men
fresh courage. 1t was evident that before
again attacking such position thus defended,
Grants army must have sleep and food Orders
were given TO this effect. From the new base
al Haines Bluff came trains Of wagons bring
ing rations Of food, clothing, soap, shoes and
/ other luxuries to which the men had long been
strangers. Empty barrels were sunk into the
ground for wells, springs were sought out and
while some regiments held the advance line,
Others back in the ravines bathed changed
their sOiled clothing. ate and slept. Two days
and nights of this set the army fairly on its
feet again. and on the 22d the grand final
assault was ordered. The wisdom Of this
attack has been seriously questioned. In view
of its result, il was unfortunate, but it is only
truth 10 say that the army desired it, and be-
lieved that il would succeed.
Gen Grant underestimated Pemberton's
strength by nearly 10000 men, and he did not
know, as we found TO our cost that the outer
line of the enemy was commanded by a second
or inner one, and that TO hold captured
salient would prove more difficult and danger
Gus than to take it. He knew that Joe john
ston was organizing q formidable army at Can
ton to attack his rear. The sooner Nicksburg
was captured the sooner he could turn upon
that new enemy and destroy him or drive him
from the State.
Ten o'clock a. m. Of the 22d was announced
as the hour for the grand assault The artillery
was to open vigorously at an early hour,
BREACH THE WORKS
If possible, and dismount such guns as were
exposed through embrasures The infantry
was 10 advance from the nearest cover IN col
umns of platoons moving at quick time. with
only canteens ammunition and one days ra-
lions Not musket was TO be fired until the
outer works had been stormed, and between
the columns strong lines of skirmishers were
to advance and scale the intervening parapets.
The momentous day came and at dawn the
artillery opened. The cannonade was terrific.
Admiral Porter, with his mortar feet and gum
boats, was playing upon
THE DOOMED CITY
4 from the river front. Along Grants line 80 field
batteries blaZed and roared from 3:30 in the
morning until 10 o'clock Under this terrific
fire the sharpshOOters of the skirmish-lin crept
forward so close that they commanded the enc
my's artillery. The cannoneers could not ex-
pose themselves long enough to load their
+ pieces. The watches of the officers were set
with that of Gen. Grant, and at the stroke of
/ 10 the bombardment ceased, and the assauIting
columns
sPRANG FORWARD.
There was minute or two of ominous silence,
broken only by cheers here and there, as the
men climbed up out of the ravines and rushed
across the exposed ground TO the ditch. Then,
all in moment, therebel paTapet became
FRINGE OF GRAY AND STEEL,
from which streamed a livid sheet Of fire.
Twenty thousand foes-a double rank along
the whole front of the Federal army-rose up
behind that parapet, and at from 10 to 90 yards
poured a whitening fire into the advancing col
umns. Field guns double-shotted were run
( out and yomited their charges OF leaden death
into our ranks. Heavy ordnance swept the
ridges with canister and grape, raising great
clouds Of dust that covered the assailants with
a pail Of death. Bombs and minie-balls filled
the air. That CALLING terrible FIRE was deci-
mating our ranks, but the
BRAVE BLUE COLUMNS
moved swiftly forward, filing up the lanes
torn through them by that awful rebel fire,
with caps drawn down and faces ayerted as we
have seen persons do while breasting hail
storm. PrOdigies Of valor were performed.
In front of Carr's Division, Lawler's Iowa
men climbed over the parapet into a large
lunet, but II was commanded from the
interior line, and every man who entered
it was shot down Serg't Jos. Griffith, of
the Z3d Iowa, alCne survived, and came out
covered with blood and dust, bringing q rebel
Lieutenant and Is men as prisoners. Nearly
every DrlgadC IN DStcrnauS5 DIVISION reached
the ditch, but the double line Of rebels within
killed them as fast as they climbed the parapet.
In several cases they held the ditch until night,
defending their lives by watching with uplift-
ed muskets the appearance Of rebel head and
making il a mortal peril TO fire upon them On
the preyious evening Capt. Seth III. Barber, ,ofthe
42d Ohio was detailed with his own company
II and Co to go at dawn on the morning of
the 22d and, under cover Of our artillery FIRE,
which would open at daybreak, explore the
ground over which Lindsay's formerly De-
, laney's3 Brigade was TO charge clear up to the
enemy's ditch. he tried to do this the evening
before. but the rebels were too prompt, and by
running out their pieket-linc just at sunset
covered the ground upon which Capt. Barber
wished TO operate. Setting out the next morn
ing. therefore, he proceeded with two conIpa-
MES about 20 mem to the head of the rayine
, up which Irndsay's Brigade was to advance
When within abont 300 yards Of the enemy's
line the valley makes 2 sharp curve, and from
that point the men, emerging from behind q
cinmp of willows. were exposed 10 a concentril
! Ere from the works above Nevertheless, they
{ got safely across, the commandment restraining
z the enemy's fire. Capt. Barber and his men
} reconnoitered the head Of the ravine thorough
I ~, climbing up the ridges TO within 80 yard:
G Of the rebel paTapet. just as he was about tG
r return in person TO report TO Gen. Osterhans
c Capt. Barber was shot through the right leg
j the ball cutting or both bones below the knee
! and making immediate amputation necessary
q lie was taken down the hill and carried to tn,