The National tribune., 1884-10-09

P1oSS~N
with extreme caution. The troops were there
fore kept trauaping over the dusty roads through
the long, broiling days, and angry complaints
were heard against what was mistaken for care
less cruelty on the part of the commander
Ord's column moved on the road past the bloody
battlefield Of Champions Hill, where the at
mosphere was still heavy and fetid with the
MIAsMA OF DEATH
Horses and men had been buried, but the
soil on the rocky hills was thin and the graves
were shallow. On the night of the 9TH Ord
Corps reached Bolton, and on the afternoon
following Shermans three columns were con-
centrated in the neighborhood of Clinton.
During the day Johnston cavalry had been
lowering around our front, and in one or
two skirmishes with our advance had lost a
number OF prisoners. Sherman with his three
divisions now pressed forward and drove john
ston into the intrenchments of Jackson, which
had been greatly enlarged and strengthened
since the capture of the city in May. The Union
army closely invested the place, with the ex-
ception of the eastern side which it could not
reach on account of the Pearl River Ord's
Corps held the right Of the line of investment,
Shermans the center, aud Parke's the left, the
wings reaching to the river above and below
the town. 1t was not Sherman's purpose to
assault the works,-they were too strong and
well defended for that,-but he closed in his
lines and
sHELLED THE TOWN
from every direction. One of Ord's Divisions
Lauman's, which had arrived before Vieks-
burg from the north on the oath of May, and
had taken only small part in the siege-was
anxious to distinguish itself, and got in too
close to the enemy's works, when it met large
division from Bragg's army and was very
roughly handled. Lauman had exceeded his
orders and was relieved from his command.
The enemy on the 11th sailed ont against
Sherman's lines, but was promptly
REPULsED WITH HEAVY LOSS.
On the 18th, the heat being still sitting, a
truce of four hours was arranged, and the dead
that lay between the two armies was buried.
Sherman bombarded the town heavily On the
18th, and had arrangements in progress to
throw wings across the river but ON the fol-
lowing morning the works were found deserted.
Johnston had evacuated the place during the
night, escaping with everything bat four field
guns, leaving a swarm Of stragglers, who were
captured and paroled.
Steele's Division pursued the fugitive army
eastward TO Brandon, but Johnston was gone.
The weather was too hot TO pursue further, and
Gen. Sherman devoted himself to the work of
destroying beyond repair the railroads of
Central Mississippi. On the 2lst the Thirteenth
Corps again faced westward, and after another
scorching days tramp through the dust en-
camped for the night at Mississippi Springs. On
the way TO Raymond, on the 22d, it marched %
miles, reaching its camp on the Black River
soon after dark. There being no enemy in the
country, Gen. Sherman allowed the troops to
march back somewhat at will. A few days
after, Osterhaus's Division, having sent its
sick to Vicksburg by rail, struck tents and
marched to the captured city, encamping at
night in clean, comfortable place in rear of
the works. Next day camp was broken again,
and the division, with colers flying and bands
playing national airs,
MARCHED THROUGH THE CITY
in splendid style, and encamped on a large
plain between the bluff and the river below the
town. The goal of nearly years work was
reached-we were camped within the walls of
Nicksburg. Boats lay at the landing but they
all wore the national colors; sentries paced
along the formidable water batteries, but they
were men OF Logan's Diyision-our own COM
rades. and friends. The plain upon which we
were encamped was an old race ground. where
the beauty and chiyalry of Yicksburg had as
sembled in ante-bellam days TO witness the scrub
races that answered for sport among that
leisurely community. Directly across the river
lay the abortive canal on which we had worked
last February, and on the shores near our tents
was the battery which the rebels had built to
and occupied neat, regular camps, drew new
clothing and received two months pay. The
weather, from extreme drouth. had changed to
regular and heavy rains, the heat still remain
/ ing constant and intense. The air was laden
with miasmatic vapors and
DISEASE AND DEATH
spread throughout the camps The GONZALES
cents and few recruits were brought down
TO the several regiments, and the Thirteenth
Corps was rapidly prepared TO sever its pleasant
relations with the gallant Army of the Ten
nessee and made ready for new duties in an
other Department.
1t IS on record that when Gen. Grants army
passed below Nicksburg, in the Spring of 1863
4 il was with a more or less definite design oi
landing IN Mississippi, marching down TO Port
Hudson, assisting Banks TO reduce that place
and then returning with the combined armies
] OF Grant and Banks to operate against Yicks-
burg, having new base Of supplies at New
! Orleans. But when Grant failed to take Grand
/ 6ulf by attack in front, he was obliged to cap
ture that stronghold by flank movement and
! the important victory at Thompson's Hill on
the lst Of May effected that result. With
( Bowen's force defeated, and his army thor
! oughly established on the Mississippi shore
Gen. Grant, contrary TO the Judgment OF Presi
dent Lincoln aud Gen. Halleck, turned north
4 ward and fought the superb campaign which
terminated in the capitnlation of Vicksburg
y All this time Gen. Banks had been begging
Grant 70 send him re-enforcements. Not les
than three times during the May campaign
and siege which followed did the commando
of the Gulf Department send most urgent ap
peals to Gen. Grant to send him sufficient
troops 20
CAPTURE PORT HUDSON
and drive the rebel forces from the Red Rive
( country. Gen. Grant wrote him, explaining
/ the importance Of his operations and his in
ability to spare single man at that time
closing his letter with the promise that q wbel
get through with this job viii send you
corps Of as fine troops as ever marched OF
American soil" Accordingly, on the 18th o
August 1863, Osterhaus's Division went OF
board transports at Vicksburg and moved down
the river, destined for New Orleans, where i
arrived on the night Of the 18th, followed sool
after by the remainder Of the corps. From
that time forward we were identified with tn
Department Of the Gulf, aud participated il
the pleasant but fruitiess expedition into th
beautiful T'esche country and the abortive Re
River campaigns while our comrades OF th
Fifteenth and Seventeenth Corps were winnin
lanrels in other fields. We did not relish th
order separating us from the Army of the Ten
nessee, but that was one Of the fates of war AM
had TO be endured.
Away From Home.