Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-08-29
The Beginning Of the Siege OF Vicks.
burg.

burg.
From Gen. Grants Paper in the September Century.
We had no siege-guns except six thirty-two
Founders, and there were none at the west to
draw from. Admiral Porter, however, sup
piled us with a battery of navy-guns Of large
caliber, and with these and the field-artillery
used in the campaign, the siege began The
first thing to do was to get the artillery in bat
teries where they would occupy commanding
positions; then, to establish the camps, under
cover from the fire OF the enemy, but as near
up as possible; and then to construct rifle-pits
and covered ways, to connect the entire com.
mand by the shortest route. The enemy did
not harass us much while we were constructing
our batteries. Probably their artillery ammu-
milton was short, and their infantry was kept
down by our sharp-shOoters, who were always
On the alert and ready to fire at head when
ever it showed itself above the rebel works.
In no place were our lines more than six hun
dred yards from the enemy. 1t was necessary,
therefore, to cover our men by something more
than the ordinary parapet. To give additional
along the tops of the parapets far enough apart
to make lOopholes for musketry. On top of
these, logs were put: By these means the men
were enabled to walk about erect when off duty,
without fear of annoyance from sharpshooters.
The enemy used in their defense explosive
musket-balls, thinking, no doubt, that, bursting
over our men in the trenches, they would do
some execution. / do not remember single
case s where man was injured by piece of one
ball exploded, the wound was terrible. In these
cases a solid ball woulu have hit as well. Their
use Is DdFOdIOuS, DechuSe UQey produce In
creased suffering without any corresponding
advantage to those using them.
The enemy could not resort to our method to
protect their men, because we had an mex
haustible supply of ammunition to draw upon,
and used 1t freely. Spiinters from the timber
would have made havoc among the men
behind.
There were no mOrtarS with the besiegers, ex-
cept those that the navy had in front of the city:
but wooden ones were made by taking logs Of
the toughest wood that could be found, boring
them out for six or twelve FOUNDER shells, and
binding them with strong iron bands. These
answered as cOehOrns and shells were SUCCESS
fully thrown from them into the trenches of
the enemy.
The labor of building the batteries and of in
trenching was largely done by the pioneers. as
sisted by negroes who came within our lines
and who were paid tor their work; but details
from the line had often to be made. The work
was pushed forward as rapidly as possible, and
covered from the fire ofthe enemy, the batteries
were advanced. By the Both of June there
were two hundred and twenty guns in position,
mostly light feld-pieces, besides battery OF
heavy guns belonging to, and manned and
commanded by, the navy. We were now as
strong for defense against the garrison of Vicks-
burg as they were against us; but knew that
Johnson was In our rear, and was receiving
constant re-enfOrcements from the east. He
had at this time larger force than had had
at any time prior to the battle Of Champion s
Hill.