The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1885-09-10
The sIeee Of Vicksburg.

We had no siege-guns except six
thirty-two Founders, and there were
none at the West to draw from. Adj
miral Porter, however, supplied US
with 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 batteries 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 con-
struct rife-pits and covered ways, to
connect the entire command by the
shortest route. The enemy did not
harass US much while we were con-
structing our batteries. Probably their
artillery ammunition was short, and
their infantry was kept down by our
sharp-shooters, who were always on
the alert and ready to fire at head
whenever it showed itself above the
rebel works.
In no place were our lines more than
six hundred yards from the enemy. 1t
was necessary. therefore, to cover our
men by something more than the ordi-
nary parapet. To give additional pro-
lection, sand-bags, bullet-proof, were
| placed along the tops of the parapets.
! far enough apart to mako loopholes for
musketry. On top of these, logs were
put. BY these means the mon were
! enabled to walk about erect when of
duty, without fear of annoyance from
sharp4sbooters. The enemy used in
| their defense explosive musket-balls,
| thinking. no doubt, that, bursting over
| our men in tho trenches, they would do
some execution. do not remember 3
single case where a man was injured
| by q piece of one Of these shells. When
| they were hit, and the ball exploded,
| the wound was terrible. In these cases
/ q solid ball would have hit as well.
| Their use is barbarouss because they
| produce increased suffering without
any corresponding advantage to those
using them.
The enemy could not resort to our
| method 10 protect their men, because
we had an inexhaustible supply of am
munition to draw upons and used it
/ freely. Splinters from the timber would
have made havoc among the men be-
hind.
There were no mortars with the DO
siegers, except those that the navy had
in front of the city; but wooden ones
were made by taking logs Of the tough
est wood that could be found, boring
l tucu Out lUI Si4 VI LNCAN0 POun004
shells, and binding them with strong
iron bands. These answered as coe.
horns, and shells were successfully
thrown from them into the trenches Of
the enemy.
The labor of building the batteries
and of intrenching was largely done BY
the pioneers. assisted by negroes who
came within our lines and who were
paid for their work; but details from
the line had often to be made. The
work was pushed forward as rapidly a
possible, and when an advanced posi-
ton was secured and covered from the
fire of the enemy, the batteries were
advanced. By the 50th of June there
werc two hundred and twenty guns II
position. mostly light ield-pieces. be
sides battery of heavy guns belong
ing to, and manned and commanded
by the navy. We were now as strons
for defense against the garrison o
Vicksburg as they were against US; Blu
knew that johnson was in our rear
and was receiving constant REINFORCE
ments from the East He had at thi
time larger force than l had had q
any time prior to the battle of Cham
pion's Hiil.-F'rom General Grant.
Paper iN the September Century.