Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1885-09-11
TOI4 ISLAND POND VERMONT SEPTEMBER H. 1885,

failed, and soon retired behind his new
line. From here, however, they threw
hand grenades, which did some execu.
ton. The compliment was returned by
our men, but not with 50 much effect
The enemy could lay their grenades on
the paraDet, which alone divided the
contestants, and roll them down upon
US; while from our side they had to be
thrown over the parapet, VIII ch was at
considerable elevation. During the
night we made efforts to secure our posi-
tion in the crater against the missiles of
the enemy, so as to run trenches along
the outer base of their parapet, right
and left; but the enemy continued
throwing their grenades, and brought
boxes of field ammunition (shells),
the fuses of which they would
light with port-fres, and throw them by
hand into our ranks. We found it i'm.
possible to continue this work. Another
mine was consequently started, which
was exploded on the 1st of July, destroy.
ing an entire redan, killing and woundine
considerable number of its occupants,
and leaving an immense chasm where il
stood. No attempt to charge was made
this time, the experience of the 25th ad
monishing US. Our loss in the first af
fair was about thirty killed and wounded
The enemy n ust' have lost more in the
two explosions than we did in the first
We lost none in the second"
Referring to General Pemberton's
scheme to escape from Vicksburg, Grant
writes:
."About this time an intercepted dis
patch from Johnston to Pembertonr In
formed me that Johnston intended to
make determined. attack upon us, in
order to relieve the garrison of Vicks
burg. l knew the garrison would make
no oform dable effort to relieve itself. The
picket lines were so close to each other
where there was space enough be.
tween the lines to pest pickets-that the
men could converse. On the 21st OF
June was informed, through this
means, that Pemberton was preparing to
escape by crossing to the Louisiana side
under cover of night; that he had EN-
ployed workmen in making boats
for that. purpose; that the
men had been canvassed tC
ascertain if they would make ar
assault on the "Yankees" 10 cut theit
way out; that they had refused, and had
almost mutinied because their com
mander would not surrender and relieve
their sufferings, and had only been paci'
| fed by the assurance that boats enough
would be finished in a week to carry
them all over. The rebel pickets also
said that houses in the city had been
pulled down to get material to build
these boats with. Afterward this story
was verified. On entering the city we
found a large number of very rudellv
CONSTRUCTED boats.
"All necessary steps were at once taken
to render such an attempt abortive. Our
pickots were doubled; Admiral Porter
was informed, so that the river might be
more closely watched; material was col
lected on the west bank of the river with
which to light it up if the attempt was
made; ami batteries were established
along the levee crossing the peninsula Oh
! the Louisiana side. Had the attempt
been made, the garrison of Vicksburg
would have been drowned or made
prisoners on the Louisiana side. General
Richard Taylor was expected on the ives
bank to cooperate in this movement,
believe; but he did not come, nor could
he have done so with a force sufficient tc
be of service"