The National tribune., 1885-06-11
,ers-3Oth, 37th and 47th Ohio and

tsenchments The soldiers OF the Confcd-
eracy are SILENT mouunIess, biding tnelr
time. The volunteers, Ewings, Giles
Smiths and KTby Smiths Brigades are
sheltered IN the rayIne 6U0 feet distant froin
the intrencbments. TweDty-iour Union can
non are planted TO pour concentrated nre
upon the fort which Is to be assaulted. Up
from their shelter spring the 100 volunteers,
rushing up the narrow road with poles ana
boards Ewiag's men are behind them
Suddenly the tort is ablaze. Gen. Hebert's
Confederaies are upon their feet delivering
a terrific yoiley upon the VOLUNTEERS, who
fall headlong TO the earth. Ewngs men
press on. They reach the dhch, cross IT
climb the parapet, plant their flag upvn the
upheayed emuankment The man who
plants il falls HIS comrades 20 down. The
ground is thickly strewn with men IN blue
Ewing is rolled back, but his men leave the
flag still waving where they planted IT,
Confederate after Confederate attempts to
seize ii but is shot down by The Union men
sheltered in the thIcket. Through The day
ii floats securely In the Summer breeze rid
died by bullets of friend and Toe. Through
the day Ewing's men lie IN the woods with
In q stones throw OF II.
Going south along the Union lines we
come to McPhersuns Corps; Ransoms Brl-
rade of McArthurs Division holding the
right soulh of the Cemetery road, Logans
Division in the center and QuImby's on the
left. between the Jackson ana Baldwin roads.
Logans Division leads the attack. T..
Smiths Brigade. Goth, 3lst, 10Th, l24th III,
23d Ind. and Sleyensvn's-SIh, S1st ILL.,, 9TH
Mo-. Sd Ohio Smith Brigade is along
the road S;eyenson's south OF H. Both are
to attack the strong fort which stands north
of the road So terrible the fire that bursts
upon Smith that has sIen recoil, but Steven
sons men rush on, the 7th Mo. planting Its
colors on the parapet of the fort The bearer
falls. A second soldier SEXES them. Tie,
too, falls: the third, fourth, fifth, sixth all
go down IN as MANY minutes, their lie pioou
staining the yellow earth. In vain the effort.
The brigade, to save itself from utter annlhl-
latIon, falls back to the shelter of the ravine.
Going down TO McCierIand's Corps We see
Benton's aud LAWYERS BrIgades selected to
lead the attack. Benton has the LIST U. b,
Sth, 18th Ind, 33d, 99:h il; Lawlsr, the
11th Wis, 21st, Odd, Odd Iowa Burbridges
Brigade is in support of Benton and Lam
drams behind LAWYER. The tort which they
are to attack is on hill few rods south of
the railroad. The 22d and 2lst Iowa charge
up the hill They reach the ditch outside
men clears the ditch, scales the parapet, leaps
into the fort, hut nearly all except the Ser-
geant are killed. The COnfederates flee TO a
second emban ment 800 feet in rear of ftnefirst
The 22d Iowa takes possession, plants its col
ors upon the parapet; but the men are Obliged
to shelter themselves from the fire ralncd
upon them from the s. cond lntreDchment
Landram's men join them, and the
nth I'LL. also plants its coIors upon the
parapet. Through The day the Union men
hold the outside of a portion of the intreBch-
ment, the Contederates the inside. Equally
brave are RentGns and Burbridge's mtn-
reaching the ditch, planting their coiors,
holding the outside.
Half past 10. The three divisions have
attacked ut the same moment; each has
reached the parapet, each planted its flag.
THE AFTERNOON.
Gen Grant had seen the attacks. From
his position, just behind Blair's Division, he
could look down the line and see the bri-
gades one after another rush up the steep
slope. He could see the struggle to gam
possession Of the f.rts, the flags waving
upon the parapets the brave men In blue
lying upon the ground, their life work
ended. He saw that the attacks had failed.
1t was 1870 when he received a message
from McClernand, who said that he was
hotly engage d; that the enemy was massiDg
ON his right and left; that if Mcpherson
would strike a vigorous blow it would and
him. A little later came another message:
I'VE are botly engaged with the enemy.
We have possession of two forts. and the
Stars and Stripes are floating over them. A
vigorous push ought to be made all along
the line"
A third message from McCiernand,
o'clock
We have gained the enemys intrench-
menis at several points, but are brought to
stand. / have sent word to Macarthur to
re-enforce me if he can. WOlid it not be
best to concentrate the whole as a part of
his command at this point? My troops are
all engaged, aud l cannot withdraw any to
re-enforce them"
A commander IN battle must act upon in
formation from his eubordInates. He can
see personally very little of what is going on.
To Grants own mind, Judging from what he
could see. the attack had tailed but McCler-
nand, according to the dispatches. was in
possession Of the Confederate works. If SO,
would not a vigorous ATTACK by Sherman
and Mcpherson complete the victory? He
shows the dispatches to those officers, and
directs them to renew the assault.
We see QuimbyIs Division Fastening to
support McClernard. Tuttle's Division
moves up to support Blair. Giles Smiths
and Ransoms Brigades unite to rush upon
the intrenchments between the cemetery and
the little stream west OF it. Steeles Division
works it's way amid the ravines and knobs
farther west. Logau's Division, on the Jack
son road, rushes once more upon the intrench-
ments.
The uproar begins. Again caDnons thun-
dering, nuskeis flashing. solid shot blowing
up the mellow earth, hurting clouds OF dust
into the air; shells bursting; Union soldiers
falling thick and fast; the lines halting
wavering, rolled back at last, leaving the
ground thicilly strewn with dead and dying
The sun goes down with nothing gained on
the part of Grant. OF the $4,000 troops
nearly $4,000 have been engaged, aud more
than 1000 have been killed or wOnnded
Had it not been for the misleading dis.
patches the assault in the afternoon would
not have been ordered. The Conftdera,es
sheltered by their breastworks suffered little
less comparatively. No one will ever know
how many were killed or disabled on that
afternoon, but Pembertou's loss was prob
ably not more than five or six hundred.
Night comes. and the Union troops weary,
exhausted, broken-dowu by constant march
ing and scant supply of food, are Withdrawn
The attempt to capture Yicksburg by direct
attack HIS failed. The Union troups have
suffered heavy loss. They have received
L. -. a. :.