Daily Honolulu press. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1886, 1885-10-27
STORY OF THE SIEGE.
GEN. GRANTS DESCRIPTION OF THE
MINE EXPLOSIONS AT vIcksBuRe.
Blowing or the Top OF Bin-A Fright
ened Darh~y- Throwing Hand-Grsn-
ades--Pemberton's Scheme Char
In the Trenches.


From the 23d of May the work Of FORTH
flying and pushing forward our position
nearer to the enemy had been steadily pro-
crossing. At the point on the jackson road
in front OF Ransom's brigade sap was run
up to the enemy's parapet and by the 25th
of June we had it undermined and tho mine
charged. The enemy had countermined
but did not succeed in reaching our mine.
On the 25th Of June, at o'clock, all being
ready, the mine was exploded. A heavy
artillery fire all along the line had been
ordered to open with the explosion The
effect was to blow tho top Of the hill off,
and make crater where IL stood. The
breach was not sufficient to enabls US to
pass a column Of attack through. In fact,
the enemy, having failed to reach our mine,
had thrown up line farther back, where
more Of the men guarding that point were
placed
There were few men, however, left at
the advance line, and othsrs were working
in the counter -mine which was still being
pushed to find ours. ALI that were there
we're thrown into the air. some Of them CON-
ing down on our side, still alive. remsm-
Der one colored man who, having bssn I'M
playground at work when the explosion took
place, was thrown to our side. He was not
much hurt, but terribly frightened. Some
ono asked him how high he had gone up.
ADun no, massa, but tink bout tree mile"
was the reply. Gen. Logan commanded at
this point, and took this colored man to his
quarters, where he did service to the end OF
the siege
THROWING HAND-GRENADEs.
As soon as the explosion took place the
crater was seized by two regiments Of our
troops who were near by, under cover
where they had been placed for the express
purpose The enemy made desperate
effort 10 expel them, but failed and soon
retired behind his new line From here,
however, they threw hand grenedos, which
did some execution. The compliment was
returned by our men, but not with 80 much
effect The enemy could lay their grenadss
ON the parapets, which alone divided the
contestants, and roll them down upon us,
while from our side they had to be thrown
over the para-et, which was at considerable
elevation.
During the night we made efforts to Sc
cure our position In the crater against the
missiles of the enemy, so as to run trenches
along the outer base Of their psrspet, right
and left; but the enemy continued throwing
their gronades, and brought boxes of field
ammunition (shells) the fuses Of which they
would light with port firos. and throw them
by hand into our ranks We found It i'm
possible to continue the work. Another mine
was consequently started, which was ex-
ploded on the LIST of July, destroying an en-
tire redan, killing and wounding a consider
able number OF its occupants, and leaving
an immense chasm whore II stood. No at
tempt to charge was made this time, the ex-
perience OF the 18th admonishing us. Our
loss in the first affair was about thirty
killed and wounded. The enemy must have
lost more in tho two explosions than we did
in the first. We lost mono in the second.
PEMBERTON's SCHEME TO ESCAPE.
About this time an intercepted dispatch
from Johnston to Pemberton informed me
that Johnston intended to make deter
mined attack upon us, in order +, relieve the
garrison at Vicksburg. l knew the garrison
would mako no formidable effort to relieve
itself The picket lines were SO close TO each
other where there was space enough be-
tween the lines to post picksts- the men
could covsrse. On the 2lst OF June was
informed, through this means. that Psmber-
ton was preparing to escape by crossing to
the Louisiana side under cover OF nights
that he had employed workmen In making
boats for the purpose; that the men had been
canvassod TO ascertain II they would make
an assault on the yankees" to cut their
way out; that they had refused, and had
almost mutinied because their commander
would not surrender and relieve their suffer-
ings, and had only been pacifisd by the
assurance that boats enough would be
finished In week to carry them all over.
The rebel pickots also said that houses In
the city had been pulled down to get ma
terial to build these boats with Afterward
this story was verified. On entering the
city we found large number of very rudely
constructed boats
All necessary steps were at once taken to
render such an attempt abortive. Our
rickets ware doubled. Admiral Portar vvas