The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1885-09-17
Exploding Mines Before vieksburg.

From the 23d of May the work of
terrifying. aud pushing forward our
position nearer to the enemy, had been
steadily progressing. AT point on
the jackson road in front of RanSom's :
brigade sap was run up 20 the enc
my's parapct. and by the 25th OF June
we had it undermined and the mine
charged The enemy had counter
mined, but did not succeed in reaching
our mine. At this particular point the
hill on which stood the rebel work
rises abruptly. Our sap ran close up
to the outside OF the enemy's parapet.
In fact this parapet was also our pro-
tection. The soldiers of the two sides
occasionally conversed pleasantly across
this barrier: sometimes they would ex-
change the hard bread of the Union
soldiers for the tobacco of the Confed-
crates, and at other times they threw
over hand-grenades, the rebels throw
ing them first, and our men often
catching them in their hands and re-
turning them.
Our mine had been started some dis
tance back down the hill; consequent
ly, when it had extended as far as the
parapet, it was many feet below it.
This caused the failure of the enemy in
his search to find and destroy it. On
the 25th of June, at O'Clock, all be-
ing ready, the mine was exploded. 4
heavy artillery fire along the line had
been ordered to open with the explo-
sion. The effect was to blow the top
of the hill off and make a crater where
1t stood. The breach was not sufficient
to enable us to pass 4 column of attack
through. In fact, the enemy, having
failed to reach our mine, had thrown
up line farther back, where most of
the men guarding that point were
placed. There were a few men, how
ever, left at the advance line, and 9TH
ers were working il the counter mine,
which was still being pushed TO find
ours. All that were there were thrown
into the air, some of them coming down
on our side, still alive. | remem Der
one colored man who, having been
underground at work when the explo-
sion took place, was thrown to our
side. He was not much hurt, but ter
ribly frightened. Some one asked him
how high he had gone up. dun no,
massa, but fink bout tree mile" was
his reply. General Logan commanded
at this point, and took this colored man
to his quarters, where he did service to
the end OF the siege.
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
a desperate effort to eXpel them, but
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 SO much eff
feet. The enemy could lay their gre
nades on the parapet, which alone di-
vided the contestants, and roll them
down upon us; while from our side
they had to be thrown over the para
pet, which was at considerable -eleva-
tiOn' DuifnS tLO --is5i->- -----~--l -
forts to secure our position in the era
ter 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-tires, and
throw them by hand into our ranks.
We found it impossible to continue this
work. Another mine was consequent
iy started, which was exploded on the
1ss OF July, destroying an entire redan,
killing and wounding considerable
number of its occupants, and leaving
an immense chasm where it stood. No
attempt to charge was made this time,
the experience OF the 10Th admonishing
us. Our loss in the first affair was
about thirty killed and wounded. The
enemy must have lost more i'll the two
explosions than we did in the first. We
lost none IN the second. Grants
Paper IN tie sept Century.