The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-08-28

The Limited Resources of the Union
Army When the Siege Was Begun.
The Results Accomplished by the Explosion
of Mines-The Part Taken by the Navy
"A Woman's Diary Of the Siege.
General Grants PAPER in September Century.

draw from. Admiral Porter, however, supplied
and with these and the field artillery used in the
campaign, the siege began. The first thing to
do was to get the field 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 posslole;
and then to construct rife pits and covered ways
10 connect the entire command by the shortest
route. The enemy did not harass us much while
we were constructing our batteries. Probably
their artillery ammunition was short, and their
Infantry was kept down by our sharpshooters,
who were always on the alert, and ready to fire
at a head whenever it showed itself above the
rebel works.
In no place were our lines more than six hun
dred yards from the enemy. 1t was necessary,
therefore. to cover our men by something more
than the ordinary parapet. To give additional
potection, sand bags, bullet-proof, were placed
along the tops of the ~parapets, far enough apart
to make loopholesfor musketry. On top of these,
logs were put. By these means the men were
enabled TO walk about erect when off duty, with
out fear of annoyance from shareholders. The
enemy used in their defense explosive musket-
balls, thinking, no doubt. that, bursting over
our men in the trenches, they would do some
execution. [ do not remember a single case
where a man was injured by a 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 we'll. Their use is
barbarous, because they produce increased suf-
fering without any corresponding advantage to
those using them.
The enemy could not resort to our method
to protect their men, because we had an mex
haustible supply of ammunition to draw upon,
and used it freely. S~plinters from the timber
would have made havoc among the men behind.
There were no mortars with the b~esiegers,
except those that the navy had in front of the
city; but wooden ones were made by taking logs
Of the toughest wood that could be found, boring
them out for six or twelve FOUNDER shells, and
binding them with strong iron bands. These
answered as coehorns. and shells were success
fully thrown from them into the trenches of the
snemy.
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
lTOM IL llLG a OIIeu u no HdU6. IL WOIh
was pushed forward as rapidly as possible, and
when an advanced position was secured and
covered from the fire of the enemy, the batteries
were advanced. By the 30th of June there were
200 guns in position, mostly light field pieces,
besides a battery of heavy guns belonging to,
and manned and commanded by. the navy. We
were now as strong for defense against the garri-
son of Vicksburg as they were against US; but |
kDaw tba Johnston was in Onr rear and WAC
receiving constant reinforcementS from the
East. He had at this time a larger force than l
had had at any time prior to the battle Of Cham
From the 23d of May the work of fortifying
and pushing forward our position nearer the
enemy had been steadily progressing. At the
point on the jackson road in front OF Ransom's
brigade a sap was run up to the enemy's parapet,
and by the Goth 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
Che rebel work rises abruptly. Our apran close
up to the outside of the enemy's parapet. In
fact this parapet was also our protection. The
soldiers of the two sides occasionally conversed
pleasantly across this barrier; sometimes they
would exchange the hard bread of the Union
soldiers for the tobacco of the confederates,
and at other times they threw over hand
grenades, the rebels throwing them first, and
our men often catching them in their hands and
returning them.
AENI utlIlC nov OCCiO Uul lCo OoIuS DtCh
down the hill; consequently, when it had extend
ed 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 3 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 the top Of the hill off and
make q crater where it stood. The breach was
not sufficient to enable us to pass a. column of
attack through. In fact, the enemy, having
failed to reach our mine, had thrown up a line
further back, where most of the men guarding
that point were placed. There were a few men,
however, left at the advance line, and others
were working in the counter mine, which was
still being pushed to find ours. Ali that were
ahere were thrown into the air, some of them
coming down on our side, still alive. l remem-
Der one colored man who, having been under
ground at work when the explosion took place,
was thrown to our side. He was not much hurt,
but terribly frightened. Some one asked him
how high he had gone up. Dunno, massa, but
tink 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 greuades, which did
some execution. The compliment was returned
by our men, but not with so much effect. The
enemy could lay their grenades on the parapet.
which alone divided the contestants, and roll
them down upon us; while from our side they
had to be thrown over the parapet, which was at
considerable elevation. During the night we
made efforts to secure our position 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 throw
ing their grenades, and brought boxes of field
ammunition (shells), the fuses Of which they
would light with po~rtfires, and throw them by
hand into our ranks. We found it impossible
to continue this work. Another mine
was consequently started, which was exploded
on the LIST of July, destroying an entire
redan, killing ana wounding a considerable NUN.
Der of its occupants, and leaving an immense
chasm where it stood. no attempt to charge
was made this time, the experience of the 18th
ndmonishing us. Our loss in the field was about
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