The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-09-10
Vicksburg's Surrender.
THE STORY TOLD BY GEN. GRANT.

EXTRACTS FROM HIS PAPER IN THE CEN
TURY MAGAzINE.-HOw TILE SIEGE
WAS DETERMINED UPON.-THE INTER
VIEW WITH GEN. PEAIBERTON.
In the September number of the Ceatau?
Magazine is printed the promised paper by
Gen. Grant on The Siege of Vicksburg. ,
This is the second Of the four papers writ
ten by Gen. Grant for the Century, the
first being the one on Shiloh which was
published in the February number. The
others are on Chattanooga and the Viii
derness campaign, and are to be published
during the coming winter and spring. Be-
low are given some of the more interest
ing passages in the Vicksburg article:
81 now determined on second assault.
Johnston was in my rear, emily fifty miles
away, with an army not much inferior in
numbers to the one | had with me, and I
knew he was being reinforced. There was
danger of his coming to the assistance of
Pemberton, and, after all, he might defeat
my anticipations of capturing the garri-
son, if, indeed, he did not prevent the cap
ture of the city. The immediate capture
of Vicksburg would save sending me the
reinforcements which were so much
wanted elsewhere, and would set free the
army under me to drive Johnston from the
State. But the first consideration of all
was that the troops believed they could
carry the works in their front, and would
not have worked so patiently in the
trenches if they had not been allowed to
try.
''The attack was ordered to commence
on all parts of the line at 10 o'clock A. M.
on the 22d with furious cannonade from
every battery in position. All the corps
commanders set their time by mine, SO
that all might open the engagement at the
same minute. The attack was gallant,
and portions of each of the three corps
succeeded in getting up to the very para
pets OF the enemy and in planting their
battle flags upon them; but at no place
were we able to enter. Gen. McClernand
reported that he had gained the enemy's
intrenchment at several points and wanted
reinforcements. occupied position
from which believed I could see as well
as he what took place in his front, and
did not see the success he reported. But
his request for reinforcements being re-
peated | could not ignore it, and sent him
Quinby's division Of the Seventeenth
Corps. Sherman and Mcpherson were
both ordered to renew their assaults as a
diversion in favor of McClernand. This
last attack only served to increase our
casualties without giving any benefit
whatever. AS soon as it was dark our
troops that had reached the enemy's line
and had been obliged to remain there for
security all day were withdrawn, and thus
ended the last assault on Vicksburg.
IA regular siege was now determined
upon-to 'out-camp the enemy, as it were,
and to incur no more losses. The expert
rience of the 22d convinced officers and
men that this was best, and they went to
work On the defences and approaches with
a will. With the navy holding the river
the investment of Vicksburg was COM
plete. AS long as we could hold our posi-
ton the enemy was limited in supplies of
food, men. and munitions of war to what
he had on hand. These could not last
always. \
1.-The work to lie done to make our posi-
fin,, str ai,,Ct 1, r.
was against us was very great. The prob
lem was also complicated by our wanting
our line as near that of the enemy as pos
sible. We had but four engineer officers
with us. Capt. Prime, of the engineer
corps, was the chief, and the work at the
beginning was mainly directed by him.
His health, however, SOON gave out, when
he was succeeded by Capt. Comstock, also
of the engineer corps. TO provide assis-
tants on such long line, 1 directed that
all officers who were graduates at West
Point, where they had necessarily to study
military engineering, should, in addition
to their other duties, assist in the work.
The chief quarter master and the chief
commissary were graduates. The chief
commissary, now the commissary- general
of the army, begged off, however, saying
that there were nothing in engineering
that he was good for, unless he would do
for a sap roller. AS soldiers require ra-
lions while working in the bitches as well
as when marching and fighting, and as we
should be sure I o lose him if he was used
as sap roller, let him off. The general
is large man-weighs 22O pounds-and is
not tall.
1--WE had no siege guns except six 80
Founders, and there were none at the west
to draw from. Admiral Porter, however,
supplied us with q battery of navy guns,
of large calibre, and with these and the
field artillery used IN the campaign the
siege began. The first thing to do was to
get the 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 possible, and then to construct rifle pits
and covered ways to connect the entire
command by the shortest route. The
enemy did not harass us much while we
were constructing our batteries. Proba-
bly, 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 head whenever
it showed itself above the rebel works. x x
On the 18th | received letters from
Gems. Sherman and Mcpherson, saying
that their respective commands had COM
planned to them of fulsome congratula-
tory order. published by Gen. McClernand
to the Thirteenth Corps, which did great
injustice to the other troops engaged in
the campaign. This order had been sent
north and published, and now papers con
tanning it had reached our ca,nns Tba