Bridgeton pioneer., 1885-09-17
GRANT AT VICKSBURG.
THE GENERALS ACCOUNT OF THE SIEGE
AND SURRENDER.

In the SepUeln Der nulnOef or the
Centotry, is printed the promised paper
by Gen. Grant on The Siege of Vicks-
burg" This is the second of the four
papers written 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 Wilderness cam
paign, and are to be published during
the coming Winter and Spring. Below
are given some of the more interesting
passages in the Vicksburg article:
Il now determined on a second as
sault. Johnston was in my rear, only
fifty-siX miles away, with an army not
much inferior in number to the one |
had with me, and knew he was being
reinforced. There was danger of his
coming to the assistance of Pemberton,
and, after all, he might defeat my an
ticipations Of capturing the garrison,
if, indeed, he did not prevent the cap
ture of the city. The immediate CAP
ture of Vicksburg would save sending
me the reinfOrcements which were so
much wanted elsewhere, and would set
free the army under me to drive John
ston from the State. But the first con-
sideration 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.
H., on the 22d, with furious cannon
ade from every battery in position.
All the corps commanders set their
time by mine, 50 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 parapets 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 enc
my's entertainments at several points
and wanted reinforcements. | occu-
pied a position from which | believed
| could see as well as he what took
place in his front, and did not see the
success he reported But his request
Tor reinforcements being repeated |
could not ignore it, and sent him Quin-
by's division of the Seventeenth Corps.
Sherman and Mcpherson were both Or
dered to renew their assaults as a di
version 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 eneny's
line and had been obliged to remain
there for security all day were with
drawn, 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
experience of the 22d convinced officers
and men that this was best, and thew
went to work on the defences and ap-
proaches with will With the navy
holding the river the investment of
Vicksburg was complete As long as
we could hold our position 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 be done to make our
position as strong against the enemy
as his was against us was very great.
The problem was also complicated by
wanting our line as near that of the
enemy as possible. 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 as
sistants on such long line, | directed
that all officers who were graduates at
West Point, where they had necessarily
W "'NJ 'iiiiio'i engineering, SllOulu,
in addition to their other duties, assist
in the work. The Chief Quartermaster
and Chief Commissary were graduates.
The Chief Commissary, now the Com
missary-General of the army, begged
Off, however, saying that there was
nothing in engineer that he was
good for, unless he would do for a sap
roller. AS soldiers require rations
while working in the bitches as well as
when marching and fighting, and as
we should be sure to lose him if he was |
used as sap roller, | let him off, The |
General is a large man-weighs 22O
pounds-and is not tall
I'VE had no seige guns except six
32-pounders, and there were none at the |
West to draw from. Admiral Porter.
however, supplied US with battery of
navy guns of large calibre. and with |