The National tribune., 1886-07-08
VICKSBURG.
How Gen. Grant Obtained a Foothold In the Rear
OF the Rebe! Stronghold.


To THE EDITOR: In the month of April, 49,
Grants army was encamped a. Young's Point
and Milliken's Bend, 10 and % miles above
Vicksburg. Miss, on the Louisiana side. Yicks-
burg stands at the toe of horseshoe bend OF
the river, and was then very strongly fortified,
both naturally aud artiically. We were at
the upper heel of the shoe, the distance across
TO the lower heel being about ID miles while
the distance around the shoe was 80 miles. We
marched across from one heel to the other. ours
1.-THE 69th Ind being the advance infantry
regiment. After going about miles we came
to a large bayou. The levees on the Mississippi
River were broken and the whole country was
covered with water from three to 10 feet deep.
At Smiths plantation, on this bayou, were
several ilatboats. We took the best one for
hull and tore up the balance for siding. We
then cut loopholes, put some bales Of cotton in
the bow and stern, with a little mountain how
itzer in the bow, and named our craft the Op0s-
sum, the name being written with charcoal in
large letters on her side. Mai. Gen. Osterhaus
was in command of tho expedition. Twenty
volunteers went aboard, and we showed OIL from
shore amidst loud cheering and waving of red
bandanaS from the boys. But notice. great
scarcity of ladies in the crowd on the wharf as
the Opossum moved majestieally away. We
were aiming to strike the Mississippi River
eight miles away, and had no way of propelling
the grand old vessel except by pushing from
Tree 10 tree viii lOnB pOicSs OF III Lho hDSouCc
Of trees we put our poles on the ground.
After several hours Of laundering and twist
ing through the bushes we suddenly emerged
from thicket of underbrush, aud a few yards
in front of us was the levees of the Mississippi
River, on which were standing q half dozen
rebel soldiers gazing in bewilderment and as
constituent. They fred q volley, and then ran
down the river, no doubt wondering what the
devil them Yanks would do next Some of as
landed and pursued the rebels short distance.
The 0possum was taken back, and in the course
of two or three days our whole regiment was
brought over in this way. Here we remained
for more than week before any other troops
came to Us. We afterwards learned there was
at that time whole brigade of rebel troops
only five miles below Us. Of course we had no
way to retreat, as the levee was cut in our rear.
How easily we could have been bagged. We
were then ignorant Of their force and they Of
ours The rebels had gunboat, the Webb, and
at night we could see her lights crossing and
recrossing the river. We supposed they were
being reinforced and preparing TO attack US.
There was a saw mill below rs, and we took the
saw logs and rolled them across the levee, there
being water on both sides of US, the levee being
all the dry land we had. The rebels advanced
and shelled us, but we lay behind our saw logs
and took our pills like little men, not being
able to reach them with our mountain howitzer.
As soon as darkness set in we dug ditch across
the levee, sharpened poles and rails, set them
firmly in the ground with the sharp points
pointing towards the enemy. Then we procured
a small smokestaek from the sawmill mounted
1t on a couple Of cart-wheels, and placed it in
rear of our embankment, with its black nose
protruding. It closely resembled q 32-pound
Parrot gun. In the morning some rebel officers
came out to their picket-lines, viewed the
formidable breastworks and our heavy artil-
lery, and did not attack Us that day. But their
- l.. N.I
this time Uncle Sam " had possession Of both
ends of the Mississippi, but some other fellow
had taken claims from Vicksburg down to Port
Hudson. We could not retreat; neither could
we cross the river without steamboat. To
say the least, our position was beginning to be
little shaky. We didn't like the country,
nor our neighbors; but still We stayed with
them, simply because we couldn't leave them.
Our feathers began to droop, and we were not
feeling near so jubilant as when our noble,
grand and majestic old ship, The opossum,"
plowed the billowy deep across the woods
pasture.
We plainly saw we had our foot in it, But
Gen. Grant had an eye over US, as We shall see.
Grant determined 10 run that terrible gsntlet
of fire at Vicksburg with IS iron-clad gun
boats and six frail wooden steamboats,, and, in
order to find the exact location Of the rebel
guns commanding the river at Yicksourg, he
constructed sham gunboat, with barge for
hull, sided and covered with plank; -four
barrels for q smoke-staek, all painted dark
color, which, when completed, bore strong re-
semblance to genuine gunboat. As soon as
darkness set in she was towed out TO the chan
mel. lights were put in her, she was cut loose,
and the Quaker" as she was called, started
| down the river on her terrible mission Of death
| and destruction. As soon as she came in range
| the rebel batteries opened on her. Soon the
whole side of the bluffs was sheet Of fame,
raining shot and shell all around her, but the
staid old "quakeress" steadily pursued the
even tenor of her way, not deigning 20 reply,
she being conscientiously opposed TO bearing
arms. Strange TO say she went by safe. By
/ this means Grant found the location of the
batteries, and on the following night Porter,
| with IS gunbosts and six wooden steamboats,,
ran the blockade with only the loss of one
steamboat, the Henry Clay.
| The day the rebels had concluded to take Us
| in out of the wet these boats came steaming
| down the river. Then we were spiritually
renewed" Accompanied by the gunboats we
went down TO pay this rebel brigade visit
but they were suddenly called away, and could
not possibly stay 10 entertain Us. The steam
boats went up this bayou and brought down
the rest of our army. Then, after silencing q
cssemated rebel battery at Grand Gulf, Miss.
% miles below, we crossed the river on the
steamboats,, and on the LIST of May met the
| enemy at Thompsen's Hills, defeated then
there and afterwards at Raymond, Champion
| Hills and Black River Bridge thus gaining
foothold in the rear of Vicksbarg.-J. G. KIT
sELMAN, Co. A, 69th Ind, Sloan, Iowa.