The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-02-12
His G, injection With the Bat
Tie Of Vicksburg.
ALEAF FROM MODERN HISTORY
The Account of His Relief by Gen
Grant and After VindicatiOn
by President Lincoln.
SIT LAKE, February 4, 1888.

with General MCOleTHduu, In0 foCeI a.
soldier and egislator-member of the
Utah Commission. The General has
been the recipient of much abuse
lately from the organ of the rIle or
ruin clique; bus he does not get sick
or frightened b. the attacks. In the
coarse of our conversation, I asked
him to explain his connection with the
battle of Vicksburg, aud give the facts
of his being relieved of his command
by General t3rant-in relation to which
events the Tribune has been particularly
abusive. General M9Clernand an
swered that the facts were easily OBJ
tainabIe from contemporaneous works,
and m obesity chose TO say little about
himself in this matter.
Upon examination: of 1.-The History
of the Civil War in America" by John
S. G. Abbott, find the following &C
count of the battle of Vicksburg:
Under cover of these woods, the
rebels had taken their position. Their
fire commanded the road and swept
the open field, across which the patriots
were compelled to advance. While
other portions of the Union troops
were advancing by roads farther south,
the main battle was to be fought here;
ths brunt of the 'onfct was TO fall on
General Hovey's vision of McCler-
nand's Corps. General Grant was upon
the field, and commanded in person.
The battle commenced about 9 o'clock
in the morning. The rebels. knowing
that the other divisions OF the Union
army were hurTying forward TO take
part in the conflict, decided not to await
their arrival, out to assume the often
sive themselves. Massing their troops,
they hurled them upon the centre of
General Hovey's line. The fire grew
hotter end hotter; incessant vollevs
flashed from the woods, where the al
most invisible foe was protected from
the return fire of the patriots. There
were MANY in the Union ranks who
might now be regarded as veterans.
They had been in the fierce battles of
Donelson and Shiloh, and in q score of
other desperate encounters; but they
testified that the fusiiade from this hill
side they had never seen surpassed.
Though General Hovey held his
position with great firmnesS for time,
he was at length compelled to fall back.
He, however, made his 1etrograde
movement slowly. and i'll perfect order,
as he was every moment expecting re-
Inducements. At length General
Quimby's Division of McPherson's
Corps arrived. Thus strengthened,
General Hovey ma sed his artillery,
concentrated it upon the advancing foe.
and succeeded in making stand.
Then the surge of battle turned. and
fn
Hovey, following up his advantage,
pressed them closely. Just at this mo-
ment word came that General Logan
had gained position on the rebels left.
and was threatening their rear. 1t was
this, indeed, which compelled them 20
fall back. The patriots now charged
with cheer: the rebels were driven in
confusion into the woods, and being
vigorously pursued, they were pressed
Onward in full retreat. General Nc
Clernand's Corps contil the pursuit
until after dark. Ed wards station was
soon reached and occupied; the rebels,
in their tumLltuous retreat, applied the
torch to five carloads of ammunition
which they had not time to remove.
Thus ended the battle of Champion
Hill, or Edwards Station. 1t was the
most decisive of General Grants battles
reality decided the fate of the city
The next morning, the
18th, General McClernand, in hot pur-
suit of the foe, caIre upJn them in
force at the Big Black River. They
had evidently made careful preparation
10 dispute the passage of the stream.
The position was we'll chosen, aud it
seemed impossible that the stream
could be crossed, but at the expense Of
q blcody battle. The country here
loses its billy character, and the rail-
road and Turnpike, running parallel to
eBch other, enter npon broad plain
which extends to the river shore. The
eastern banks spread out into what is
called a bottom land. redeemed from
overflow by dixie or leyee. The OPP
posite shore arises in high bluff almost
from the waters edge. At this point.
the railroad and turnpike cross the
river upon bridges, side by side. On
the eastern shore, bayou emerges
from ahe river above the bridges, and,
after circHit of about mile, enters
into the river again below. This bayou
was about twenty feet wide and was
filled with stagnant water but two or
three feet sep. Inside of the bayou,
with the river behind them, the rebels
had thrown up line of intrenchment.
and had planted eighteen guns. A suf-
hcient portion of the rebel force was
left to man these batteries. while the re-
mainder occupied the bluff on the west.
ern shore. To cross the river, it was
necessary for the patriots to pass over
the open plain, wade the bayou, or
throw bridge over it, charge the rebel
ramparts. and, should they succeed in
the face of the terrific fire which tn"
rebels could concentrate upon the
point of crossing. General McCler
nand Immediately commenced an artil-
lery attack upon the rebel position.
1t was vigorously replied to. At al
most the first fire, General Osterhaus
was wounded; but he still kept the
field through the dav. In consequence
of his wound, General A. L. Lee was
temporarily assigned TO his command.
While the attention of the enemy was
engrossed by this attack. General Law
Ter succeeded in carrying them, then to
force the passage of the river, in ap-