Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1890-12-04
IN CAMP AND FIELD.
4 MEDICAL MANS MEMORY
OF WARTIME

ticularlv that Of the day previous, was
covered at the roadside by the guns, KNAPP
sacks, canteens, broken wagons and extra
garments OF the Confederates. These were
especially numerous between the Cham.
pion,s Hill battle ground and Edwards
Station.
Pretty early on the morning of May IS
the bluifs Of Black river were reached and
the remains of the burned railroad bridge
came in sight.
A little later the writer's regiment was
found inside of the Confederate works of
the day previous. The writer soon had
from his comrades, who had been partici.
pants in the battle of Black River Bridge,
full account OF the whole affair.
It was almost a bloodless victory. A
bayou circles around to the east from
Black river at the railroad bridge, forming
sort OF horseshoe, one-half to three
quarters of mile in extent; just within this
the Confederates, with cotton bales from
| the neighborlng plantation, had extempor.
| lied breastworlxs. These were we'll manned,
and at convenient intervals cannon were
planted. Upon the hills just west Of the
river the Confederates were in force
Lawler, with his brigade, charged the left
| flank of the rebel line, when the whole of
| the enemy either surrendered or sought
| safety in flight.
Seventeen hundred prisoners were taken,
made, became panic-stricken, tore out lit
| tie punches of cotton from the bales in the
breastworks and hoisted these upon the
points Of their bayonets in token o. sur
| render.
The writer spent some time in visiting
| the works lately occupied by the Confede"-
ates; they seemed strong, and the whole
| position was very similar to that occupied
| by the Federals eighteen months later at
| 10 al,
of Hoods forces were made unsuccessfully
| and with such terrible loss, upon Schofield,
| the Union Commander
Having lost, since the first day of May,
| 1868, the battles of Port Gibson, Raymond,
jackson, Champions Hill AID Black River
Bridge, all in the vicinity of Vicksburg,
| the Confederates on III 18th of the Same
month retired within the works of that
| stronghold.
| AS soon as the position at Black river
was lost, the bridge at that point was
| burned. The pioneer corps, however, fell
| to work most energetically, and by ten
| o'clock of May IS, the bridge was ready
for use. Eighteen guns were captured at
| Black river. Many of these were hand
some and finished in a most beautiful man
ner. Several had painted upon them i'll
gilt letters, names of popular Confederate
| officers, but qualified with the word lady.
| Thus there was the "Lady Davis, ~ Lady
| Price," "Lady Beauregard," etc.
Before noon nearly the whole command
was across the Big Black and headed for
| Vicksburg, ten or twelve miles distant
The way was for the most part lined with
| farm houses.
The Thirteenth Corps bore to the left
and at nightfall was within about tel
| miles of the works that encircled Vicks.
burg. Orders were given to mako fires
only in the ravineS with which the region
was well supplied.
Early next morning tho whole com
mand advanced. AS the Confederates had
SO far been defeated and had in the last en-
| eagement Welded what seemed q strong