The National tribune., 1892-03-24
.VANOUISHINGVICKSBURG
Continued from first page.)


pop at his fellow-man, just as l used to do
in hunting quail. Some of the boys make
it their business to take a breakfast spell
| shoot q dozen times or so, and then come
down with good appetite. l went up to
shoot my gun off yesterday. Got up and
looked over. Saw the yellow clay made
| breastworks, saw nor hat nor man above the
line. Not choosing to wait longer, and taking
the dire tion Of the courthouse, L held my
| err considerably elevated and fired.
think that the artillery and l together did
the building considerable damage. So much
for my par in taking Vicksburg."
May 31.-Grant directs Hurlbut at Mem
| phs to hurry up reinforcements. No boat
to 90 North from that city till transporta-
tion is secured for troops. He "has ascer-
tanned thai Johnston has collected a force
some $4,000 strong at Jackson or Canton.
| Expects him to attack Haines's Bluff. Re
quests Por,er to send the Marine Brigade
with its fleet there, and hold it till relieved
| by other forces"
| On this day, Also hears from Banks, who
urges the necessity of concentration, and
wants 10000 men. Replies :" that Vicks-
| land Johnston) demands the concentration"
June 1.-Our knapsacks are now on hand.
Left them to 90 into the fight of Cham
pion's Hill.
June Blair returned, and Mower, with
| q brigade of trooTs and 2OC cavalry, was
sent up the Yazoo to Mechanicsburg, to
watch the Big Black Crossing and Johnston.
| One division of Huribut's troops came, and
was dispatched to Mower ander Gen. Kim
| ball
June 5.-By this time much Of the ar
| tlIery of the rebels was dismounted or with
drawn; and / was writing in my diary
e In the rife-pits close to Vicksburg. Have
| been in soma two or three hours. Just re-
ceived hard kick on the lips from my
OUTRAGEOUS OLD MUsKET."
| Which recalls the fact that had shot the
old thing so much that my shoulder was so
sore that didn't like to put the gun against
it. So held the weapon of warfare at arms
length, with the left hand grasping the
stock, the gun being in the portfolio, and
taking aim, l pulled the trigger with my
right hand or finger. But / didn't grip the
butt Of the gun hard enough, and it simply
jumped out of my hand and landed on my
lips-especially the lower one. This was
badly cut and it swelled to great size. 1
think appreciated the fact that it was hot
in the trenches that day.
June 6-Diary again: The firing of can
non has begun and will last for 30 minutes.
Don't feel very well. The sky is cloudy.
Gloom shades every face when there is talk
of another charge"
June 7.-Diary: Con this pleasant Sun
day l can hear the sharpshooter's rifle and
the roar of cannon. We are in our little
cove still. 1t grows dusty. Very warm,
| too. Hark! There goes shell. 1t bursts close
over the heads OF the rebs in the rifle-pits.
Birds are singing and the men are talking
| aud laughing. One will get used to this
after ALL"
On this day our forces were having it hot
at Millikens Bend. A part of the 23d Iowa
| 160-was in the battle, and the white and
colored troops together were only q little
more than LOCO strong. The negroes had
never been in a fight. The enemy, under
Gen. Henry McCulloch, numbering nearly
3,0O0 came up on the evening of the 9th,
| driving in the outpOsts, and expecting to
capture the place the next morning. But Gen.
Dennis, in command, sent word by passing
steamer to Porter, and he dispatched the
| gunbnats Choctaw and Lexington to Dennis's
assistance. The ChOctaw arrived Just az the
rebels charged at 3 in the morning.
Bnt talked with aslender boy of Is from
| the 23d Iowa after.
HIS STORY WAS STIRRING.
They were out toward the woods beyond
| the levee, to meet the enemy, his little regi-
ment and the colored men. It was volley
or two and then charge. The rebels were
too many, and they could not stand the on
set. But they fought till the rebels were
right upon them. This lad locked bayonets
with "a man who weighed, he thought, at
| least $50 pounds. l asked him what he did.
al just tried to keep his bayonet so he
| couldn't get it loose" he said. " L was too
light for him. He kept pushing me back
and back all the time"
"Wen" / asked, "what did you think
about the result?D
1t was mighty slim chance for me-" he
replied, with laugh; but as l knew his
gun was empty, l was safe as long as l could
keep him at a distance. Finally a comrade,
seeing my dilemma, shot the man-blew his
head all to pieces. / tell you was glad, and
got back to that levee quicker than l ever
went before"
The way he told of the volleys poured
| into the rebels by the gunboats showed that
he appreciated their coming. The rebels
were glad to keep to their side of the levee,
and were finally beaten Off Greeley, refer
ring to correspondents reports, says that
the colored troops pursued, and were them
selves cut down by our ironclads. But my
informant didn't have anything to say of
that. At any rate, was greatly interested
in the boys story. He was slender lad,
| and
NO FIT ANTAGONIST FOR GROWN AND
VIGOROUS MAN.
Mower, who seems to have been great
E,vorite with Grant, was dispatched here, and
| instructed with his brigade and Dennis's