The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-02

his camp on Bear Creek through the rest of the
siege, in order to prevent any possible attack
by Joe Johnston. the reports about whose move.
ments continued to be contradictory and uncer.
tain.
THE FLEET ON THE MISSISSIPPI.
Another variation in my Vicksburg life was
visiting Admiral Porter. who commanded the
feet which hemmed in the city on the river
side. Porter was a very active, courageous,
man and an experienced naval
officer, and l enjoyed the visits l made to his
fleet. His boats were pretty well scattered, for
the Confederates west of the Mississippi were
pressing in and unless watched might manage
to cross somewhere.
The most serious attack from the west during
the siege was that on June z. when a force of
some 1000 Confederates engaged about 1000
negro troops defending Millikcn's Bend. This
engagement became famous from the conduct
of the negro troops. Gen. E. S. Dennis, who saw
the battle, told me that it was the hardest.
fought engagement he had ever seen. 1t was
fought mainly hand to hand. After it was over
many men were found dead with bayonet stabs
and others with their skulls broken open by
butts of muskets. 1T is impossible said Gen.
Dennis, for men to show greater gallantry
than the negro troops in that fight
The bravery of the blacks in the battle at
Milliken's Bend completely revolutionized the
sentiment Of the army with regard to the en-
ployment of negro troops. I heard prominent
officers who formerly in private had sneered at
the idea of the negroes fighting express them.
selves after that us heartily in favor of it.
Among the Confederates. however. tho feeling
was very different. All the reports which came
to us showed that both citizens and soldiers on
the Confederate side manifested great dismay
at the idea of our arming negroes. They
said that such n policy was certain to be fol-
lowed by instruction with all It's horrors.
PROGRESS OF THE SIEGE.
Although Joe Johnston on tho east and the
rumors of invasion by Kirby Smith on the west
compelled constant attention, tho real work be-
hind Vicksburg was always that of the siege.
No amount of outside alarm loosened Grants
hold on the rebel stronghold. 1t went on stead
lily and effectively. BY June 10 tho expected
endorsements began to report. Grant soon
had 10000 mon around Vicksburg. The effect
WINS marked; we even began to receive encour.
aging reports from within Vicksburg. Desert
ers said that the garrison was worn out and
hungry; besides, the defence had for some time
been conducted with extraordinary feebleness.
which Grant thought was due either TO the de-
fciency of ammunition. or exhaustion and de-
preston In the garrison. or to their retirement
to an inner line OF defence.
These reports from within the town, as we'll as
the progress OF the siege and the arrival of re-
Inducements, pointed 80 strongly to the speedy
surrender of the place that l asked Mr.. Stanton
in my despatch Of June ID to please inform me
by telegram whether no wished me to go to
Gen. Rosecrans after the fall OF Vicksburg or
whether he had other orders for mo.
vIcKsBURG WAKES UP.
The next day after this letter. however. the
enemy laid aside his lons-standinG inactivity
and opened violently with both artillery and
musketry. Two mortars which the COnfeder-
ates got into operation that day particularly
interested our Generals. 1 remember going with
a party of some twenty officers, including Shcr.
man, MCPHERSON and Wilson. TO the brow
OF a hill on McPhorson's front to watch this
battery with our field glasses. From where we
were we could study the whole operation. We
saw the shell start from the mortar, sail slowly
through the air toward us. fall to the ground
and explode, digging out a hole which looked
like q crater. j remember ono OF these craters
which must have been nine feet in diameter.
AS you watched a shell coming you could not
tell whether It would fall Q Thousand feet away