The National tribune., 1900-02-08
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By W. F. JONES, 4zd Ohio.
Capture Of New Carthage and Battle at ThompsOns Hill.

III Ddttle dl uUHlUSUE = ElilI.
Gen. Grant found the enemy were in fore,
just i'll the rear of ThomI son's Hill. well
prepared 10 receive us.
| l will tell of one little circumstance, abou
midnight, as we We're marching along
There was i large mansion on our right
lighted up from cellar to garret. Our com
manderS came to the conclusion that there
was something going on at the said man
sion. He sent a heavy detail TO approach
the house cautiously and see what was the
matter.
AS We approached the house we saw the
front door was wide open. We marched
into the house without being molested
The occupants were all colored folks, and
the house was full of them. When asked
where the folks were who occupied the
house they said that they We're in the back
yard.
Out we went, and found about 20 white
men there in squad. At first they showed
| fight but our officer ordered them TO sur
render forthwith. or he would kill every one
of them, then and there. They surrendered
without murmur.
We found out that this house was a
rendezvous for the able colored folks of both
sSsss; SsS2SsGS; who had been gathered to start fur
ther South for saffott;;, as the rebels had heard
that Grant with a heavy force had landed
that day in their vicinity.
| The colored people were told that if there
was anything in the house they wanted
they We're free to help themselves. There
| being about $50 negroes, they went to work
with a will, and in about 20 minutes began
to come out. They looked like the pictures
in comic almanac. just let me describe
one. Think of 200-pOund black women
putting OH fine silk dress made to fit a
110-pound lady, and you have the woman
dressed. The men We're in about the same
fix that the women We're. The folks of this
house must have been we'll to do. Each
negro had a large bundle on his or her
head and i'll each hand, and seemed happy.
They were singing the Day of Jubilee" is
| dun cum"
We We're ordered to march farther, to the
place where we expected to meet the enemy.
At last we reached the foot of Thompson's
| Hill. This was about 3 o'clock a. m. The
army was halted there, and our lines formed.
Then We stacked arms, and lay down be
hind our guns, and slept about an hour and
a half That mornings rest under diff
cultieS proved to be the last natural sleep
that a number of the boys in blue ever took.
After a fitful sleep of an hour and half
by our guns in the little valley at the foot of
lThompson's Hill, on the morning of the
1st of May we were called up and every
thing got in readiness for an advance upon
the enemy. During the night two whole
divisions of our army had arrived at this
point and slept upon their arms. One was
commanded by OSterhaus, the other by
Carr, the two divisions numbering fully
10000 men.
THoMPSON'S HILL.
On the morning in question the whole
valley was hidden from an outside view by
| a fog which prevented The enemy discover
ling the strength or movements of our forces.
1t seemed that the Great Being was proyi-
dentially. working in our favor. Under
cover of this dense fog, which prevented us
from seeing an object so yards away, our
army prepared to move upon the enemy at
| the top Of the hill. In getting our artillery
| to the front and in motion, however, the
enemy discovered our intentions, and
opened fire upon us with artillery. They
could not see us, but their guns were di-
rected toward the point from which came
the noise our moving guns and caissons
made. When the enemy opened upon us
the signal was given for our army to ad-
vance up the hill. Upon the advance OF
our forces the enemy Withdrew from the tor
of the hill and took strong position in Its
rear, which gave them decided advantage
lover us.
| In preparing for general engagement
Carr'S Division took position on the right
close to a little church. OSterhauS's
Division formed on the left, close to the
Thompson residence. The writer was il
this division.
| In snort time IHe Wiloie 1liie WAS dcllNeiS
engaged. The superior position which the
enemy held gave them great advantage
) and it was give and take" most OF the
day. Several times our forces charged
upon their lines, driving them back, bu
they in turn would rally and drive ou
forces.
We managed to hold the position we ha6
, taken in the morning until about o'clocl
in the afternoon, when we We're reinforced
by fresh arrivals of troops. They tool
positions, and opened upon the enemy
We could soon see that the rebel lines
began to waver at many points, and II
! hals an hour they retreated, leaving u
in possession of the field.
Our loss was quite heavy, but was full.
, equalled by that sustained by the enemy
We slept that night on the battlefield will
! the dead of both armies scattered aroun'
/. us. The next day our forces marched +
Port Gibson; about three miles distant, AM
rested day or so.
EVACUATION OF JACKSON.
At this time Gen. Grant had only AZ 00
soldiers in that vicinity, and IT becam
| necessary to keep them in close supporting
distance Of each other, especially as he wa
in the enemy's country. Gen. Joe John
ston was at jackson, only a short distanc
away, with $4,000 troops; Pemberton wa
at Vicksburg with an equal number 5
/ miles from lis on the left, who could b