The National tribune., 1900-02-08

As the enemy retreated towards jackson
from Raymond, about ii miles distant
a part of our forces We're ordered TO Kay
mond. and the writer was in this division
Grant and Sherman pushed on towards
jackson with a heavy force arriving there
on May IA.
Grant Immediately formed his men, and
attacked the enemy with such spirit that
Johnston quickly saw tfat the only chance
to save his army was by evacuating Jack
son. Grants forces marched in and took
possession.
After. the capture of Jackson Grant
began to get his entire army in shape to
give battle TO Pemberton, who. with a
large army, was then on his way from
| NlckSburg in an>effort to fall upon Grant $
rear. Had Pemberton arrived in time to
fall upon Grant when Johnston held Jack
son the result might have been different to
| the Union forces.
MEETING PEMBERTON.
The night of May IA Grant sent orders to
the different corps commanders to get
their forces in readiness TO move at a mo-
ment'S notice. Grant had three corps in
close marching order-the Thirteenth.
McClernand: Fifteenth, Sherman, and
Seventeenth. Mcpherson The entire time
of May Is was employed in hurrying up the
troops from the different points to be pre-
pared for the expected engagement
| The Thirteenth Corps (ourS) was at Ray
mond; the others were with Grant at Jack
son.
On the evening of the 18th Grant ordered
McClernand to start his corps-the Thir-
| teenth-yery early next morning towards
| Vicksburg. 1t was Grants intention,
with the other two corps, TO begin the
march towards Vicksburg at the same
time, and effect junction with McCler.
nand at point about four miles east OF
Il le.'e tot, hn fJI1n
united. Everything was on the tlptoe OF
excitement and expectation as to what
the coming day would bring forth.
The soldiers received orders to clean up
their guns, and have everything in good
order. Each man received 100 rounds.
When everything was in proper fighting
trim at the close of the day the men were
ordered to sleep upon their arms, to be in
readiness for the work of the morrow.
We had not gone very far next morning
before we heard the booming of cannon IN
our front. Orders were received from
Grant to hurry up our corps, as the enemy
were in waiting for us at the same point
that Grant had appointed for the junction
of our forces at the forks of the road. Penn
ber:on with large force formed his troops
in a half-circle, with the right and left
wings turned slightly, towards his rear;
His position was good one, and the line OF
! battle was formed at the edge OF body
| of timber and brush on a good elevation,
| having an open field in front, so that Grant S
| line of battle would be mostly IN open
ground.
Grants army was placed as follows
The Thirteenth Corps the left wing: the
Seventeenth in the center; the Fifteenth
on the right About 8 o'clock a. m. Grant
began to move. In few minutes the
| battle opened along the whole line, about
| four miles long from extreme right to lett.
! The artillery and musketry fire was very
bao oil IN tirna The two lines We're
about 300 yards apart, and frequently
charges occurred from both sides. At
noon an order came to OsterhauS to move
his division. This took in the writer,
We Immediately moved, and within, 100
| yards of line of battle halted, unSlung
knapsacks, and pulled our cartridge
boxes around, opened them, and started
| for the front. We took our place in the
line in plain view of the enemy. Just across
deep hollow. We received orders to open
fire upon the enemy, to which we responded
with good effect About half hour after
wards our regiment-the AID Ohlo-was
| ordered to charge across the raVlne and
capture a battery that was very destructive
| to our forces. Away we went, and the
enemy opened upon us with grape and
canister, but as we were down IN ,ti the
valley they overshot us and did very little
execution. We took the battery, but just
at that iuncture the rebel commander sent
| a heavy force to our left under cover OF a
| hill, which was about TO get in our rear,
When the enemy saw that they could not
capture us they opened fire at close range,
killing and wounding number OF our
men. Our regiment reached the lines
again, and took its position as before.
| The battle ragged fiercely all along the
line. The firing of the artillery was ter,
rife. The commands of officers could
scarcely be heard. Frequent charges were
made by each army in attempts to break
| through the others lines, but without avail;
| I'D to this time we had been engaged
| about eight hours with each other, and
neither side had gained any advantage.
| The intervening space between the two
opposing armies was streWn win ,d, lne
bodies of the dead and wounded who had
fallen during the frequent charges.
About o'clock p. m. Grant ordered a
| charge along the entire line at the same
moment. The charge was so impetuous
and determined that the enemy could
a retreat We had yet large reserve,
and Pemberton realizing it, wisely chose to
save himself by flight. We had gotten
almost two-thirds across the space between
the lines when the enemy fled and left the
field to Grant and his once more VICTORIOUS
army.
The rebels in their retreat attempted to
haul off the battery which we had so often
tried to capture and hold during the day,
hut INST at this time the I'd III. battery oi
six guns came up and opened upon the re-
treating forces The road by which they
sought to escape was a straight one, and IL
direct line with our battery, and within
two minutes after it opened on them the
road was blockaded with a mass OF guns
wagons, dead men and horses for the dis
tance of half mile.
, We followed the rebels, until IL o,cloci
that night and captured a great man.
prisoners. We halted at Edwards's Sta
ton, at which place the enemy had a lot o