The National tribune., 1901-01-31
UNDER REBEL GUNS.
Incidents Of Close Quarters at the Siege Of
Vicksburg.

! paign against VickSbur9. recalls to I'll!
mind many incidents of that brilliant time
also the fact that my regiment was there
and very near at times to the 6Sth Ohio
: of which Comrade Loopewrites.
Mine was "Hoosier irrginacnt, the !tit
| Ind. The writer, but aUbey in 1862, lcf
his native State, old Kentucky, as m!
county VSallatin) was not in the business
just ut that time of getting up volunteer
: troops for the Union, although later or
many noble and brave boys did enlist anC
barred their breasts in defense of the bes
Government on earth.
After rendeZvousing Mt Madison. Ind.
the g3d was sent to Memphis, Tenn.
. where we We're placed in Sherman's Eff
teenth Corps.
/, l will skip all that occurred to MS mp tC
the time we arrived in the vicinity oil
Vicksburg. not because we had seen nc
service, for we saw lots of it, but as
started out to write of Nicksburg only,
will confine this article TO the siege OF
| VickSburg.
If memory serves me rightly, we ar
rived in the vicinity of Nicksburg Il little
after dark. May 1S. How near we were
we had no means of knowing until day
light the next morning. After stacking
arms my first thought was to hunt water
| for coffee. Although tired and footsorc
from hard days march "a continuation
Of many previous Ones), / felt | must have
some coffee before l slept. / had no idea
| in which direction TO go, but started along
road which | could feel, but not see.
| went quite distance, and was finally
rewarded by seeing the faint shimmering
Of water, which proved to be pond near
the road, and from the way the ground
was worn down around it ] concluded 1t
| was the watering place of the rebel cav
airy and battery horses. filled myself
| with the warm stuff, and enjoyed it, TOO,
| 20 I thirsty 'IhpD / filled
canteen and hurried back to camp, where
l was soon RECALLING myself with the sol
dier's best friends-coffee, bareback and
SOW belly. Throwing myself on the
ground l was soon sleeping soundly,
unmindful of the fact that the enemy
| was very near and that stray shot might
at any moment reach my vitals.
Before day we were awakened by our
officers and told to build fires and get
| breakfast as speedily as possible, as we
| were very near the rebel lines. As soon
as our little fires sprang up, the vigilant
foe began to shoot, and the spiteful min
lie" sang intentionally close. But
could not forego a cup OF strong coffee,
even if our neighbors were so unmanneriy.
So hied me to the aforementioned pond
to refill my canteen, for | knew not how
badly / might need water before the day
was over, having before seen the awful
| agony of the wounded as they lay crying
for water that was not to be had. l set
my coffee can over the fire and started.
When i arrived at the pond daylight was
rapidly approaching, and l. could see more
distinctly about the pond. L sank my can
| teen, and, while it was filing looked over
the pond. i discovered something near the
center that L could not distinctly make
out so | went around little further to in
vestigate, when, to my intense disgust,
found it to be the badly decomposed car
l I'd 1luA
instanter and returned TO camp without
water. .a
Hastily eating our scanty breakfast, we
"fell in" and were marched into hollow,
nearer the enemy's works, which could he
seen but a few hundred yards away, that
we might be out of range while we await
ed orders. Soon it was whispered that we
| were to make charge on the works,
which were very formidable, in our front
regular fort, flanked on one side by a
stockade of logs split in two and sunk into
the ground, standing some 10 feet above.
We knew it would be impossible to get
over that, while the fort was very high
and too steep to climb, ard a deep ditch
was at its base. Is it any wonder that af-
ter one glance Mt what lay before us noisy
badinage ceased, that cheeks become
blanched, and that quietness took posses
sion Of every one, unknown to fear usually.
Yet in this supreme moment all realized
that they stood in the presence of grim
death and knew full well that some had
that morning answered ron can TOT the last
time. But hrIn lips ana Tightening grips
ON gunstocks showed determination 10
do their full duty as an American soldier
let the consequences De What they might.
About y O'Clock u line OF Dattle was
formed Immediately IN front of us, and we
realized that We were TO be IN the second
line. The rebels seemed to understand
what was gong on, for they were con
stantly throwing shells from the ehtirc
length OF their lines, undoubtedly trying 10
develop our batteries. But our guns re-
manned silent, awaiting the moment when
the infantry was moved forward.
The order came to advance. Inc front
line moved to the top of the ridge, follow
ed by our line. AS soon as our front llne
arrived at the top, they were IN PLAIN
sight of the rebels and but about 400 yards
distant. Immediately the rebels turned
loose every available gun, large and small,
i'll their possession, and terrible han OF
iron and lead was poured into our ranks.
Our ranks We're being rapidly Trimmed, but
not man faltered. The old flag was in
front, proudly and detiantly iiutterlng Ill
the breeze, and every man pressed after 1t.
The front men had reached about half
the distance 10 the rebel lines and were
losing heavily. On they pressed without
chance as yet to return blow for blow, for
the enemy was safely hidden behind
formidable works. Just at this time a
shell, aimed at our flag, burst almost eX-