The Port Gibson reveille. [volume] (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1890-current, 1902-11-20

ABOUT 80 minutes. Our TWO pieces ulu
not FIRE moie than two shots before both
guns were dismoun.ed. and the eunners
took shelter il the bombproof. When
the csunonading ceased. the infantry
advanced IN brautiiul order until they
got IN the range Of our rifes, when we
pelted them ighl merrilY, and 50 effect
lively that they retired out of range; but
soon their line was reformed aud then
they came iu run. Their battle lines
were three fovrlhs or mile long, but
before getti9gio the fort they were solid
masses OF men. In thrse charges there
was no shooting hut by rs, and We dill
cruel aud savage work with them When
they got in Is or 81 yards of the fort
they we're safe, for we could not see
them again uuti they appeared upon
he psrapsi Those That frs, reached
he fort were con,eai 10 lie qui sly ID
the ditch, which was about ID Zee, wide
and about 8 feet deep, about III feet 10
the top Of the parapet. When Gen. Glib
hon saw that the fort was not captured,
he started his second column of 1000
or 1900 men, and We gave hem The same
warm welcome that We gave the 6r-l,
aud more of L. As soon as this column
reached shelter aud recovered breath
they attempted loclimb over the parapel,
but no sooner was head seen than IL
was Withdrawn with minnie hall IN It.
When II was realized that nothing more
could be expected from The men IN the
trenches around The fort, then the 3rd
and stronger column started, aud we
had harder work TO keep them ont.
When these several charges we're made
he troops IN the rear cheer. 4 most lus-
tily. There we're six OF these assaulling
columns aud they followed each ollrer
about every 80 minutes. and each sue
cessive one was harder To dive off he
psrapei, aud when the fort was finally
captured, the parapet was covered with
dead men in blue. am satisfied that
the last assaulting columns walked on
the heads Of the other column who were
packed 10 the ditch like sardines il a
box, for they made no halt at all, but
rushed right on over the parapel into
The fol- Before the last assault was
made the battle flags Of The euemy made
almost solid line Of bunting around
the fort The noise outside was teaiful.
frighfui aud indesciibable. ihe curses
and groauiEgs Of freBzied men could be
heard oyer and above The din OF our
musk elry; savage men, raveuous beasts
We felt that there was no hope for us nm
less We could keep them at bay We
were prepared for the worst, and expect
ed no quarter Many Of our captors
were under the influence OF whiskey,
aud all were exasperated, that we should
have made ,uch a stubborn fight, entail
ing on them bloody massacre, when
resistance was useless and vain. So the
cry was TO kill, aud but for their officers
who with cooked pistols made the men
desist all of MS would have been mur.
dered; and then too the lam of men IN
the fort gave us some protection. for it
was impossible almost 10 shoot Cou.
federaie without hitting a Federal. We
lost about 40 men killed ia the fort after
its capture aud fully that many Feder-
ais we're killed by their own men. 1t
was ten minutes before the shooting
could be suppressed.
have been often asked how many
men we had in the fort, and what our
loss. and what that of the enemy. lam
sure that we did not have exceeding 400
men in both regiments. II all the 20
companies in the fort were equally As
strong ss companies 6 and K. which 10
gelhei had 70 men. and which / think
we're fair averages, there were Ieo men,
including officers, in the fort. We lost
in the two regiments about 90 men,
nearly all Of them killed after the cap
ture of the fort. The records show that
the whole Of Gibbons corps and two di
visions Of another corps were in the
fight Of Fort Gregg. The dead IF the
enemy lay Literally IN heaps, much
thicker than they were Ia front Of the
Stone Fence At Fredericksburg, or in
the augle at Spoisylvania Court House.
1 think am conservative in saying that
Gen. Gibbons lost 400 men killed out
right around Fort Gregg.
The following named members Of the
Claiborne Guards, Co. K, I2th Miss
Reel. were in Fort Gregg, and assisted
In its defence:
Captain, A. K. Jones; Corporal. II. K
Fuller; H. NJ colson, W. W. coutch,
H. W. Porter, ]. H. Roberts. A. ]. Sc
vier, G. W. H. Shaifei, ]. II. Simms. W..
r. Thomson, Pearson Wells.
w. d. Brown was wounded before we
got into the fort, md did no, enter, but
went on to the rear. John H. Roberts
was shot some minutes after the capture
Of the fort, as many of our men were.
For some time the Natchez Feucibles,
Co. 6, were attached to Co. K, and both
regarded as one company. There we're
of the Natchez Fencibles present In Fort
Gregg: Lieutenant Glasscock Ser
geant Barlow, Sergeant Lecand. corpo-
raj Murray, Mattel, Underwood, Joseph
Vandyke, West.
O'Brien and Podesta we're wounded In
front OF the fort and did not enter Il
lanes Vaudyke was wounded IN the fort
II L.. Ll-a -. -. 1.