The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-03-05
Before yicksburg. July i. 1863.

Before Nicksburg. July i. 1873.
Maj. Gen. Logan, Commanding Third Di-
vision:
Il suggest that the 4Jth Ill. take the
advance in going into the city. Very re
spectfully, JAS. Il. MCPHERSON
Following the above. give Gen. NJ. d.
Leggett's official report in part. This re-
port covers the explosion Of Fort Hill on
June %, 1863, and the charge into the
Crater" led by the 18th Ill. Official
Records, War of the Rebellion, Series j,
vol "a, part =, p. 29:i:
'!At $3.50 p. III. of June %. 1868. my
command was in readiness. the 43th iii. be
ing the first, supported by the other regi-
ments of the brigade and Lieut.. ii. c.
Foster of the 23d Ind with 100 men, be-
ing placed in the left hand sap, with orders
to charge with the 45th ILL.,, provided they
attempted to cross the enemy's works. AT
4 80 o'clock the mine was sprung and be-
fore the dirt and smoke was cleared away
the 45th III. had filled the gap made by
the explosion and We're pouring deadly vol
leys into the enemy. As soon as possible,
loop-holc timber was placed upon the
works for the sharpshoOters. but the en-
envy opened a piece of artillery at very
close range on that point and the splinter
ing timbers killed and wounded more men
than did balls, and l ordered the timbers
to be removed. Hand grenades were then
freely used by the enemy, which made sad
havoc amongst my men, for, beng III the
crater of the exploded mine, the sides of
which were covered by the men, scarcely
Il grenade was thrown without doing dam
age, and in most instances horribly man.
Cling those they happened to strike. The
45th ILL.,, after holding the position and
fighting desperately until their guns We're
| tor m har
the Goth III. The Goth Ill, WIS relieved
by the 31st ILL.,, and they in turn by the
56th ILL.,, but their ammunition being bad
they were unable to hold the position and
were relieved by the 23d Ind; the 18th
Iowa then relieving the ODD Ind, and the
31st III. relieving them, held the position
until daylight, when the 45th III. relieved
them and held the position until 10 a. m.
of the 2Gth; the 124th Illi then relieved the
10th Ill. and held the position until p. M,
when l received orders to withdraw to the
left hand gap, where i maintained the po-
sition until the surrender on July !, when,
by order of Maj Gen. Logan, my brigade,
led by the 10th ILL.,. was IhOnOred with the
privilege of being the first to enter the gar
rson, and the flag ofthe 45th Ill. the first
to float over the conquered city.
Now let us take just two extracts from
histories written since the war by men
WIZ VI All oiheis ouSskt ~ NM" W'iet iso
iment was the first to >enter Vicksburg.
July 4. 1863. Col. Adam Badeau, a men,
Der of Gen. Grants personal staff, who
was at Nicksburg, and who wrote from his
personal knowledge, soon after the close of
the war, in 1861 In his Military History
of Gen. U. s. Grant" p. 3S7. in speaking
| of the capture of Vicksburg, is the follow
ing:
"Logan's Division was one Of those
which had approached nearest the rebel
works, and now was the first to enter the
town. 1t had been heavily engaged in both
assaults, and was fairly entitled to this
honor. The 45th Ill. infantry marched at
the head of the column and placed its
battle-torn flag on the Court House at
Vicksburg."
And now one more extract, written by
the great commander, Gen. U. s. Grant.
In his Memoirs" vol. 1, p. 564, speaking
of the surrender Of Vicksburg, he says:
'Logan's Division, which had approach
ed nearest the rebel works, was the first to
march in, and the flag of one Of the resi-