The National tribune., 1903-07-02
vIcKsBURG NATIONAL PARK.
A Revisit to the Battlefield to Locate Posi-
ttons.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: I was
selected by the Ohio Commission on Nicks-
burg Monuments, Capt. James kilbourne,
of the 9jth Ohio, President, and WIN. T.
Gault, of the 18th Ohio, Secretary, to
proceed to Vicksburg and locate the posi-
tions occupied during the famous siege
by the I'D Ohio, 95th Ohio, 93d Ind, ana
114th H., composing the First Brigade,
Third Division. Fifteenth Corps. My Sc
lection by the Commission having been ap-
proved by the Secretary of War, L re-
ported, in March, to Capt. VIM. Il. Rigby,
of the 9th Iowa. at Vicksburg, the Cap
tain being the Secretary OF the NlchsDurs
National Military Park Association. lie
introduced me to the Clerk of the Associ-
alton. Charles Longley. of the 10Th iowa.
and X. ID. Belts. u. S. Engineer. Start
ing on n tour of inspection. we passed over
| muddy roads about three and half mlles
TO the Willis plantation. northeast OF the
| Court House. where Gen. Grant eStab-
lished his headquarters. We visited ilr
Cooks plantation, just east of the Wills
place, where the Fifteenth Corps turned
to the right from the Jackson road, wnen
EN- route from Big Black River. May Is,
1863 Having driven t, the Confederate
lines on the old Graveyard road, we aban-
doned our vehicle, and walked over hills
along ridges, and down into deep ravines
Capt. Rigby queStir ming me, meanwhile,
as to my recollection of positions he'd by
various batteries, regiments, brigades ana
| divisions.
After walking about two hours, we
passed around Il point of Il hill and en-
tered narrow valley that seemed some
what familiar. res milling the camping
ground of my brigade The valley. though
narrow, appeared TO be wider than the
one in which we eacamped in 1865. The
| waterway, 10 feet dceD. was an unfamil-
lar object. no such stream having been be-
tween our camp and TIE hill on the north
side of the valley.
Looking toward the east, / said: "a
road up that ravine intersected one on
top of the ridge, leading to Snider's Land
ing on Chckasaw Bayou, and if this is
where the brigade encamped. it is about
one mie and eighth up the ravne TO
the road on the ridge. When going to
Gen. Grants headquarters. we turned to
the right and followed that road some dis.
tance, then turning to the left. we followed
another ridge to the Generals headquar-
ters. / remember travelling that route IN
June. 1863" The Engineer said had ac-
curately described the direction to Grant
headquarters.
Capt Rigby summoned VIM. Kleinman,
whose house is about 2GO yards west of
where we were standing. lie was n boy
: when Vicksburg was be;ieged, but has a
distinct recollection of occurrences. His
: home was near TIE Confederate works in
front of our First Brigade. He said that
the valley had been filled to the depth
of four feet by soil washed from hilsdes,
which had been cultivated in corn and cot
ton, and that the stream had been formed
by the water cutting the channel to its
present depth within the past 10 years.
His statements fully accounted for the
changed appearance of the valley, and the
presence of the deep waterway. MIR. Klein
!. man said also. that he had assisted his
grandfather to fill M the trenches that we
had dug on the firing line, the trenches in
terfering with the cultivation of the land.
Thus / located the brigade camp in Il
narrow valley, about 300 yards in width.
and the spring that well remembered, at
the foot of high hill, facing nearly south,
and about 200 yards from the hill on the
south side. and northeast of the camp of
the 95th Ohio.
According to my recollections the bri-
gade headquarters wee on a slight eleva-
tion little northeast of the camp ground.
Division headquarters, Gen. Tuttles,
we located on the ridge. Northwest of the
camp ground, about 450 yards, was the
line held by the sharrshOoters. Sometimes
we had to make a detour far to the right,
around the point of n hill. before ascend
ing direct to the firing line, the nearer
route being exposed to the enemy's sharp
shooters. The route up the ravine was
called "The dead line" Turning to the
right, we crawled up through bushes, cane
brake, grapevincs and timber to the
trenches, near the brow of the hill.
To-day there exist marked evidences of
the positions of the twO-gun battery, that
was located on cur ! light near the point
of the hill, where it dips down into val
ley. Can any one infarm me what bat
terry that was? Battery Il, I'd H., COM
manded by Can't Allen &. WaterhOuse,
was located about 80 yards to the left and
rear of the left of the brigade. There was
an abrupt drop of about six feet, 30 feet
back from the battery, to level ground;
then n slope down into ravine.
In front of our trenches was steep
descent, 100 feet, into n valley about ZIG
yards wide; then steep ascent, nearly 80
yards, to where the house and barn of
Adam Lynd, grandfather of VIM. Klein
man, stood; thence there was n gradual
ascent about 40 yards. 10 the Confeder-
ates' most advanced firing line. From
where the barn stood n road had been cut
through the hill to the valley.
Our pickets were advanced to the Lynd
buildings, which We're burned down, after
nightfall, and sometimes to the higher po
sition south of the road. One night when
this picket was fired up II, Maj. Mcclure
of Gen. Tuttle's staff, was mOrtally wound
ed. Serg't James Burns. and John Fox
Co G., 95th Ohio, say they secured vege
tables from the Lynd garden the night be
fore Maj. Mcclure was shot.
There is now no dense growth of trees
bushes and vines that characterized those
{ hills and valleys in 1868. The cultiva
, tion of the land has materially changed
the appearance of many localities once
SO familiar to us. However, the hills, ser
pentine ravines, and deep gulches are still
, there. On the high ground and in the
old forts traces of the trenches are still
, visible. The change in the general land
scapc is, however, very marked. The hus
, bandman has taken the place of the sol
dier. The scene is pastoral instead OF
warlike.
The historic spot where Grant and Penn
berton discussed the terms of surrender
is designated by large siege gun, stand
ing upright.
The White, or Shirley, house, so well
known during the siege, has been repaired
and painted by the Government and viii
be used as a Museum in the Nationa
Park.
1t is interesting TO 90 along the two line,
of works. The Confederate line is eight
and seven-tenths miles in length, from the
, water front north of the city to the riyeI
below or south. A driveway for carriages
, along the entire line is being constructed
| h., 81 ID, -