The National tribune., 1905-11-23

fort to resist any assault from the gar
rison. The rebels started mines under
this work which were soon detected.
nna aes cap ner tSe ksssak IT. ar,sd
their mines first, but though they occa-
stoned no loss OF life they stopped fur
ther mining in that direction. few
men were covered with earth and gab-
ions falling upon them, but were not
seriously hurt. The lighting went on
continuously, with the enemy tossing
over hand-grenades and our men reply
ing with shells from their wooden
Coehorn mortars and from q howitzer
battery established close to the works.
The third was Giles A.. Smiths ap-
proach, about 200 yards to the south of
Ewing's, and pushed forward to with
in few yards of a rebel battery, Capt.
kossak had also, charge OF this.
The fourth was Ransom's approach,
in front Of McPherson's right, and
which had to go much farther because
1t was aimed against a re-entrant of
the enemys lines. It was expected that
this would be OF the greatest use in the
general assault as the, ground behind
tho re-entrant was commanded by our
artillery, which would have prevented
the enemy's massing to repel a charge.
This was under the Immediate SUPER
vision Of Gen. Ransom. with Capt. A.
Logan,s Approach.
The fifth, and most important one in
front Of Mcpherson, was Logan's ap-
proach. This followed the ridge Of the
Jackson Road and was directed against
high, commanding battery called by
McPherson's men Fort Hill. II 1t could
be taken the enemy could hold no part
Of his line. Consequently the rebels re-
sisted this approach more vigorously
than any other along the whole line.
They charged out upon the working
party, burned the sap-rollers, drove
mines and threw hand-grenades. The
band-grenades used were six and 12-
pound shells, and did an unusual
amount Of damage. Capt. Andrew
the Seventeenth Corps, was in immed-
late charge.
The sixth was A. J. Smiths approach,
which followed generally the line Of
the Baldwin's Ferry Road.
The seventh was Carr's approach,
which began on the railroad, followed
its cut for 100 yards and reached a
point within 60 yards Of the enemy's
lines, where a parallel was made to
prepare for an assault.
The eighth was Hovey's approach,
which was not begun until late and di-
rected against redoubt
The ninth was Launnn's approach
in front OF Lauman'S Division, and be-
gun within 500 yards az the enemy's
lines. 1t was directed against a weak
point, and the enemy, recognizing this,
made sorties, in one Of which they cap
and several Of his men. killed one and
several. Two nights later the
33d Wis. recovered the position with q
bayonet charge and pushed the lines 9
little farther. ~
The tenth was Herron,s approach.
Gen. Herron's Division did not arrive
until June II, and the work was be-
gun several days later and pushed for
ward to within 100 yards OF the en-
emy's line.
CounfervsiMnx Ic3orts.
Maj. 8. H. Lockett.who was the Con-
federate Engineer in charge Of the de-
lenses OF Vicksburg, givos this account
Of what he was able gxO DO. IN resisting
the approachessof the Union engineers:
efforts to prevent them, the enemy's
had approached within so
feet Of two of our works. A private
soldier suggested q novel expedient by
which we succeeded IN destroying the
rollers. He took a piece OF port-fire,
stuffed 1t with cotton saturated with
and fired 1t from an old
fashioned large-bore musket into the
roller, and thus set 1t on fire. Thus the
enemy's sappers were exposed and
forced to leave their sap and begin a
new one some distance back. After
this they kept their .sap-ro1lers wet,
forcing us to other expedferts. Our
next effort was counter-mining. From
the bitches Of all the threatened works
were started on the night
Of the 18th of June. The Sd La. redan
was located on a very narrow ridge and
had no ditch. The cOunter-mines for it
were. therefore, started from within by
first sinking a vertical shaft, with the
Intention Of working out by an inclined
gallery under the enemy's sap. Before
this work was completed the Federal
sappers succeeded in getting under the
salient Of the redan, and on the 25th
they exploded a small mine, but the
charge was too small 10 DO much dam
age. Nevertheless it tore off the vortex
Of the redan, and made what the Fed
erals thought was a practicable breach.
into 1t they poured IN strong force as
soon as the explosion had expended
Itself. But they We're met by a deadly
volley from our men posted behind the
prepared for this emer-
gency, and after heavy loss were COM
PEELED to retire. Six OF our counter
miners were buried by this explosion.
ION the same day we exploded two Of