The National tribune., 1905-11-23

w WASf11NuxO
The working party threw up bank to
protect them and also dug a large pitwith
a runway SO that the men could escape
to shelter just before it was time to fire
the 15-minute gun. Working In this
way the guns were all recovered and
placed on the fortifications, where they
did splendid service against the rebel
works.
Commodore Porter sent Lieutenant
Commander Walker with the Forest
Rose. Linden and Petrol up the Yazoo
River to within Is miles of Fort Penn
berton, at Greenville, which had
proved SO effective in stopping the va
There Walker was stopped by four
large steamers which had been sunk
upon a bar. and which he burned to
the waters edge. He then turned and
went back down the Yazoo, burning a
large saw-mill and destroying other
property that might be of benefit to
the Confederacy. and came to the
mouth of the Big Sunfower River,
which he ascended $50 miles and de-
stroyed, or caused to be destroyed, four
more steamers, which effectualIy
crippled the means of transportation OF
the rich supplies in that region to Joe
The sailors shifted three heavy guns,
including a 100-pound rifle, to scows,
which they placed close to a point near
the town, and under the protection Of
the bank, opened severe and very an
moving fire upon the. city. which, added
to the shells from the gunbOats and the
mortar fleet, made life exceedingly un-
comfortable for the $500 civilians in
cluding women and children. who
formed the population Of Vicksburg
and had been shut up in it when the
lines were closed around it.
These had to resort to the refuge OF
caves dug in the hillsides. The negroes
found profitable employment in con-
structing these, and some quite elabor-
ate residences were dug out, large
enough to accommodate whole families,
and were fitted up with furniture
brought from the houses.
The flying fragments Of the shells
seemed to penetrate everywhere, and
there was one particular piece OF
sward of considerable extent which was
avoided by human beings because of
the dangers surrounding it. The
horses would be tempted upon il by
day some animal was killed or disabled
by piece of shell, and his body furn-
ished meat to the garrison.
Pressing the Siege.
By the middle Of June the pressure
or the siege became sharp and severe
upon the defenders. Herron's Division
had completed the line on the south
side and effectually closed all ingress
and egress In that direction. This was
30 effective that 1t was thought unne-
cessary to add to that portion of the
line the two divisions OF the Ninth
Corps coming from Kentucky, which
had been at first designed to occupy
the position. They were sent instead
to join Wm.- Sooy Smiths and Kim
balls Divisions. under Gen. Waslburn,
1T Haynes's Bluff. There they forti- |
He'd the natura1ly-strong position un-
III 1t was impregnable against any
force that Johnston was likely to move |
against it. 1t was at first intended that
should have command of the
added 1t to Sherman's command so as
10 make all the troops on the north and
northeast Of the city q Homogeneous
which could be used en-
nasse against Johnston. The confed- |
crate lines were snveloped by fully IL
50 batteries armed with 220 guns.
Among these guns were 13 heavy can /,
non, from nine-inch to 32-pounders,
which were brought ashore from the |
fotilla and distributed along the line
where 1T was thought they would do
command Of Lieutenant-Command T.
0 Selfridge and Masters G.. B. Dahl
gren and ]. F. Reed
The Approaches.
There were 10 principal approaches
against the enemy's works, and
which were called after the names of
the brigade or division commanders
who furnished the guards and working
parties
The first Of these, beginning from the
right of the Union line, was called
Ihayer's approach, which began near
the crest of a ridge, ran down slope
toward the enemy and then up the op-
posite slope Of the ravine toward the |
ridge on which the enemy had a bat
tery. AS this ran down a slope COM
nlanded by the enemy's guns, which |
could fire plunging shot into 1t, it |
presented unusual difficulties. A ditch |
six feet deep was dug and covered as it |
with bundles of cane, some |
times re-enforced by dirt, and which |
were strong enough to resist musket |
balls. For some reason the enemy did |
not fire upon it with artillery, proba-
bly, because the sharpshooters kept the |
sunners under cover. Several times, |
however, the rebels came outside their |
works to attack those who were push |
Ing the sap forward, but were in every |
instance driven off. AS the head Of the
sap approached the battery Capt. Klos- |