The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1905-11-30

6reastworks. The bright June air was
Liied With the, ad0werlike flags OF the
direrent regiments, each one Of which
sanguinely hoped that its would be the
nrst to be placed upon the enemy's
works as a signal OF victory over the
formidable stronghold which had held
the great army at bay for more than
long month.
The Fateful Moment Approaches.
AS noon passed the thunder of the
artillery ard the spiteful pickering OF
hiied the air all the hours of daylight
since the 22d OF May, died down COM
Iletely making silence that was op-
pressive in the taut condition OF mems
minds. Every eye was turned with q
look OF almost painful eagerness upon
the great fort, which dominated the
whole country, and which had been so
long felt to be the principal bulwark
barring the entrance Of the army into
Vicksburg. officers held their watches,
with one eye on the fort and one eye
upon the slowly-moving hands as the
painfully-intense moments were slowly
licked of.
Things in the Army of the Tennessee
had habit Of happening at the ap-
pointed time, and precisely at 3 o'clock
the whole OF the great fort and the
works Immediately adjoining were seen
to rise up into the air and then break
into fragments, through which pierced
great tongues OF flame and volumes of
smoke. The next instant the masses
or earth dissolved into fine powder, like
q great fountain OF earth, and forming
beautiful curves. began to fall slowly
toward the earth. In the vast clouds
OF dust were glimpses Of sinister char
acter, men, guns, gun carriages and
timbers.
The earth quivered as with an ague
by the intensity Of the outburst, and
the rolling sound Of the mines was in
stantly echoed by the simultaneous roar
OF 15O cannon and the crash Of $4,000
muskets. The devoted men Of the 31st
and 45th Ill. rushed forward before the
debris had ceased falling to occupy the
fort. and SO impetuous were they that
many were struck down by falling tim
bers and clods They had no difficulty
In getting into the fort, since there had
been but few men there, and some Of
these were thrown clear over into our
lines by the force Of the explosion.
AS the clouds Of dust cleared little
the army saw what all the Engineers
had feared-that the rebels had antici-
pated the explosion and built behind
the fort another strong work, which
was now fully manned and from which
came terrific fire upon the assailants
Led by Col. Maltby. the 45th Ill. tried
yainly to charge through the great
clOds OF earth and fallen timbers up the
slope against these, but were met by
such withering fire that they had to
fall back, losing fLieut.-Col. Melancthon
Smith, MORALLY wounded, and Maj. Luz
ther III. Cowen killed. They took shell
ter behind the debris and returned the
fire of the men in the works. These
stood In double rank. with the front
rank necessarily firing and the rear rank
loading the discharged pieces and pass
ing them forward. To this were added
shells lighted and rolled down the para
pet, and which, proved fearfully destruc-
tive to the crowded soldiers below. The
crater made, by fthe explosion was full
Of men, maddened to frenzy at being
baked in their assault. Logan was in
the midst Of them. raging with battle
fury.
Hickenlooper and his brave pioneers
stayed with the fighting men, and be-
gan shifting heavy timbers SO as to
shells, and though many were shot
down in this work they soon construct
ed an effective casemate, which stopped
the deadly bombs. Some of the men
caught the shells and threw them back
before they could explode, and one
man, William Lazarus, Co. I, 1st u. S.,
succeeded in throwing back about 20
before he was mortally wounded. So
rapid was the fire that the guns Of the
45th Ill. became too hot for use, and
they were withdrawn, the goth Ill. gall
lantly taking their places These had
to be relieved in turn. for the same
fighting and the excitement were so In
tense that human endurance was taxed
to the utmost, and one regiment after
another YVES sent In Ia take the places