The National tribune., 1906-08-30
ARTILLERY AT VICKSBURG.
The Sap and Other Operations on Logan's
Front,

| Editor National Tribune: 1t is a ratl
! er delicate task to take up the pei
against SO noted writer as Comrad'
McElroy and one who stands so higf
in favor with the comrades of the G.
A. r.: yet, have this advantage, tha
my statements are from persona OBJ
servation, while his, covering sc large
territory, are of necessity mostly from
hearsay.
To the best of my recollection there
was no artillery between the White
House and the rebel fort until Gen
Grant in person, without even an or.
derly with him. came out along the
rifle pits where We We're shooting
through the head-logs at the angle
where White House Battery was after.
ward planted, and inspected the posi-.
tion for battery to play on the rebe
gun over in front of Ransom's Brigade
that was giving us SO much trouble
The White House Battery was then put
in at that angle, but did not succeed In
silencing the rebel gun. We went over
the location of this gun after the sur
render, and saw how the fort was built
to save the gun from destruction. II
was ingeniously built, and paid US well
for the trouble of going to see it. There
never was a naval battery between the
White House and Fort Hill, located on
the south side of the main road and 40
rods east of our main line of battle. One
day during the siege Lieut.. Cowen, OF
Co. B, went across the road from their
camp to be in line of the battery and
where they were firing to, when one OF
the shells that they had fired bursted
and one of the pieces struck the Lieu
tenant on the fieshy part of the hip.
The history of the White House got
ten up by the Illinois Central Railroad
rah &c ho ha
history of it that l have seen, and II
tells you just where the battery was To-
Gated 'LOgan's Sap" as the approach
TO Fort Hill was called, did not start in
as indicated by the diagram shown in
the paper. 1t started within few feet
OF the southeast corner of the White
House and bore away a little north OF
west until 1t reached the location OF
White House Battery. when 1t turned a
til It reached the earth thrown
out by the building of Fort Hill. and
then followed along parallel with the
rebel works. For a protection to the
men while they were digging this sap
they built a great roller of vines and
cane. filled with cotton, and as fast as
they moved this forward they bull,
great boxes across the top of the sap
and filled them with dirt. This was the
pTolectioU the men ilaQ instead OF the
ziz-Zags, as shown in the diagram.
l do not think that the sap crossed
the main Jackson road at all until II
reached the angle of the fort and paral-
leled their works. My brother, who was
with me there, Is of the same opinion,
The dirt on our battle line was thrown
up In front for rife pits. and this was
taken, no doubt, for a part of the sap
but the sap proper commenced at the
corner of the house.
When we marched in there on the
morning of the 18th of May we followed
down Glass Bayou until we came to the
rayine Just east of the house
when we followed up that to
the Jackson road, and then ives,
along the road until we reached q point
directly south of the east end of house
when we filed right until we could un.
cover, then fronted with the right OF
the regiment near the house and the
left resting on the road.-Frank S
Wells, Co. II, 45th Ill.