Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-07-03
THE YiCKSBURG CAMPAIGN
E. B. HYDE RECALLS STIRRING Incl
DENTS OF THAT SEIGE.
No Drawn Battles by Land Forces but
Numerous Minor Engagements
Doings of 29ih Wisconsin.
fcoNTTNIIEp FROM LAST WEEK.

could not Outrun us. lney were all
soon caught In the chase nice large
lamb had made great leap directly
toward the colonel. As he threw up
his arms to shield himself the lamb
landed between his arms and breast,
and remained there until the cook took
it in charge. So our regiment had NUT
ton for supper. The colonel not beng
used to much walking, got terribly
footsore. SO the boys fixed him up with
horse equipped with a wood anu bark
bride ard bark stiIrups hung over a fold
ed blanket on the horse back. After
lifting him on and fixing the stirrups
to the length of his legs. we cheered
him and he appeared to be comfortable
and grateful. If there were any or
ders against foraging after that we did
not hear of them nor fear them while
he commanded the regiment. Col Nc.
Ginpis from one of the four lndianna
regiments of our brigade commanded
our brigade in this campaign. One day
as some of us were at well for a
drink. a club thrown at rooster hit
the colonePs leg. He spoke up Boys,
don't hit me, IN not rooster. We
took that to mean that he was willing
we should get the ROSTERS or anything
else we needed. At the seige rumor
said that General Hovey, our division
commander, told Grant that two of his
regiments, the 18th Indiana and % Wis
eonsin. would go into Vicksburg If he
would give them permission to loot the
town. That was after large lot of
tents were brought to our seige camp
| from near the Notifications, where they
had been left standing by those we had
| fought previous to the beginning of the
seige. Those who brought them had
cautiously crossed the space between
| our advance firing line and the tents,
/ and by agreement selected each tent
I to move, crept in, loosened all the
/ stakes and at a given signal all pulled
| them to their shoulders and ran off
dowr the hill and out of range of hun
/ dreds of rebel muskets, then rolled
/ them up to carry more conveniently.
1 In the ravine they were safe from ev-
erytling but stray bullets and shells
prenlaturely exploded. The next point
| of extreme danger was just in front of
our firing line, or rifle pits, which of
course were within range of the con-
/ federate Notifications; but that little
space was quickly crossed, and the
1 tents were very convenient TO have
There were no drawn battles by the
land forces in Grants VIcksburg earn
paign and that may account for some
wonderful achievements of individuals,
/ under peculiar circumstances. The re-
bells were thoroughly beaten in every
engagement and had become considera-
bly, disheartened before the seige be-
gan. The battle of Champion Hill was
fought the 18th of May, and was next
to the last one before the seige. The
Z ,x,l r.llnl I'D
/ ed over one-third of their men engaged
there, and they took more prisoners
there than they had men at the begin
ming of the battle. The hard part of
the fight was begun by the 18th Indi-
ana and the 18th Wisconsin taking a
battery of six guns We had been or
dered to climb the Hill on our hands and
knees, and at a signal raise up and fire
volley, and without stopping to load,
make bayonet charge and take the
battery. Before we arose We were out
Of range. The guns were about one
hundred yards away and firing cannis-
ter very rapidly. Our volley laid out
seventeen of the battery horses and hit
a good many men. The slaughter was
terrible on both sides. Such work could
not last. We soon had the guns and
many of their users and defenders;
then there was short hull, d moment,
and away we went after those who had
fled. Officers and men of the different
companies got all mixed up. We were
not tired as in some other battles and
we could get there" faster than many
of the enemy could get away, so we
took lots of them in. But first thing
we Knew, we met well formed line
just coming into the fight; then we had
to fall back till we met our support.
So it went which and tother" till that
tract of trough brushy woodland had been
fought over five times in about two
hours. AS near as | can remember, |
saw about eight or ten acres of it, But
Grant S official report indicates great
deal more. We always thought if
Grant was within commanding distance.
we could whip anything in front of us
and it was done.
In the midst of this hustling Comrade
+. X. Clifford of Co. X found himself
at quite distance from any of us and
there he met two rebels who had lust
come over a fence little in advance of
their line. He ordered them to throw
down their guns and surrender, which
they promptly did, and he took them to
the rear ona lively run. After they had
started to run he began TO load his gun
and they cursed themselves for having
: surrendered to enc man with an empty
gun. Comrade w. H. Coon of Co. I
took thirteen at one haul in much the
same way. He found them skulking in
a sink hole. His gun was empty Just
then but he frightened them by yelling
Come on, boys, here they are; surren-
der you sons of b" They threw
down their guns, came out and were
run to the rear in hurry Once de-
j livered to the provost guard they were
an easy lot of prisoners to hold. Some
where among the hills, ravines and
thickets Comrade German was wound
ed in the knee, and it seemed to make
: him crazy. He was hopping in circle
around his gun as fast IS he could. and
laughing and swearing as fast as he
could, when found lie was helped to
position out of range and quoted down
by special friend. The second time
we were driven back we met at the
battery a whole division which had been
sent by Grant to our assistance. In our
broken up condition we had formed a
line to hold the battery from recapture;
the rebs were within about one hun
dred yards in good formation General
Quinby was at the head of our rein
forcements. they had come four miles
on the double quick. They formed in