Today in History:

586 Series I Volume XXIV-I Serial 36 - Vicksburg Part I

Page 586 Mississippi, WEST TENNESSEE, ETC. Chapter XXXVI.

Ohio Infantry being on our left. After remaining here about an hour, I was ordered forward to relieve the Forty-SECOND Ohio Infantry, which was then engaged around the point of timber to the right. I immediately formed my men in rear of the Forty-SECOND Ohio Infantry, and detached one company from the right, and deployed it on the center of said regiment. Immediately after this formation, the two regiments charged across the open ground in face of the enemy's fire. I then moved seven companies to the left, and opened fire. The One hundred and Twentieth Ohio and Sixty-NINTH Indiana were so situated that it required great care to prevent accident by firing into them. I am satisfied, however, that neither regiment was fired into by my men.

After firing from this position until about 11 a. m., I moved forward to the right, my men being much exhausted, and receiving no order nor any relief, I moved still farther to the right and extreme lower end of the open ground spoken of above, the One hundred and twentieth Ohio being on my left. I here rested my men until ordered to retire.

In making the first movement across the open ground, 1 man was killed; during the day 15 others were severely wounded; several others were hit, but not injured.

I remain, colonel, very respectfully, your most obedient servant,

JOHN G. FONDA,

Colonel, comdg. One hundred and eighteenth Illinois VOL. Infantry.

Colonel T. T. GARRARD,

Commanding First Brigade.

Number 3. Report of Colonel James Keigwin, Forty-NINTH Indiana Infantry. IN FIELD, near PORT GIBSON, May 2, 1863.

SIR: I have the honor to herewith submit the following, as a report of the part taken by the Forty-NINTH Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry in the battle at Thompson's Hill, on the 1st of May, 1863:

We were ordered from our bivouac, at 6 o'clock on the morning of the 1st, to the front and extreme left of our lines, to support Captain Lanphere's battery. We followed the battery to the old barn in the rear of Shafer's house, when the enemy opened on us from his battery, about 1,000 yards distant. I moved my regiment to the left of Lanphere's battery, in rear of some small timber, where I remained covered until we were ordered forward. I caused Company A, Captain McConahay, Company B, Lieutenant Bare, and Company I, Captain Alles, to deploy as skirmishers, and advanced about 500 yards, when my skirmishers found those of the enemy in a ravine between us and the enemy's battery. I was halted at this point by an order from General Osterhaus, and remained there about half an hour, while the artillery was hotly engaged. I was then ordered to cross over to the right, and take the house on the left of the enemy's battery, which was about 200 yards from it. After I had crossed the fire of the enemy, and was about entering into the woods in front of me, the battery of the enemy opened on me with grape, and the Thirty-first Alabama, which was in line about 60 yards distant, opened fire upon us with small-arms. I


Page 586 Mississippi, WEST TENNESSEE, ETC. Chapter XXXVI.