Today in History:

178 Series I Volume XXIV-II Serial 37 - Vicksburg Part II

Page 178 Mississippi, WEST TENNESSEE, ETC. Chapter XXXVI.

June 28; Captain C. B. Comstock, joined June 15; Captain M. D. McAlester, joined June 28; First Lieutenant P. C. Hains, present furing the whole siege. Captain Comstock, on reporting, was assigned to the charge of operations in front of McClernand's corps and Lauman's and Herron's DIVISIONS. Captain McAlester, on reporting, relieved Captain Comstock, the latter, by Captain Prime's departure, becoming senior engineer. Lieutenant Hains was in immediate charge of the work in front of McClernand's (afterward Ord's) corps during the siege. Lieutenant C. C. Chaffee, ordnance Corps, was detailed on engineer duty with General Sherman, and remained till compelled to leave by illness. Lieutenant Hopkins, THIRD Infantry, was also detailed on duty with the chief engineer for a few days. Capts. W. L. B. Jenney, h. C. Freeman, and A. Hoeppner, additional aides-de-camp, were assigned, respectively, to Sherman's corps and Lauman's and Herron's DIVISION, as engineer officers. Captain W. Kossak, aide-de-camp. As also Lieutenant Lichbehler and his pioneer company, were under the control of the chief engineer. Very respectfully, your obedient servants,

FREDERICK E. PRIME,

Captain of Engineers.

C. B. COMSTOCK, captain of Engineers.

Lieutenant Colonel T. S. BOWERS,

Asst. Adjt. General, military DIVISION of the Mississippi.

APPENDIX F.

Reference has already been made to the feebleness of the enemy's artillery fire. The numbers below, from the report of Lieutenant J. H. Parker, ordnance Corps, will show that, while not having a large supply ammunition, they yet might have seriously annoyed our approaches, and still retained enough to meet an assault. The following artillery and material was captured at Vicksburg:

Field guns (smooth-bore). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Field guns (rifled). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Field howitzers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Siege guns (smooth-bore). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Siege guns (rifled). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Siege howitzer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Siege mortar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

---------

Total. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172

Artillery projectiles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38,000

Artillery powder (pounds). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58,000

Artillery cartridges. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,800

Much of the field ammunition was fixed. Among the siege guns were FIFTEEN 10-inch columbiads, the 9 inch, twenty 32-pounders, six 24-pounders; while of rifled guns there were one 8-inch, two 7. 1/2 inch, two 32-pounder, and four 5-inch guns.

OFFICE CHIEF ENGINEER, DEPT, OF THE TENNESSEE.

September 7, 1863.

GENERAL: I have the honor to submit the following report of engineer operations at the siege of Vicksburg, from June 27, 1863, the date at which the departure of Captain Prince, chief engineer, on account of severe illness, left me in charge, till te surrender on July 4, 1863: On the 27th of June following approaches, beginning at our


Page 178 Mississippi, WEST TENNESSEE, ETC. Chapter XXXVI.