Today in History:

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

Page 333 Chapter XXXVI. THE SIEGE OF Vicksburg, MISS.

On the night of the 14th, a new series of rifle-pits was begun, running along a coupe of spurs in the rear, so as to envelop the stockade and its redan, as a precaution against the contigny of the enemy's carrying this point by assault, or rendering it untenable by his mining operations.

On the 15th, I discovered that the saps against the lunette on the right of the Baldwin's Ferry road were making rapid progress, and also the one against the Railroad redoubt. Countermine were immediately ordered and commenced from the ditch of these works. From this time till the end of the siege the main efforts of the enemy were directed against these salient works, viz; these stockade redan, the THIRD Louisiana redan, the lunette on the Baldwin's Ferry road, the railroad redoubt, and Fort Garrott, on General Lee's right, and later against the work on the Hall's Ferry road, against all of which they ran regular double saps, and our principal operations consisted in endeavors to impede their progress, and in preparations to meet them when practicable by countermining. Retrenchments were also made in rear of all the threatened points, to provide against the possibility of the enemy'; s being successful in their attempts. The rest of the line other than the works mentioned above was but little damaged, and was easily kept in repair by fatigue parties working at night. The THIRD Louisiana redan, bing on a very narrow ridge, had no exterior ditch, and I found it impossible to get in its front to start a counter mine without exposing our sapoers to a terrible fire from the enemy's sharpshooters and batteries, not more than 150 yards distant. A shaft was accordingly started rom the inside of the work, but before it was completed the enemy had succeeded in getting under the parapet and had prepared their mine under the salient.

This mine was exploded on the 25th instant, but did no material damage, as a parapet had been made to meet such an event some 15 feet back of the salient. Five or six men engaged in sinking a shaft were buried by this explosion. made to assault the work immediately after the explosion, but our men, having good cover behind the new parapet, repulsed the assailants with considerable slaughter.

On the night of the same day two of our mines in front of the stockade redan were exploded, and completely destroyed the enemy's sap-roller, filled up their sap, and two parallels they had started to envelop the redan. Our mines were about 35 feet from the counterscarp of the redan, and the enemy's sharp roller was several paces within this distance, so that they received the full effect of our explosion. The charge in one mine was 45 pounds, int eh other 80, with the chambers 8 feet under ground. On this same night at 9 --inch Dahlgren guns was put in position in rear of General Moore's center, to counter batter the enemy's heavy works on the Jackson road, and the 10-inch mortar was removed to the Warrenton road.

On the 28th, we sprang another mine in front of the lunteette on the Baldwin's Ferry road, but unfortunately the explosion was premature, and the enemy's sharp was hardly near enough to be much injured. Their sap-roller was, however, burned at night by fire-balls. Their sappers driven away and their progress materially interfered with. A new mine was immediately started and was soon ready fro explosion.

On the 30th, the enemy succeeded again in getting under the THIRD Louisiana redan, and had covered the entrance to their gallery with a timber shelter, to protect their sappers from our hand-grenades. To destroy this, I had barrel containing 125 pounds of powder rolled over the


Page 333 Chapter XXXVI. THE SIEGE OF Vicksburg, MISS.