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diff --git a/40233-0.txt b/40233-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a45c2b0 --- /dev/null +++ b/40233-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1568 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 40233 *** + +[Illustration: Capt. J. J. Kellogg] + + + + + WAR EXPERIENCES + + And the Story of + + The Vicksburg Campaign + + From + + "Milliken's Bend" to July 4, + 1863 + + + Being an accurate and graphic account of + Campaign Events taken from the diary of + + + CAPT. J. J. KELLOGG + + Of Co. B, 113th Illinois Volunteer Infantry + + + + + COPYRIGHTED BY + CAPT. J. J. KELLOGG + 1913 + + + + + THE DAY WE STARTED + FOR WAR. + + Recollections of Captain J. J. Kellogg. + + +The day we left home for the war was an eventful one, and the incidents +crowded into that day will never be effaced from my memory. + +There was a rally that afternoon, upon which occasion we added some +important names to our company roll. Some of the boys who then enlisted +in our ranks were prominent in our local society and passed current in +the ranks of our best young people. Others came out of their obscurity +for the first time on that occasion, and were first known and noticed on +the day of their enlistment. I had never intimately known Isaac Haywood, +who was afterwards my bunkmate, until that day. I first made the +acquaintance of Tom Wilson then, but it would require too much space to +name all the comrades I then met. And when the great struggle finally +ended, how few of those fair-haired, bright-eyed boys were permitted to +return to their old homes. Only a small squadron of lithe-limbed, +bronze-faced fellows came back. I loved Ike Haywood on sight. I think I +was mainly attracted towards Ike because of his eccentric ways, odd +manner of speech and his wonderful good nature. Dame Nature had gotten +Ike up without especial regard to good looks, but had braced, propped +and generally supported his irregular features with wonderful bones and +sinews, all contained in a close knit wrapper of inflexible cord and +muscle. Like other unusually powerful men, Ike was usually the very soul +of good nature; but when fully aroused and forced on the aggressive he +was known and acknowledged to be a holy terror. He had long powerful +arms and hands, broad shoulders, thick neck, surmounted by a +bullet-shaped head with small ears. He had thin red hair, faded red +mustache, was squint-eyed and wore a half smile on his peach blossom +face, and his under lip sort of slouched down at one end. He looked +funny at all times, but more particularly was he comical when he tried +to be in sober earnest. + +Tom Wilson, on the contrary, was a handsome boy and a school teacher by +profession, but I can't waste time and space in extended personal +descriptions of my comrades. + +The war excitement had fully aroused the patriotic citizens of our city, +and the simple message which the gallant Major Anderson had sent under +the first flag of truce to Governor Pickens at Charleston in which he +asked, "Why have you fired upon the flag of my country?" found an echo +in every loyal heart, and we young men found ourselves asking in fierce, +hot whispers, "Why have you fired on the flag of my country?" + +The fragment of a company had already been enlisted there and forwarded +to camp at Cairo, and that day the citizens had made a supreme effort to +fill its ranks at least to the minimum. I can describe but faintly the +patriotic turmoil of that day. I only remember that along every highway +leading into town came overloaded vehicles in apparently unending +procession, bearing their burden of human freight. Flags fluttered from +windows, and business fronts were swathed with patriotic bunting. The +thundering discharge of an old anvil seemed to jar the universe at each +discharge. At stated intervals the brass band also played loudly and +harshly from the band stand, and the recruiting squad paraded the +streets with fife and drum. A reverend gentleman spoke at the city hall, +and as he waxed warm and eloquent, more than a score of men walked up to +the desk and signed the enlistment rolls. + +Tom and Ike and I subscribed our names on the roll together. When Tom +Wilson got up and declared his intention to enlist everybody cheered +vociferously. In the little speech he made with trembling voice he +reminded his friends that he must surrender to their care his aged and +helpless mother during his absence. That she gave her husband and his +father to the country in the Mexican war, and he had hoped the privilege +would have been accorded him to tenderly care for her in the decline of +her life, and that he was the only slender reed she had to lean upon in +the world, etc., etc. Ike and I followed Tom, and in turn several others +followed us. The crowd yelled and cheered themselves hoarse, and coming +forward irrespective of rank or social position, cordially shook our +hands and spoke encouraging words to us. When the rally ended we had our +full complement of men, and were ordered to be ready to go to the front +when our train which had been ordered should arrive that night. + +In the evening the citizens gave us a farewell banquet with an +interesting program. A glee club sang patriotic songs; a student of the +high school declaimed "The Charge of the Light Brigade"; a Mexican war +veteran volunteered suggestions as to the best means and methods of +avoiding camp diseases in active military service, and as to the best +and most approved treatment of severed arteries, fractured limbs and +contused heads. An old Mississippi steamboat captain with a glow of ripe +cherry mantling his cheeks and nose, spoke at some length recommending +whiskey and quinine if obtainable, but whiskey anyhow for river and +swamp fevers, and gunpowder and whiskey for weak knees. Though strongly +urged, neither Tom Wilson nor myself spoke, but Ike couldn't excuse +himself satisfactorily when solicited, and though greatly against his +inclination, he was fairly lifted to his feet by his new comrades, and +as nearly as I can remember said substantially, as follows: + +"Feller citizens, the time has arrove when every galloot that cares a +tinker's darn for the Union orter go to the front. I'm goin' fer one. I +haint got much book larn'n but I reckon I can soon larn to cock a cannon +or lug a musket 'round and in this racket, I b'leve I've got edication +'nuf to know which way to shute. I never have ranked very high in this +community, and don't 'spect to get much higher than a brigadier in this +war, but I'm goin' to help our fellers drive them rebels from pillar to +post, and if necessary drive 'em right into the post, but what we git +'em b'gosh. This supper you women have given us was luscious, and I +b'leve I shall taste it clear through the war. I want to bid all the +folks and more specially you fellers who could go to the war just as +well as not and won't, goodbye. If yer ever tackled in the rear while +we're down there in the front, let us know and we'll come up and help +you through." + +At the conclusion of the banquet exercises, each newly enlisted man +hurried away from the hall to arrange for his departure. The families +and friends of those living at a distance, were nearly all in town to +witness the departure of friends and loved ones. The streets of the town +were crowded with excited citizens and visitors. There was the faithful +mother with tearful eyes and blanched cheeks clinging to the arm of her +soldier boy and bravely struggling to calm the throbbings of her aching +heart. The sad eyed father and sorrowing brothers and sisters were +standing near, each vainly trying to say encouraging words. A group of +half tipsy recruits joked and laughed and sang snatches of patriotic +songs with thick and wobbling tongues. Across the street in the shadow +of the maples, a boy and girl paced to and fro with slow and measured +steps. Maybe afterwards that girl when her hair was frosted with age +remembered that last promenade with bitter tears, and again maybe the +grim old war kindly gave back to her at the last her boy, lithe-limbed +but bronzed by the sulphurous breath of battle. + +I saw Tom Wilson hurry home after the banquet, and I knew he had gone to +stay with his old mother and assist her in preparing his meagre +belongings for departure, and I knew what the agony of that parting +would be when the supreme minute of departure actually came. And when I +called for him on my way to the depot, I saw him unclasp her loving arms +from his neck and lay her almost unconscious form tenderly upon the +lounge. He kissed her pale lips, and with a great sob hurried out across +the threshold of his humble home. At the gate we met Mrs. Haywood, who, +having bade her own son goodbye, was making her way to the Wilson home +to try and comfort and be comforted in their common sorrow. We bade Mrs. +Haywood a tender farewell, and we promised to watch over her boy through +the days of his absence, and she in turn assured Tom that she would care +for and protect his dear old mother to the best of her ability. When +Mrs. Haywood had passed into the house, Tom turned and watched the +window anxiously until he saw again the dear old face with its +straggling gray locks framed there, and then with our modest bundles +under our arms and hats drawn down over our flushed, sad faces, we went +slowly down to the depot. And when almost to the depot, Tom could still +see that window with its precious living picture. With streaming eyes +she had watched him drifting out of her life. Tom was her only child. He +was all she had on earth to cling to and love. For many years his meager +earning had supported the home. Ever since the death of his father the +boy had been her idol. And now in her old age, not only was she to be +deprived of his presence and companionship, but also of the simple +little income his labor had produced. And she at last saw her darling +drifting away from the shores of her simple life out into the blue +depths of the Union army, maybe never to return. She had given the +country the father, now the country had taken the only son. The measure +of her sacrifices was more than full and almost more than she could +bear. + +Arriving at the depot, many farewells were said to us by both friends +and strangers, as the processions of men, women and children swept along +the platform ere the coming of our train. The queenly Miss Frankie Bell, +whom we young fellows had always considered with her wealth and beauty +too high and mighty to ever deign to notice one of us common fellows, +actually sobbed when she pressed our hands, and pledged poor Tom Wilson +that his aged mother should be her especial charge during his absence +and should want for no comfort which her means could obtain. And when I +saw the glad look her assurances had brought out on Tom's face, and knew +so well her ability to do all she promised, she all at once became in my +estimation the grandest and most angelic woman I had ever beheld. And at +last the low rumble of our train was heard in the distance, and the +click of the strumming rails warned the anxious waiting friends that the +final farewells were now in order and must be said quickly. Ike at the +last moment appeared upon the scene, actually staggering under his great +load of boxes and bundles. He was sweating and puffing like a porpoise, +and said as he came up to us, in his usually droll way. "Got a few +things here mother fixed up for us to chaw on the way down to war." + +We had to laugh at him. On his shoulder he carried a dry goods box +crammed full. From his waist belt dangled an old battered coffee pot and +cracked skillet. In his left hand he carried a mammoth cloth satchel +wadded so full that ghastly stumps of a roast turkey were protruding +from its gaping mouth. To the smiling bystander he said with a comical +squint, "The feller who won't provide for his own household is wus than +an infidel, b'gosh." It was plain to be seen that Ike had fully +anticipated and provided for his most pressing wants during our trip to +the front. As the train came wheezing up to the platform, the perfect +shower of goodbyes, farewells, Godspeeds and kisses, hugs and hand +pressures were hastily enacted, the locomotive tolled mournfully for a +brief space, the conductor shouted, "All aboard," the engine began to +wheeze and cough, and the train crawled slowly away into the shadows of +the night. The citizens cheered the vanishing cars, and we sent back an +answering cheer, which hardly rose above the rumble of the receding +train. We watched the lights of the old home town until they were +finally quenched in the thick midnight gloom, as we were whirled away +toward the scene of conflict. We were destined for Cairo, where the +other part of our company awaited us. When we had gotten out beyond the +limits of the old home town we suffered a reaction, and those who had so +recently wept now talked and laughed excitedly. The long faces began to +broaden, and the compressed lips curl into smiles. Some one led off with +"John Brown's Body, etc., etc." and by the time they got his body +mouldering in the grave everybody was singing and they sang hysterically +and wildly. + +When all had howled themselves hoarse, they raided their well-filled +lunch baskets and ate like famished wolves, notwithstanding the fact +that every soul of them had been crammed and wadded with food at the +banquet that evening. If the mothers and friends of those boys could +have seen them in their wild carousal they would have thought them +heartless and dissembling wretches but such judgment would have been +wholly unjust. This line of action was the result of the relaxation of +the overwrought nerves and muscles. Every old veteran of the civil war +will recall many occasions where the relaxation of overwrought nerves +made him act very foolishly. + +The effect of that hour of final leave taking upon the depot platform +upon our boys was not wholly unlike that afterwards sustained on the +battle line just preparatory to an engagement, when an occasional double +leaded message jarred the sensitive membrane of a fellow's ears as it +scooted by with a cold hiss or a shell shrieking and seething in its mad +flight through the upper air; such occasions not only try men's nerves, +but they try men's souls. Finally things settled down and everyone +sought repose and some manner of rest. I watched from the car window, +the lights flitting past as the train forged steadily ahead. Station +after station had been passed while we caroused and slept. For the men +were sprawled out through the coaches in every conceivable position, now +forgetful in their heavy slumber of both home and friends. Late in the +night a sudden jerk of the engine tumbled me off my seat, and this was +the first knowledge I had that I had actually been asleep. As I rubbed +my sleepy eyes, I saw the outlines of an angular form picking his way +towards me, and carefully over-stepping the sleeping forms that lay in +his path. He carried a big satchel, and made manifest his mission when +sufficiently near me. It was Ike, and he opened his remarks by saying +"Thought 't was 'bout time we foddered up." He lounged down beside me. + +"I was taking it pretty comp'table back yonder till the durned old +engine just yanked me off my roost," he said. + +He explored the inside of the old satchel, and brought out a goodly +supply of provender. "The boys must have sung themselves to sleep," said +I for want of something better to say. + +"Yes," drawled Ike, as he sliced off two huge chunks of roast turkey +breast. "They kept John Brown's body moulderin' in the grave till it +seemed to me the corpse got mighty stale. I tell ye, Jack, we may fetch +the rebs down with our muskets," he continued, "an frighten them with +wild whoops, but we'll never charm 'em much with our singin', I reckon," +he mused as he busied himself spreading our lunch on the opposite seat. + +"I guess the boys had to do something extraordinary to overcome the sad +sensations the parting engendered," said I. + +"Prob'ble," said Ike, as he bolted a ponderous chunk of roast turkey. "I +felt 'siderable like yelpin' myself, but couldn't see as 'twould add +anything much to the infernal racket, so I jes held my yelp." + +I partook freely of the tempting lunch thus offered, and blessed the +careful forethought of Mrs. Haywood which had supplied us such a luxury. +Eating revived my spirits amazingly, and though not depressed by parting +with relatives, as my relatives were all far away, yet I was terribly +saddened by the goodbye from my best girl. + +"Who knows," said I, "but what the war will soon wind up without much +more fighting and bloodshed and we within a few weeks will go rattling +back home over this road all safe and sound?" + +"I don't know," said Ike, "mor'n you do, but I can't get the igee out of +my head that we will yet see some of the dog blastedest fightin' and +killin' afore we fellers return home that ever jarred the gable end of +this 'ere universe. I tell you, Jack Kellogg," he continued, as he +hurriedly imported the lunks, chunks and slabs of provender into his +capacious mouth, "ef ther ain't no blood on the moon fore long then my +cackalation has jumped a cog. I tell you this here thunderin' fuss of +ringing bells, blowin' whistles, drummin' and fifin' and shootin' great +guns and husselin' a lot of us fellers off down here atween two days, +aint none of Mrs. Winslow's soothin' syrup, by a gol durned sight. It +all means bloody noses an' black eyes, I tell ye, and there'll be vacant +cheers 'nuff t' seat a concert hall fore it' all done with, I tell ye." + +This was a long speech for Ike to make, but he made it in such an +earnest manner with such impressive gestures and vigorous delivery that +I was greatly impressed with the belief that his statements were +probably true. + +At many of the stations through which our train passed straggling +soldiers were waiting to go to their commands, and boarded our train. +And under the dim light of the station lamp we saw the weeping mother +hold her soldier boy close to her aching heart as they kissed the last +long, good-bye kiss. Those affecting scenes so often re-enacted before +us contributed in no small degree to intensify the solemnity of that +hour. At one station standing on the depot platform was an ominous +looking box, and in the few minutes we were delayed there we learned +from an old gentleman that it contained the remains of his boy which he +was taking back to mother and the old northern home for burial. His +soldier boy had been killed in a skirmish with the rebels down in +Missouri. + +On the evening of the third day from home the train which bore our +detachment pulled slowly into Cairo. In every direction as far as eye +could discern, we saw an unbroken blaze of camp fires. An ear-splitting +din of strange and unusual sounds filled the air. Mule drivers were +haranguing their teams in blasphemous eloquence, as the poor creatures +floundered through the bottomless roads, and liberally applied the +merciless lash to the backs of those poor patient, overloaded creatures. +The roll and beat of drums blended and echoed and swelled, filling the +night with weird hoarse thunder. Distant headquarter bands were +concerting noisily, and newly arrived commands went splashing along the +muddy highways to some destination beyond the line of our vision. Staff +officers and orderlies galloped their smoking steeds hither and yonder +at wonderful speed. Black ambulances toiled slowly along the crowded +tracks with their freight of the sick and suffering. Steamboats ablaze +with signal lights coughed, whistled and wheezed out on the dark bosom +of the Mississippi, while the volley of brays from the mule corral smote +our ears like the concluding blasts of the very last trumpet. + +"The hull United States seems to be goin' to roost down here," observed +Ike as he leaned out of one of the car windows and observed the +situation. + +"Beats a camp meeting," chipped in somebody else. + +"Don't seem to be much discipline in this end of the army," said +another. + +"I reckon they'll have to cheese this racket 'fore they catch any fish," +another remarked. + +And all these and many other comical remarks were made by our boys, as +they contemplated the new situation from the cars and patiently awaited +orders to go to camp. + +It was indeed a great relief to us when an orderly bestriding a jaded, +mud-bespattered horse finally rode up and informed us that he would take +us to camp. Accordingly we disembarked, fell into line and set out for +our campground. + +After a deep wading, tiresome zigzagging along miserable roads, devious +and uncertain paths and blind trails, across sloppy and splashy +summer-fallows, for what seemed an interminable distance, we at last +reached camp. + +In anticipation of our coming, the camp boys had prepared us a +regulation army supper consisting mainly of beans, bacon, rice and hard +tack, with the usual black coffee accompaniment. Notwithstanding the +rude coarse rations, the hungry recruits laid to and ate with a +wonderful relish and offered no excuses. To be sure, as the supper +progressed, many humorous observations were made by the boys, touching +the kinds and quality of Uncle Sam's menu and the manner of its service. +Notwithstanding the coarse rations offered and the fact that every +mother's son of them had been continually gormandizing ever since we +left home, each did ample justice to his first army supper. Haywood +discovered the corpse of a lightning bug embalmed in his plate of beans, +and another equally as observing and curious fished the remains of an +unknown beetle out of his rice. A detachment of daddy long legs charged +to and fro across the bacon platter, and divers bugs and insects swarmed +around the sputtering candles. One recruit soaked his hard tack in his +coffee until it bloated up like a toad, and Ike, while wrestling with a +piece of swine belly, allowed he probably "wasn't the first feller that +had had holt of that." + +"Ike, how do you like the grub?" asked Tom, when he had lounged down +beside a stump, after eating. + +"Better'n I 'spected," said Ike, "Haint got used to them tacks yet, but +the pepper'n salt was passable." + +Then we stowed away our luggage, finding places for our traps and boxes, +and selecting sleeping places. Observing that two blankets could be +utilized by two persons bunking together better than one blanket could +serve one lone person, they paired off and mated up like spring geese. +As might naturally be supposed, Ike and I bunked together. We spread our +blankets at the roots of a tree where Haywood allowed we would be a +little above high-water mark, and by the time the numerous regimental +bands and bugles were sounding tattoo, we were well tucked away for the +night, and though this was an entirely new experience to us, we were +only too glad to stretch ourselves out in the open air between two +coarse army blankets. As we pulled the drapery of our couch about us, +Ike got a sniff of carbolic acid upon our blankets and asked me if I +"catched onto the deathly fragrance of our bed clothes." I told him I +noticed a peculiar smell. + +"Smells like a woodpecker's nest," continued Ike. "Guess they've been +packing limberger cheese 'r suthin' in 'em. + +"No," said I, "but I suppose the blankets have been treated with some +preparations of disinfection." + +"Took us fer a lot of lepers, I spose," said Ike. + +"Hardly that," I replied, but I explained to him that it was my +understanding that all army blankets were perfumed in this way for +protection against moths and perhaps for sanitary reasons. + +"Prob'ble," Ike murmured drowsily, and his next breath was a hoarse +snore. + +I was very tired, but could not at once go to sleep, and for some time I +remained awake amid my strange surroundings and looked out into the +night and listened to the wild weird noises of the camp. Above me, +through the tangle of twigs and vines appeared the starlit sky; the +campfires shone on either hand far out into the night, and away over the +fields and forests came the good night bugle calls, the soldier's +lullaby, softly saying "go-to-sleep, go-to-sleep, go-to-sleep, soldier, +sleep, go-to-sleep." From the mule corral came volley upon volley of +subdued, tongue-tied braying, and the old steamboat engines coughed down +at the river landing. Those strange sounds at last sent me also to +dreamland, but I believe my last sleepy thoughts were tapping at the +window of my old northern home. + +I have already related in this article more than one day's experience in +my war life, unlike what I intended to do at the onset, but all is so +closely linked together that I felt I must add the first night in camp +to the article to make it complete, and so I have added more. + +The reveille on the succeeding morning brought us tired fellows out all +too soon. It seemed that scarcely ten minutes had elapsed since +retiring, when the wild blasts of bugles, jarring drums and screaming of +fifes aroused us from slumber. Ike rolled up onto his elbow and +remarked to me, "Them fellers out there are jovial cusses, aint they, +pounded their drums and things all times of the night." I told him I +guessed this was one of the calls. + +"Might have waited 'till we got fixed up a little fore they called," +said Ike, sitting up on the blanket. "I supposed we come to stay all +night," with a questioning squint at me. + +"No," I told him, "this is a different kind of a call. The thundering +they gave us last night just as we went to bed was what they call +tattoo, and meant to go to bed. The few whacks of the drum and snorts of +the bugle afterwards meant to put out the lights, and this racket means +to fall in for roll call." + +"Wal, I swow," said Ike, pulling on one of his boots. "They treat us +like a lot of kids, don't they? But I say, you don't pretend to imagine +if a feller should take a cramp 'r some other pain in the night, he +couldn't strike up a light to find his pills nor nothin', do ye?" + +I told him I thought not, because in war times, if every soldier was +allowed to fire up in the night at will the enemy could shoot us just as +well as in the day time. + +"B'gosh, there's sense in that," replied Ike, as we fell in for roll +call. + +That day we elected our officers. + +[Illustration] + + + + + CHAPTER I. + + SCENES ENROUTE. + + +IT was May 7, 1863 when Company B, 113th Illinois Vol. Infantry, to +which I belonged, started from Milliken's Bend, La., with the balance of +Grant's army for the rear of Vicksburg. That day we marched 14 miles and +at night camped on a beautiful plantation and procured raw cotton from a +nearby gin to sleep on. + +By noon of the 8th we had reached the banks of Woody Bayou and halted +there for dinner. That night we had arrived at the plantation of +Confederate General Fiske and appropriated some of his fresh beef for +supper. We made 19 miles that day. + +The 9th we pursued our march along Roundaway Bayou through a beautiful +fertile country covered with vast fields of corn and other crops, and +splendidly built up. We crossed some streams upon pontoon bridges, and +saw our first alligators in that bayou. We also saw scattered along the +roadside many dead horses and mules, and passed the smoking ruins of +many plantation buildings. We ate our dinner on the grounds of +Confederate Judge Perkins. We passed through magnolia groves in full +bloom, and along miles of blossoming rose hedge; beautiful and fragrant +beyond description. At night we arrived at Lake St. Joseph and camped on +its shores. All along our route the houses were deserted by all whites +and able bodied colored people, only the sick, the aged and decrepit +remained. + +On the 10th we continued our march along the shores of Lake St. Joseph. +Out on the surface of the lake numerous old gray-backed alligators lay +sleeping, and ever and anon a musket would crack and one of those old +gators would clap his hand on his side and go out of sight with a +splash. A number of dead gators with bullet holes in their bodies had +floated ashore. Today we passed immense fields of grain, one corn field +comprising 1,400 acres; and also passed the smoking ruins of plantation +houses more frequently. At 4 o'clock we got to Hard Times Landing, on +the Mississippi river, opposite Grand Gulf and encamped for the night. + +The 11th until 4 o'clock we laid off waiting for ferryage across the +river and while some went fishing, others spent the time in any +amusement or recreation they chose, but at that hour a gunboat arrived +and we fell in and went on board of gunboat Louisville and were ferried +across to Grand Gulf, where we went into camp with our brigade at the +foot of the high bluff. The camp was full of happy contrabands who +patted juba and danced nearly all night to the music of a cane +instrument unlike any other musical instrument I ever saw. + +At an early hour on the 12th we marched away over the hills for Rocky +Springs. This country was rough and sterile and not nearly as productive +as Louisiana. At the end of 18 miles we went into camp for the night in +a beautiful grove on a hill close to a spring of pure, cold water. We +killed some sheep and chickens for supper, but where they came from only +the Lord and some of our boys knew. + +The 13th we continued our march through Rocky Springs, across Big and +Little Sandy creeks, and through a vastly finer country than yesterday. +We arrived at the town of Cayuga that night and made our quarters in a +church, and when the church bell rang furiously about midnight, we were +told No. 10 wanted the Corporal of the guard. + +The 14th we got a very early start but it soon began to rain and very +soon we were wading in red sticky mud. We ate our dinner, well sheltered +from the rain, in another country church, and at night we got quarters +in a deserted plantation house. There we got supper and made our coffee +in an old fashioned fireplace. We also, at least two of us, slept on a +bedstead like white folks that night, but the bed bugs perforated us +numerously. We were then 30 miles from Jackson and 14 miles from the +advance of Grant's army. During the night the enemy molested our pickets +and we got out to the tune of the long roll, but no blood was shed. + +The 15th we continued our march to Raymond, arriving there at 2 o'clock +p. m. There we halted an hour and visited our wounded friends and +acquaintances of the 20th Illinois, then at that point, who had been +wounded that day in the battle of Raymond, after which we pushed on 8 +miles farther to Clinton and made our camp in the college grounds on the +hill. At Clinton we found and paroled a large number of rebel sick in +hospitals. Our boys visited the sick and wounded rebels in these +hospitals and gave them crackers, tobacco and coffee or any little +delicacies they happened to have, the same as they would have treated +their own comrades, and many a poor sick Johnnie's eyes grew moist in +those rebel hospitals because of the kindness of the Yanks to them that +day. + +The 16th we remained in camp at Clinton until noon, and then in +compliance with orders, when Steel's division came through from Jackson, +we fell into his line of march and marched away towards Boulton, and +camped that night within a mile of that town. I desire to mention here +that in the early morning today General Grant with a few mounted +attendants went through Clinton at a rapid pace towards Black river or +Champion Hills. + +The 17th we proceeded towards Black river with Steel's division, passed +through Boulton at 10 a. m., and shoved so close to a body of the enemy +that our commander threw us into line of battle with ambulances close on +our heels and trains trailing in the rear. But a few scattering shots +resulted, however, and we arrived at Black river at 7 p. m., and there +rejoined our brigade. We crossed Black river on a pontoon bridge, +proceeded 2 miles farther towards Vicksburg and camped in the woods by +the roadside. + +Early the 18th we resumed our march for Vicksburg, 24 miles away, and +when within 4 miles of said city we rubbed against a rebel force, and in +line of battle pushed them gently back to their works, behind which they +disappeared. We then went into camp on one of the walnut hills behind +our heavy picket line. And what a noisy night was that, my countrymen! +The pickets on both sides kept up a steady fusilade throughout the +night. I undertook to pool my blankets with our Major (Williams) that +night, and we made our bed on the exposed slope of the hill. Hardly had +we get cleverly stretched out for a snoose when a rebel bullet struck +the cold clammy earth just about three-fourths of an inch northeast of +the lobe of my left ear. Some Mississippi soil was precipitated into my +face thereby. I called the major's attention to the fact and proposed a +change of base to the other slope of the hill about 10 rods away. The +major made light of my proposition and said, "Lie still and go to sleep +and you won't hear 'em strike." I waited a few minutes longer until a +few more bullet chugs smote upon my ear, when I got up hastily and with +my blanket went and lodged on the other slope of the hill. I'm no +coward, but I didn't want to be accidentally killed without knowing +something about it. + + + + + CHAPTER II. + + THE CHARGE OF MAY 19. + + +ON the 18th of May, 1863, Vicksburg was completely invested. A year +before the first attempt was made against this fortified city, and in +reply to a demand of surrender at that time the rebels said: +"Mississippians did not know and refused to learn how to surrender to an +enemy." Now we'uns had arrived and proposed to teach them how to +surrender to an enemy. + +Some time before daylight on the morning of the 19th we were quietly +aroused and instructed to prepare our breakfasts without noise or +unnecessary fire or light. Every man of my company proceeded, by the aid +of twigs and dry leaves, to make just fire enough on the protected slope +of the hill, to boil his tin cup of coffee and broil a slice of +diaphragm um et swinum for the morning meal. We did not at first know +what the program for the day was, but before we had dispatched our +breakfast it was whispered to us by those who claimed to have access to +headquarters that we were scheduled to charge the enemy's works in the +early morning. I hadn't had a good view of the Vicksburg fortifications +the day before, and now in the first faint light of the morning, while +the men were eating and making preparations for the charge, I crept +cautiously out on the crest of the hill, and so far as I could without +exposing myself, contemplated the defenses against which we had to +charge. Three strong bastioned forts on the right, center and left on +high grounds within a line of entrenchments and stockades confronted us. +It required but a brief inspection to satisfy me that more than likely +we wouldn't go into town that day. I confess that my observations did +not in any great measure increase my confidence in our ability to take +the place by assault. When I returned to my company I saw many of the +boys entrusting their valuables with hasty instructions to the few lame +and sick ones, who must needs stay behind and care for the company +effects while we were gone. I felt like turning over my stuff also, but +happened to recollect I had no valuables. From the outlook I was +satisfied very many of us would not answer to roll call that night, and +I felt that I might be one of the silent ones. A more beautiful May +morning than that of the 19th I had never seen. The pickets had ceased +firing, the birds sang sweetly in the trees, and the cool morning breeze +was fragrant with the perfume of flowers and shrubs. It was hard to +believe that such a beautiful morning as that would bring such an eve as +followed it. When the sun was well up then the various bodies of our +troops were quickly marched to their respective positions in what was to +be the charging line. My regiment was marched forward and to the right +of our night's position, to the base of the last range of the Walnut +hills, and we were instructed then that when all of our batteries fired +three volleys in rapid succession our whole assaulting column was to +move forward and charge the enemy's works. The space intervening between +our line and the enemy's fortification over which we must pass was badly +cut up by ravines and hills and covered by brush and fallen trees. When +the signal for the general assault came my regiment, the 113th Illinois, +belonging to Giles A. Smith's brigade of Blair's division and Sherman's +army corps, was among the first to make a determined attack. While +awaiting the signal to go in we had been practicing, over a big sycamore +log behind which we were crouching, a few long range shots at the rebel +stockade, but when the three rapid artillery discharges came we first +stood up, then we scaled the log and pushed forward. On our immediate +right was the 6th Missouri, and I being on the right of our regiment +went in side by side with the men of their left. A lieutenant on the +left of that regiment was in his shirt sleeves and wore a white shirt; +he and I went side by side for several steps, when he lunged forward +upon the ground, and in the quick glance I gave him I saw a circle of +red forming on his shirt back. The leaden hail from the enemy was +absolutely blinding. The very sticks and chips scattered over the ground +were jumping under the hot shower of rebel bullets. As I now recall that +experience I can but wonder that any of us survived that charge. The +rough and brush strewn ground over which we had to charge broke up our +alignment badly, and every soldier of our command had to pick his own +way forward as best he could without regard to touching elbows either to +the right or left. + +When about two-thirds the way across the field I found myself with one +corporal of my company considerably in advance of the rest of our men, +and we two knelt down behind a fallen tree trunk to watch and wait their +coming. When thus on our knees a canister shot entered the bottom of the +corporal's shoe and lodged in his ankle joint, and while I was assisting +my comrade in cutting off his shoe and prying out the bullet, most of +our company passed by us. When I again stood up, I could see a fragment +of our line only, to my left, with which I recognized our colonel and +regimental colors. I started towards our flag, but had gone only a few +steps when one of the enemy's shells exploded in front of me, and when +the smoke had lifted a little I saw that our regimental flag and the +colonel had gone down. From under the end of a log beneath where the +shell had exploded rose up a comrade, Darrow by name, his red shock of +hair powdered and plastered with the dust and dirt of the explosion and +his eyes flashing with indignation. "Ain't it awful?" said I to Darrow, +and the profane wretch replied indifferently, "They're shootin' damn +careless." + +I went on towards the enemy's works looking for the men of my company +and when within half gunshot of the rebel stockade, in a shallow gulley +where the freshets had some time worn a little ditch, I found a squad of +seventeen of my regiment hugging the ground and keeping up a steady fire +on the rebel works. I lay down with them at the upper end of the line +where the cover was the least, because it was the only place left for +me, and I thought of the words of old French General Blucher, who was a +veritable giant and always stuck up half his height above the +entrenchments, Napoleon said to him one day when under fire, "Now, +Blucher, you can afford to stoop a little?" "Damn your bit of a ditch," +said Blucher, "it ain't knee deep!" + +And there lying flat on our backs and loading our pieces in that +position, with the merciless sun blistering our faces, we passed that +day of dreadful fighting. Once during the day, when some of our forces +made an advance demonstration off to our right, we saw the slender blue +line advance for a distance and then, repulsed, retire, leaving the +field thickly strewn with the blue sheaves Old Death had gathered so +quickly. Then a rebel battery was run up behind the enemy's work in our +front and enfiladed our lines. Then how gloriously our little squad did +pepper that battery when they would run it up in sight. We silenced the +battery, but by our carelessness we lost one of our number killed, shot +in the center of the forehead, and five others wounded. Often that day +the bullets from front and rear passed so closely above our prostrate +bodies that the short cane stalks forming a part of our cover, were cut +off by them and lopped gently over upon us. + +But we fared better than other regiments of our brigade. On our left +Sherman's regiment, the 13th regulars, lost 77 out of a total of 250 +men; their commander, Captain Washington, was mortally wounded and +every other officer of the regiment more or less severely wounded. Also, +the 83rd Indiana and the 127th Illinois on our right suffered more than +we, but such a long dreadful day it was without food or water, under the +excessive heat of the sun, lying flat in that old gully, but hardly +daring to move a limb or change our position for fear of attracting a +rebel volley. As the sun sank in the west and we saw night approaching, +our fears were excited for our safety. We well knew if we remained where +we were until nightfall the enemy would sally out of their works and +capture us, so we held a parley and agreed that at a given signal all of +us who could would scatter and run for some near cover in the rear, +where resting briefly we would run on to other covers still further to +the rear, until the dusk of approaching night would finally shield us, +and we carried out that program so faithfully that all who made the run +escaped unscathed. My first sprint took me to an old dry sycamore stump +a few rods away, behind which I threw myself just in time to escape +being numerously punctured. When I got good and ready I ran again, and +again, until I could no longer discern through the gathering shadows the +long long line of rebel stockade behind me, and then I stopped and took +one long breath--bigger than a pound of wool. Not one of my comrades +could I then see. They had scampered away like a bevy of partridges and +were swallowed up in the gloom of night. When I was making my way +rearward through a patch of cockleburs up the slope of the hill, I heard +a wounded man groaning nearby, and I went to his assistance. He was shot +through the leg above the knee, and I had to stop some of the incoming +stragglers to assist me in taking him back to the field hospital. When +we got him down into the first ravine, he begged so piteously for water +we laid him down and with my canteen I groped along in the darkness +until I heard the trickling of a spring and managed to catch enough +water to stay the poor fellow's thirst until we got him back to a +surgeon. Then it was night, in the shadow of those great forest trees, +of the blackest description. None dare make a light or fire. In every +direction could be heard soldiers calling for their comrades without +responses. I didn't know where the headquarters of my regiment was, and +I could find no one who could tell me. I was both thirsty and hungry. I +was heartsick and tired. It was getting awfully cold. I sat down at the +roots of an old forest tree and tried to sleep. All night long I heard +the stretcher bearers bringing in the wounded, and I thought I would +freeze before morning. + + [Illustration] + + + + + CHAPTER III. + + SHARPSHOOTING FROM + WALNUT HILLS. + + +WITH the first faint flush of day the morning of the 20th, I was up and +taking soundings for the locality of my company headquarters. I was as +stiff as an old foundered horse, and my head ached and felt swelled. The +battle was still being waged by the advance pickets of the contending +forces, but the fearful rumble of yesterday's battle had subsided +entirely. Nothing appeared in that early morning, at first, to recall +the horrors of yesterday, but as the daylight began to pour in amongst +the trees, and the mists of night lifted, some evidences of the fray +came into sight. The smoke that filled the heavens during that conflict +had rolled together into one great window and hung away out on the rim +of the horizon. The light breath of wind wafted from over the +battlefield, it seemed to me, savored of blood. At the rear of the field +hospital a score of legs and arms were stacked up awaiting burial and +some blood stained stretchers laid where the tired stretcher bearers had +carelessly abandoned them. The faithful surgeons had plied the knife, +and worked on, ever since the assault began, and now at the dawn of +another day were not nearly done. + +Old Sol was splashing his crimson and gold over the blue of the eastern +concave when I finally found my company quarters, and the men were +already blazing away at the enemy from the crest of the nearby hill. In +the headquarters tent I found three delicious smoked hams, from which I +at once carved three or four slices and ate them raw. From the lacerated +appearance of those hams it was apparent that other famishing men had +dined there before me. Think of making a meal on raw smoked ham and +water. I hadn't a mouthful of bread or anything that would take the +place of bread, not even slippery elm, to chuck in with that ham. We +were hungry when we got to Vicksburg on the 18th, because we had been +living on half rations and what we could cramp on the march ever since +we left Grand Gulf. I had one last hardtack when I got to Vicksburg that +I saved and carried for several days, and it looked like a medallion off +a prize cook stove. The luster arising from the sweat and grime on that +hardtack was too dazzling for anything. The worms lurking within it came +out occasionally and admired their reflections mirrored upon its +surface. Men got very hungry on that march to the rear of Vicksburg. It +will be remembered that Grant cut loose from his base of supplies when +he left Grand Gulf. I heard men say that they partially subsisted by +chewing newspaper advertisements of provisions. Such a delicious +breakfast as that raw ham I never ate before nor since. I was never more +thankful for a meal. I blessed the hog that furnished the ham and the +swain who salted and smoked it. + +My breakfast dispatched, I joined my company behind a slight breastwork +on the crest of the hill, where we blazed away at the rebel stockade +with little, if any, intermission all day long. Heavy ordnance was +brought into play as well as muskets, and gave and took solid shot and +shell to our heart's content. All that day our army was hurrying up +additional heavy ordnance onto the besieging line its whole extent, and +each new piece, as it came up to its position joined its hoarse bark to +the din of all our other war dogs. Such a jolly old racket it was to be +sure! + +All day long the loopholes in the rebel stockade were spitefully +spitting red fire in our faces, which fire we returned with a vengeance. +We made a good deal of noise all that day and the next with very little +execution, because both the enemy and ourselves were under cover. Some +funny things happened in those first days of the investment. When we +arrived at the rear of Vicksburg on the afternoon of the 18th a picnic +party of about thirty ladies, mostly rebel officers' wives, was +intercepted and forbidden to return to the beleaguered city. They plead +and threatened, tearfully, scornfully, impertinently, to effect their +release, but all to no purpose. They were informed that the city was +then besieged, that the lid, as it were, was on, that none could now go +in but armed men, and none could come out but prisoners. What could they +do but submit? We were 30,000 strong. They were three ciphers less. We +outnumbered them by a crushing majority. General Grant ordered them to +be quartered in a large furnished double house, which the owners had +abandoned upon our coming, and there under a safety guard they drew +their U. S. army rations from day to day during the forty-two days of +the siege and raised Ned generally. An old discordant piano happened to +be in their prison, and they pounded the poor old thing until it would +bellow like the bull of Bashon. One day General Grant and an adjutant +general rode up in front of the house, and while there upon their +horses, one of the ladies, who was promenading backward and forward +across the piazza, observing that Grant was smoking a cigar, said to +him, "Soldier, give me a cigar." "With pleasure, madam," said the +General, handing her a weed. Adjutant General Robbins, understanding +that the little lady was wholly unacquainted with the name or rank of +the distinguished individual whom she was so flippantly addressing, +said: "Madam, allow me to make you acquainted with General Grant, of the +United States army." The poor frightened woman turned pale, stared +wildly at the General, dropped her cigar, and fled inside the house. As +the officers rode away, about thirty noses were flattened against the +windows as those beautiful captives peered fearfully out to catch a +glance of that terrible General whom the south feared most "of all." + +When the Waterhouse battery was throwing an occasional shot or shell +against the stockade trying to effect a breach in it, a voice behind the +enemy's works would call out at every shot, "A little more to the +right," or "A little more to the left," as the case might be, evidently +trying to make light of our shooting. The battery officer thought he +pretty nearly located the owner of the voice, and trained his gun for +the next shot upon that point. After firing for several seconds nothing +was heard, and just as we had about made up our minds the derisive cuss +was killed he yelled, "For God's sake cease firing." He had evidently +had a close call. + +On the night of May 21st we were informed that tomorrow morning we would +again assault the works by the engagement of the whole line. It was +arranged for the assault to take place at precisely 10 o'clock on the +morning of the 22nd. So determined was Grant to have the attack by the +various corps simultaneous that he had all of the corps commanders' +watches set by his own. + +When we were formed in the line of assault and my company, B, 113th +Illinois Volunteer infantry, was at rest in place, an officer of Grant's +staff came to us with the proposition that any three men who would +volunteer to go in the storming party, then forming to be sent in +advance against the enemy's works, should have sixty days furlough home. +We looked into each others faces for some seconds. We were speechless +and felt a dread of what might develop. We knew that as a general thing +the man who volunteers and goes into the storming party "leaves all hope +behind." It means nearly sure death. Like the Irishman I didn't want to +go "and leave my father an orphan." Finally there was a movement. Old +Joe Smith, white headed, rough visaged and grizzled by the storms of a +half century, stepped to the front and calling back to his bunkmate +said, "Come on, Lish," and Elisha Johns filed out by his side. Then +after a brief interval Sergt. James Henry volunteered for the third +place. Company B's quota was now complete, and those brave fellows +hurried away to take their places in the ranks of the storming party. +Some reader of these lines may ask, "Why didn't General Grant detail men +for the storming party?" Because, when soldiers enter upon a service +that gives them only one chance in a hundred to survive it, the +commander doesn't like to bear the responsibility of their deaths, and +tenders them the precious privilege of voluntarily dying for their +country. We looked upon our three comrades as already dead or wounded +men, but strange to relate, although a majority of that gallant band +fell in that action, not one of our brave fellows was injured by the +missiles of the enemy, and all of them received from General Grant their +furlough home as promised. + +This storming party, provided with boards and rails to bridge the ditch +outside the stockade when they got to it, led the advance or attacking +column. And while we stood in line breathlessly awaiting the order to +move forward ourselves, I watched that little force of 150 men rush +forward towards the battlements of the enemy. How they scurried forward, +leaping over the logs and brush lying in their pathway as they pushed on +through that leaden and iron hail of death! A scattering few seemed to +reach the salient of the bastion and laid down against their works in +time to preserve their lives, but as it appeared to me through the +clouds of sulphurous smoke a greater part of the blue forms were +scattered along their line of advance stretched upon the earth +motionless in death. It had come our turn now to face the lead, and we +were ordered to fix bayonets. + + [Illustration] + + + + + CHAPTER IV. + + CHARGE OF MAY 22D. + + +WHILE waiting the charge of the storming party and watching their +progress across the field to the enemy's works, I noticed a group of +general officers close to our left, composed of Grant, Sherman and Giles +A. Smith, with their field glasses, watching the little storming party +painting a trail of blood across that field. Those distinguished +commanders, unlike ourselves, were standing behind large trees, and +squinted cautiously out to the right and left, exposing as little of +their brass buttons as possible, and I think I saw them dodge a couple +of times. I thought of the convincing speech the officer made to his +command on the eve of the battle, when he assured them that he might be +killed himself, as some balls would go through the biggest trees. + +General Ewing's brigade led the assault after the storming party had +sped their bolts, and advanced along the crown of an interior ridge +which partially sheltered his advance. This command actually entered the +parapet of the enemy's works at a shoulder of the bastion, but when the +enemy rose up in double ranks and delivered its withering fire his +forces were swept back to cover, but the brave and resourceful old Ewing +shifted his command to the left, crossed the ditch, pressed forward, and +ere long we saw his men scrambling up the outer face of the bastion and +his colors planted near the top of the rebel works. + +Our brigade was formed in a ravine threatening the parapet, 300 yards to +the left of the bastion, and we had connected with Ransom's brigade. +From that formation we fixed bayonets and charged point blank for the +rebel works at a double quick. Unfortunately for me I was in the front +of the rank and compelled to maintain that position, and a glance at the +forest of gleaming bayonets sweeping up from the rear, at a charge, made +me realize that it only required a stumble of some lubber just behind me +to launch his bayonet into the offside of my anatomy, somewhere in the +neighborhood of my anterior suspender buttons. This knowledge so +stimulated me that I feared the front far less than the rear, and forged +ahead like an antelope, easily changing my double quick to a quadruple +gait, and most emphatically making telegraph time. During that run and +rush I had frequently to either step upon or jump over the bodies of our +dead and wounded, which were scattered along our track. The nearer the +enemy we got the more enthusiastic we became, and the more confidence we +had in scaling their works, but as we neared their parapet we +encountered the reserved fire of the rebels which swept us back to +temporary cover of a ridge, two-thirds of the way across the field, from +which position we operated the rest of the day. When we got back there +we had been fighting and maneuvering for more than three hours. Once +during the assault I remember the 116th Illinois was on our left. Gen. +Giles A. Smith was between me and that regiment; Colonel Tupper, its +commander, was making a speech to his men and advising them to take the +works or die in the attempt. I thought then, and I have had no reason to +change my mind since, that Tupper was gloriously drunk. General Smith +snatched off his hat and yelled, "Three cheers for Colonel Tupper." I +caught off my cap and together we gave one full grown "Hurrah" and about +half another, when the explosion of a monster shell inconveniently near +us adjourned the performance sine die. I saw also at another time during +the fight, a captain coming back from the front on the run; he had been +wounded in the wrist. A man was trying to lead him off the field, but +couldn't keep up with the fleet footed captain. He was vainly trying to +clutch the wounded man's coat tails as he pursued him, and though under +a deadly fire at the time, more than a hundred of us who beheld the +race, laughed heartily. When we got behind the ridge we were ordered to +lie down, and it felt good to know that we had even a little ridge of +solid earth between us and the enemy's bullets. We lay there on our +backs and looked back into the throats of the artillery as it shelled +the enemy's works over our heads. We could see the balls distinctly as +they were discharged from the cannons, and they looked like bumble-bees +flying over us, only somewhat larger. While we were thus watching the +flight of the balls, one of them struck and cut off the top of a tall +sapling standing between us and the cannon; the ball by that means was +depressed, and instead of going over us came directly for us and into +our midst. Every one who saw it thought, as I did, that the ball was +coming straight at him. I rolled over to avoid it; I heard the dull thud +of its striking and a scream of agony, and I stood up and looked. That +ball had struck and carried away the life of Morris Bird, a private of +Company H, and the only son of a widowed mother. I saw a private of the +4th Virginia, which regiment was sheltered there with us also, rise to +his feet to fire his gun, when one of our cannon balls took off his +head, and it was a clean decapitation, too. The enemy shelled us +incessantly the rest of the day after we gained this position, and it +cost us many brave men. + +One close call of an exploding shell knocked me senseless and took off +the right arm of Louis Cazean, a private of my company. They told me +afterwards that poor Cazean, when he lifted up the fragments of his +shattered right arm dangling from the white cords and tendons, said, +"Boys, I'd give five hundred dollars if that was my left arm instead of +my right." When I regained my senses I found Sergeant Whitcomb of my +company bathing my head with water and trying to force some commissary +whiskey down my throat. He didn't have near as much trouble getting the +whiskey down me after I came to and found out what it was. For a long +time the rumbling in my head was deafening and painful, but gradually +subsided and the concussion left me a whole skin and with no deleterious +effects. And the day wore on until night closed in upon us, and then we +lay down and slept on our arms accoutered as we were. + +Through some bungling, when the other regiments were ordered to retire +during the night to the rear of the Walnut hills, my regiment was +omitted from the list, and when we received our order to fall back in +the morning we had to go out under the fire of the 25,000 enemies. That +blunder cost us some brave men; for the rebels availed themselves of the +splendid opportunity to fire upon our retiring lines. We had failed to +take Vicksburg by assault, notwithstanding the bravery of our men; +notwithstanding that many stands of colors were planted on the enemy's +works; Sergeant Griffith with eleven men of the 22nd Iowa regiment +entered a fort of the enemy, and his men all fell in the fort except the +sergeant, who captured and brought off thirteen confederate prisoners, +and Captain White of the Chicago Mercantile battery immortalized himself +by carrying forward one of his guns by hand to the ditch, and double +shotting it, fired into an embrasure of the work, disabling an enemy's +gun in it and cutting down the gunners. + +The rebels had more than 25,000 men behind their works, and why they +didn't kill every soul of us I cannot imagine. How glad we were to get +back of the Walnut hills on the 23rd, and to go into camp with the +assurance that no more assaulting efforts would probably be required of +us. When we sat around the campfire down in the ravine that night we +compared notes of experiences during that bloody battle and talked about +our dead and wounded comrades. Old Joe Smith, who was one of the +storming party volunteers, said, "Boys, I had sweet revenge on the +brutes yesterday. I got right into the crotch of a fallen tree close to +their works, so that I was protected in front and on both flanks, and I +laid my gun across the log so that I had constant aim on their works, +and when one of them fellers got up to shoot I would see his gun barrel +come up first, and I would have a dead liner on him when his head popped +up and I could salt him every time, pretty near." "But," said Joe, +"there was one feller kept gitting up right opposite me and his face was +so dumbed thin I couldn't hit 'im." After supper we were detailed to dig +rifle pits, and had talks with rebels across the bloody chasm. + + [Illustration] + + + + + CHAPTER V. + + IN THE RIFLE PITS. + + +WE failed to take Vicksburg by assault. We not only failed to take it, +but we failed to break their lines of defense and make permanent +lodgment anywhere along our front, General McClernand to the contrary +notwithstanding. For ten hours that day we fought the entrenched enemy +and had not won the battle. Our forces had charged the parapets and +bastioned forts valorously but death was the sole reward of their great +valor. We lost 3,000 men while the sheltered confederates, within their +formidable works lost only 1,000. I desire to add that Admiral Porter +co-operated in the assault, and shelled the water batteries and town +from his mortar boats stationed in the river, and from his gun boats. So +fierce was his attack on the water batteries, which were engaged at 440 +yards, and so great was the noise of his gun and so dense the smoke that +Porter heard and saw nothing of our land operations. + +We were quartered along one of the Walnut hillsides after the assault of +the 22nd, and we went industriously to work fitting up our huts and +bowers in the best sheltered and most available spots along the hill +slope. I put in a half day of solid work building me a cane palace +which, when I had it enclosed and nearly finished, was instantaneously +wrecked by a piece of rebel shell which an overhead explosion +precipitated into the top of my beautiful enclosure ripping it downwards +and wrecking it completely. I took up what was left of my bedding and +belongings and built in a safer locality. + +On the 24th my company was detailed for picket duty, and we occupied the +advance rifle pits already dug, and industriously dug others in advance +of those, under cover of the night. That night myself and comrade went +without orders onto the battle field, armed only with spades, and buried +three of our dead comrades who were killed in the assault of the 19th. +It was a dangerous business, and only the intense darkness protected us +from the enemy. We could only bury them by throwing dirt upon the bodies +just as they lay upon the ground. Five days of exposure to the heat and +sun had produced in those bodies a fearful state of decomposition, and +the stench was dreadful, but we accomplished our task after a fashion. +After the surrender of Vicksburg I went to the spot and beheld the +partially covered bodies of our comrades which we had tried to bury in +the darkness that night. Both feet and heads were bare then. Whether we +had so left them, or whether the rains and winds had partially +resurrected them I could not tell. I never took part in that kind of a +job again. It was too dangerous, for when we returned to our lines it +was so dark we could not determine the point where our men were, and +caused an alarm by coming out at the wrong place. We were challenged and +came near getting shot at. + +On the morning of the 25th the rebels sent out a flag of truce and asked +permission to bury their dead, which was granted. Squads from both +armies were sent out, and for at least two hours the work of burying the +dead went on. The dead were buried by simply throwing earth onto the +bodies where they had fallen. I walked out onto the battle grounds and +observed the victims lying scattered over the field as far as the sight +could reach. The bodies were bloated and swollen to the stature of +giants. I saw some few men ripping open the pockets of the dead with +their jackknives and taking therefrom watches, money and other valuable +things, reeking with putrefaction, and transferring them to their own +pockets. I picked up a photograph or tintype of a woman and two children +which some soldier had lost, and I also found a splendid Springfield +rifle which I appropriated and carried to camp. When it was dark enough +that night to safely do so we were relieved from advance duty by other +troops when we returned to camp. + +Today, May 26th, it was rumored in camp that rebel General Johnson was +approaching with a big force to relieve Vicksburg, and that a large +force of the besiegers had gone out to meet him. Whatever excitement the +rumor caused was allayed by the arrival of the northern mail. All the +time our artillery, now said to comprise 1,300 guns, kept thundering +away at Vicksburg. + +On the morning of the 29th my regiment was sent out to the Chickasaw +Bayou to get some big cannon. We found on arriving at the bayou four 32 +pound parrots on the opposite side, which we proceeded by means of ropes +to pull across on temporary pontoon bridges. Although we supplemented +the strength of the bridges with thick plank laid lengthwise, and pulled +the guns across on the run, still their immense weight broke almost +every plank in the bridges as we snaked them across. Had we allowed one +of them to stop a second midway on the bridge it would have crushed +through and gone to the bottom of the bayou. We got the guns onto the +firing line, as the darkeys would say, "just in the shank of the +evenin'." We supplied large detail each night for digging rifle pits for +the first few days, and then on alternate nights. Each tier of rifle +pits brought the contending forces closer together, so they could easily +converse with each other, and until prohibited by a general order, the +soldiers of the blue often met the gray between the lines and swapped +knives, buttons, papers and tobacco in a most cordial and friendly way. +One day by mutual verbal agreement the rebel company and union company +opposite each other in the rifle pits stacked arms and met in a good +social way. Pat, a union soldier was acting as guard of the stacks of +guns. All at once Pat laid down his gun, snatched up a spade and sent it +flying into the rebel rifle pits. "What are you throwing that spade for, +Pat?" said our Lieutenant. "Because," said Pat, "One of thim grayback +divils hit me with a clod." Night after night during the forty-two days +of that siege we furnished details to dig in the rifle pits, until our +lines of rifle pits got so close to the enemy's that the dirt we cast +out with our spades was mingled with that cast out of their pits. Many a +night when it was so dark the rebel sharpshooters could not discern me, +have I gone out between the lines and there perched on a stump, listened +to the remarks freely indulged in by both Yank and Johnnie. At that time +we were sapping and mining digging under their forts and blowing them +up. On the 28th of June we blew up a fort opposite McPherson's center to +the left of the Jackson road. The explosion threw down part of the fort +and threw up a good deal of the other half. A negro was lifted gently +from that fort by that explosion over into a line of rifle pits occupied +by our troops. The boys picked up the frightened darkey and some one +said, "Where did you come from?" "Dat fort over dar," he said. "Was a +good many blown up?" was asked him. "'Spec' dar was, massa," he said, "I +met a good many goin up w'en I was comin' down." One night I heard a +rebel from their pits say to our men, "Say, Yanks, what you'uns digging +that big ditch for?" referring to the sappers and miners zigzag ditch by +which they approached and blew up the rebel fort. A voice answering from +our pits said, "We intend to flood it and to run our gunboats up that +ditch and shell h--l out of your old town." One night a voice said, "Is +any of the boys of the 6th Missouri in the rifle pits over there?" +"There's lots of 'em," was the answer. "Is Tom Jones there?" "He is," +said our man, "Is that you Jim?" "Yes," came the answer, "and say Tom, +can't you meet me between the lines? I've got a roll of greenbacks and I +want to send them to the old folks in Missouri?" And so Yank Tom went +out and met Rebel Jim, his brother, got the greenbacks, and after a +brief visit returned safely to our picket quarters. + +And every night during the continuance of that long siege our numerous +mortar boats down on the Mississippi tossed their cargoes of bombshells +into the beleaguered city. When we watched them at night we first heard +the distant thunder of the discharged mortar, and soon after saw the +ponderous bomb mounting up into the sky, spinning out its fiery web +along its wild track from its first appearance until it stood still for +a second, then gracefully curved downward and dropped swiftly down, down +into the doomed city, then as you listened, after a breath came the +jarring report of its explosion. A detail of two men was made from my +company one day to work on a mortar boat, and assisted in the work of +firing the mortar. After charging the mortar they said all hands got +into a skiff and rowed away, where they awaited at a safe distance until +the gun was discharged by a time fuse or slow match, and then returned +to reload. One of our men so detailed thoughtlessly laid his coat down +in one corner of the mortar boat, where it lay all through the day, and +when he picked it up at night it was a mass of ribbons and shreds, +absolutely torn to pieces by the concussion of those fearful discharges. + +As the siege progresses all sorts of rumors get afloat in camp. One is +that the Vicksburg people are reduced to eating mule meat. I would have +kicked when it came to that. Also that Johnson was coming with 50,000 +men to raise the siege. But the rumors made no difference; our 1300 +cannon kept pounding away, and we dug rifle pits continually. + + [Illustration] + + + + + CHAPTER VI. + + THE CLOSING SCENES. + + +IT was stated that within a week after the investment of Vicksburg, its +garrison was reduced to 14-1/2 ounces of food for each man a day. And +the rebel commander declared he would hold the town until the last dog +was eaten. I guess Pemberton kept his word, for after their surrender I +don't remember of seeing a single dog in the city of Vicksburg. How the +tables were turned on poor Fido to be sure--that the biter should not +only be bitten but eaten. A lieutenant on the 6th Missouri who had been +taken a prisoner during the assault of the 19th, on June 5 was paroled +by the rebs and returned to us. He said the living over there when he +left was anything but invigorating; that good juicy mule cutlets were +eagerly sought for by the elite of the city and brought fabulous prices; +the tomcat-weinerwurst was a luxury there that was seldom enjoyed by the +best families; that the squad in which he was quartered while a prisoner +on the day before his parole had boiled victuals composed of a pair of +gumboots for meat, some croquet balls for potatoes and an old green +umbrella cover for greens; said he didn't enjoy those extra dishes at +all; and preferred just common fare only. We used to twit the Johnnies +with eating mule meat in some of our games of blackguard with them in +the rifle pits, but until the surrender we didn't know we had been +twitting upon facts. We had the advantage of the rebel garrison in many +ways because we were sheltered from the blistering heat of the sun by +the forest shade, and had plenty to eat and the cool springs in the +ravines furnished us an abundance of pure water, while the enemy was +wholly unsheltered in their defensive works, reduced to almost +starvation rations and a scarcity of good water. One day we captured a +Johnnie skulking down in the ravine with a dozen canteens over his +shoulder after water for himself and comrades. + +The prices of foodstuffs in Vicksburg before the end of that siege were +awful; flour was $1,000 a barrel; meal, $140 a bushel; beef, $250 a +pound, and everything else in proportion. It is a wonder that poor +people managed to eat at all. All the while the beleaguered garrison was +sustained in their hardships and privations by the belief that Johnson +would surely come to their relief, which belief was doomed to +disappointment and sadly misplaced. Though 'tis stated upon good +authority, that Johnson did finally march towards the Big Black and +actually dispatched a messenger to Pemberton on the night of July 3rd +notifying him that he was then ready to make a diversion to enable him +to cut his way out. Before the messenger got there Vicksburg had been +surrendered. The days of this long siege were kept from becoming +monotonous by a hundred and one duties we had to perform, and +innumerable exciting incidents that daily happened. All the time the +firing was continuous on our side, and almost so on the part of the +enemy. Every minute, almost, a tick-a-ka-tick of minie bullets was +registered by the twigs and leaves above and around us. Many of our boys +were killed or wounded in their bowers and beds by the stray bullets. +Referring to my journal, I find June 4, a man of the 6th Missouri shot +while lying in his bed; June 10, two of our men wounded at night in bed +by stray bullets; June 11, heavy picket firing, men continually getting +wounded in camp by stray bullets; June 13, a man of Company A shot in +rifle pits, died while bringing him into camp; June 14, three men +wounded in camp; June 15, today walking with my comrade, John Gubtail, +over the crest of a hill, suddenly fell prostrate at my feet. I thought +he was trying to act funny, but he got up in a few minutes and showed me +a bullet hole through his cap and a shallow furrow across his scalp +where the bullet had ploughed. The rebel sharpshooter had just missed +his target partially. We went down to lower ground then. + +One day Mrs. Hoge, of sanitary fame, and the mother of the colonel of my +regiment, came into our camp and after getting all the soldiers of my +regiment there not on duty, assembled for an audience, she made a +stirring speech. Among other things she said, "Before you left Chicago +we ladies presented your regiment with a flag, and your colonel when he +received that flag pledged himself that it should ever be defended, and +sustained with honor. What has become of that flag? I desire to see how +well you have kept that promise." The color sergeant brought it to her. +Said she, "There are suspicious looking holes and rents in this flag. +How is that?" "That flag," said the color bearer proudly, "has been many +times carried in the front when we went across the edge of battle, and +those marks were made by bullets and fragments of shell, and madam, two +men who carried it before me, fell with it in their hands, and both are +dead from the effects of their wounds." "Enough," said the old lady, +"You have redeemed your pledge, and I will tell the women of Chicago who +presented that flag to you, when I go back, how nobly your pledge has +been redeemed." Then she asked some of us who knew the song, to come +forward and sing with her "The Star Spangled Banner." I was one who with +others thus volunteered, and amid the thunder of artillery firing and +the click of minie bullets over our heads we sang that song with Mrs. +Hoge, as she held the flag in her arms. + +One day when we had our men out in the rifle pits at the extreme front +we saw a union flag lying in a slight ravine a little ways in front of +our rifle pits, which had been abandoned by some regiment in one of the +charges, and at the risk of his life one of our boys crawled out and +brought in the flag. It proved to be the regimental colors of the 4th +Virginia, and when we were relieved from duty we marched up to the +colonel's tent of the 4th Virginia and called him out, and I with a few +simple, and I thought well chosen remarks restored the lost colors of +his regiment to him and wound up by saying, "Take back your flag +colonel, and next time when you are in battle hang on to it." He took +the flag spitefully from me, turning very red in the face, said nothing +about setting up the cigars or drinks and without thanking us even, +vanished into the bowels of his tent. We boys were all mad, and if we +had known how he was going to act we would have left the flag out there +on the battlefield where they had abandoned it. I thought afterwards, +that perhaps my presentation speech wasn't just to his taste. + +On June 20th my regiment was changed in the line to the mouth of the +Yazoo river on the banks of the Chickasaw Bayou. We established our new +camp at that point, little thinking at the time what an unfortunate move +it was for us. In the formation of these new quarters my tent position +came down close to the waters of the stagnant bayou, and when I was +driving stakes for my new home, a great green headed alligator poked his +nozzle above the surface of the bayou waters and smiled at me. Upon +examination of the ground along the bayou shore, I discovered alligator +tracks where they had waltzed around under the beautiful light of the +moon upon a very recent occasion, so I built my bunk high enough to +enable me to roost out of reach of those hideous creatures at night. + +Though I had built high enough to escape the prowling alligators I had +not built high enough to get above the deadly malaria distilled by that +cantankerous bayou. We soon learned what a loss we had sustained in +exchanging the pure cold springs of the Walnut hills for the poisonous +waters of our new vicinity. At first the blue waters of the Yazoo fooled +us. It was as blue and clear as lake water, and we drank copiously of +it, but felt badly afterwards. We didn't know we were drinking poisoned +water until an old colored citizen one day warned us. Then we looked the +matter up, and found that the interpretation of the word Yazoo was "The +river of death," and that its beautiful blue waters were the drainings +of vast swamps and swails. We learned too late, however, for the safety +of our men, and lost in the next few weeks nearly half of our regiment +from malarial or swamp fevers. In the meantime Vicksburg was starving. + + [Illustration] + + + + + CHAPTER VII. + + SURRENDER OF VICKSBURG. + + +MEANWHILE the siege was prosecuted with vigor; no let up. Night and day +the steady pounding of the artillery went on, and the bomb shells sailed +up in flocks from the mortar fleet on the Mississippi. General Grant +daily watched and directed the work of his mighty army, and knew the +great fortress was surely crumbling. Often during those long hot days of +June, I saw General Grant, perhaps attended by one or two orderlies, +worming his quiet way through and along our trenches, carefully noting +all the operations of our forces. None but those who personally knew him +would have recognized in that stubby form, with its dusty blue blouse, +the great General whose mighty genius was running the whole job. Our +forces had erected in our lines a skeleton framed observatory, which +those properly authorized and who knew how to safely mount it often +ascended, and with their field glasses made observations of the enemy's +works. In order to keep the common soldiers and citizens from getting +shot by the enemy's sharpshooters, a guard was stationed at its base to +warn and compel people to keep down, but there was so little for this +guard to do that he got careless. One day in the midst of his +carelessness and inattention he happened to look up at the observatory, +and there at the very top stood a soldier. The guard was mad, and loudly +and profanely commanded the intruder to come down. He said, "What you +doing up there?" No answer. "You come down out of that, you fool; you'll +get shot." No answer. "If you don't come down, I'll shoot you myself." +Then the soldier slowly and deliberately descended to the ground, pretty +vigorously cursed by the guard and relegated to the fiery regions, as he +descended, and as the supposed trespasser when he reached the ground, +started away, a comrade said to the guard, "You've played thunder, I +must say." "What have I done?" said the other. "You've been cussing +General Grant black and blue." "You don't say," said the frightened +guard, "I didn't know it was him. I will apologize," and he ran after +and caught up with the General and said, "I hope you will pardon what I +said, General. I didn't know you." "All right, my boy," said Grant, "but +you must watch closely or some one will get shot there." + +When our division commander, Frank P. Blair, went along our lines, +unlike Grant, he was usually attended by his whole staff and an escort +of hundreds of cavalry, and the dust they kicked up enshrouded half of +Vicksburg. + +As soon as July 1st we began to hear rumors of preparations in progress +to assault the rebel works again on the 4th of July, if the place was +not sooner surrendered. There was no denying the fact, Joe Johnson had a +tremendous big force in our rear and might actually take a notion to +attack us, and the boys were getting tired of digging rifle pits. We had +all welcomed the rumor of another contemplated assault on the 4th, but +General Pemberton himself forestalled our calculations. Early on the 3rd +the rebels sent a white flag outside of their works and the rebel +General Bowen bore it to our lines. The news spread through our midst +like wild fire, and we had little doubt it had something to do with the +surrender of the post. The bearer of this flag of truce was the bearer +of a letter from Pemberton directed to General Grant, in which he +proposed the appointment of three commissioners by him to meet a like +number from Grant to arrange terms for the capitulation of Vicksburg. + +General Grant wrote an answer to Pemberton, in which he offered to meet +him between the lines to arrange such terms, but declined the +appointment of commissioners as Pemberton proposed. We, who occupied our +advance rifle pits, climbed up on the edges and while we dangled our +feet down in the holes sat up straight and looked the Johnnies square in +their faces as they popped up above their works. It all looked and +seemed so funny to see the widespread resurrection of both Yanks and +rebs. In many places the opposing lines of pits were so close together +that conversation was carried on between us and the foemen during the +armistice. An old grizzly reb straightened up out of a nearby pit. He +sported long, gray Billy goat whiskers and his shaggy eyebrows looked +like patches of hedge rows. Just opposite him on our side another old +graybeard stood up in his pit and the two old warriors surveyed each +other for several minutes; then old Johnnie said, "Hello, you over +thar!" "Hello yourself," said old Yank. "Is that your hole your stan'nen +in over thar?" said Johnnie. "I reckon," said Yank. "Wal, don't you know +Mister, I've had some tarned good shots at you?" "I reckon," said Yank, +"but s'pose ye hain't noticed no lead slung over thar nor nothin'?" +"Yes," said Johnnie, "you spattered some dirt in my eyes now 'n' then." +"So'd you mine," said Yank. And in that strain those two old veterans +talked and laughed from their respective roosts as though trying to +shoot each other was the funniest thing in the world. About 3 o'clock +that afternoon we saw some Union officers go out of our lines and part +way over to the rebel works sit down under a tree on the grass. + +We afterwards learned those men were Grant, Rowlins, Logan, McPherson +and A. J. Smith. A short time afterwards some men in gray uniform came +out of the rebel works and met our men under the tree. Those men were +Pemberton, Bowen and a staff officer, we also learned afterward. I was +so far from them that I could not discern their features and could +hardly tell their uniforms, but I watched as did thousands of our men +with intense interest that long parleying, under that distant tree, +until the conference broke up and the parties returned to their +respective commands. That night we knew the city had virtually +capitulated and only awaited the settlement of terms. + +On the 4th of July at 10 o'clock a. m. the Confederate forces marched +out in front of their works, stacked their arms, hung upon them all +accouterments and laid their faded flags on top of all. It was one of +the saddest sights I ever beheld, and I can honestly say I pitied those +brave men from the bottom of my heart. Our brave fellows, though, never +uttered a shout of exultation during the whole ceremony of surrender. We +marched into the city afterwards that day, raised the flag upon the +court house and gave ourselves a general airing in Vicksburg. As our +forces marched through the town the rebel women scowled, made faces and +spit at us, but we survived it all and kept good natured. One fat old +colored woman was just jumping up and down for joy, and she cried out as +we marched by, "Heah day come. Heah day is. Jes' you look at 'em, none +your little yaller faced sickly fellers, but full grown men, wid blood +in 'em," etc., etc. I saw many Union men and Confederates walking and +conversing together, but the rebel officers generally held aloof and +acted as though they were miffed at something. + +There were surrendered in men that day 15 generals, 31,000 soldiers, 172 +cannon. + +After the surrender I went over their works and fields. I saw the great +holes in the ground where our bomb shells had exploded, big enough to +contain a two-story building. I saw caves in the hillsides where people +had lived during the siege. I saw the ground in places so littered with +shot and unexploded shells from our batteries that it was difficult to +walk without stepping on them. I saw the trees, many of them, actually +girdled by our shot. I picked up one little shell and thought I would +take it home with me as a relic. It looked like a mammoth butterfly egg, +but it was heavy and had a sinister complexion. Many of our men were +injured by those shells, in picking them up and dropping them carelessly +onto their percussion points, and so I improved the opportunity one day +to give mine to a relic hunter. After the surrender my regiment was +moved from the mouth of the Yazoo up onto the Vicksburg hill, but we +failed to recover our health. Our men were dying daily, and finally we +were ordered to Corinth, Mississippi July 29th, and embarked on +transport "Silver Wave" for our new destination, the well men in the +regiment not being sufficient and able to care for the sick. + + + THE END. + + [Illustration] + + + + + Transcriber Notes: + +Throughout the dialogues, there were words used to mimic accents of the +speakers. Those words were retained as-is. + +Errors in punctuations and inconsistent hyphenation were not corrected +unless otherwise noted. + +On page 4, "ond" was replaced with "and". + +On page 4, "smille" was replaced with "smile". + +On page 4, "Governer" was replaced with "Governor". + +On page 6, "partiotic" was replaced with "patriotic". + +On page 7, "departue" was replaced with "departure". + +On page 7, "and and" was replaced with "and". + +On page 8, "threshhold" was replaced with "threshold". + +On page 8, "winodw" was replaced with "window". + +On page 10, "had" was replaced with "hand". + +On page 11, "over wrought" was replaced with "overwrought". + +On page 13, "depresstd" was replaced with "depressed". + +On page 15, "wierd" was replaced with "weird". + +On page 17, quotation mark was added before "Better'n I 'spected". + +On page 18, "wierd" was replaced with "weird". + +On page 19, a closing quotation mark was added after "they called,". + +On page 19, "of a of a" was replaced with "of a". + +On page 27, a period was added after "MAY 19". + +On page 30, a quotation mark was added before "Damn your bit". + +On page 33, "windrow" was replaced with "window". + +On page 36, a quotation mark was added after "With pleasure, madam,". + +On page 36, "road" was replaced with "rode". + +On page 37, "centtury" was replaced with "century". + +On page 46, a period was added after "RIFLE PITS". + +On page 48, "putrifaction" was replaced with "putrefaction". + +On page 49, "parrotts" was replaced with "parrots". + +On page 50, a quotation mark was added after "of your old town.". + +On page 53, a period was added after "THE CLOSING SCENES". + +On page 54, "watter" was replaced with "water". + +On page 60, a question mark was added after "What you doing up there". + +On page 60, a question mark was added before "What have I done?". + +On page 60, "dont" was replaced with "don't". + +On page 60, a comma and a question mark was added after "I will +apologize". + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of War Experiences and the Story of the +Vicksburg campaign from "Milliken's Bend" to July 4, 1863, by John Jackson Kellogg + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 40233 *** |