THE SIEGE OF VICKSBURG--THE ASSAULT--LOGAN'S HEADQUARTERS--THE
"BULL-PEN"--"BOYCE'S BATTERY"--SCOUTING--THE MINE--THE SURRENDER--
PHELP'S APPROPRIATES GENERAL BUCKNER'S CAPITULATION PAPERS--
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE VICTORY--CREDIT DUE TO GRANT.
"How we marched together, sound or sick,
Sank in the trench o'er the heavy spade--
How we charged on the guns, at double-quick,
Kept rank for Death to choose and pick--
And lay on the bed no fair hands made."
Upon the nineteenth of May Vicksburg was practically invested. Haines
Bluff was evacuated and the rebel garrison had entered Vicksburg,
thereby opening to our army the possibility of a base of supplies and
direct communication with the North. There was much severe fighting
during the day, including an assault upon the southern portion of the
works, which was repulsed. All of this resulted in giving us better
positions and enabled us to determine those of the enemy. By the 22nd,
we had succeeded in opening up communication with the North by way of
the Yazoo River and in obtaining supplies. Hard-tack and coffee were
particularly welcomed. This greatly increased the confidence and
enthusiasm of the men and on the same day a grand charge was made. The
slaughter on our side was appalling. The enemy was strongly entrenched
and our troops were compelled to fall back and to build temporary
breast-works. Logan moved his quarters up to the firing-line within
about forty rods from what was known to us as Fort Hill,[2] a high
point near the middle of the line of the fortifications. His adjutant's
quarters were nearly a mile in the rear, so that the shots from the
enemy's guns passed over his headquarters and fell within a radius of
about forty rods from those in the rear. His adjutant, Major Towne,
owing to a prejudice against minnie balls, was disinclined to get
closer. Our company, being the escort, was ordered to camp about ten
rods south of headquarters. There was a swale between the two positions
which grew wider and higher towards the east, and from the crest there
was a plain view of Fort Hill. About that time large numbers of men had
been recruited by the different regiments as substitutes for skulkers
and "bounty jumpers." The natural diffidence of these men had a
tendency to keep them away from the front. Many were found by our
rear-guard five miles back hidden in negro quarters and cane-brakes.
About two hundred were brought to General Logan, who located them upon
a hill back of his headquarters and placed a strong guard around them.
This enclosure was called the "Bull-Pen." When there was a heavy
cannonade, the spent shells and minnie-balls would fall there. These
reached our company also and made it quite unpleasant, but the fellows
upon the hill were kept busy inventing and practicing new dodging
methods.
[2] It appears that this name was improperly applied by our men
and should not be mistaken for the real Fort Hill which is on the
river bluff about two miles north of Vicksburg. The name applies
to an old fort built by the Spaniards as a defence against the
Indians.
There were several clowns in our company, the chief of whom was Ben
Boyce, a brother of Caleb Boyce, at that time a well known Rochelle
merchant. Boyce constructed a formidable battery of two guns made from
stalks of sugar-cane, wound with marline and mounted upon small trucks.
His gun crew was usually composed of four men. They had a pole about
fifteen feet long upon which was tied an old shirt which served as a
guidon. Ben wore a paper cap two feet high and carried a field-glass
six feet long made from cane. With this instrument he would mount a
bale of hay and with all hands at the guns, was ready for action. When
the "camp-kettles" from the enemy's mortars commenced to drop, Ben
would issue his commands with the gravity of a general and they were
followed with a fidelity and heroism equal to any shown upon other
parts of the field. His guns were phenomenal. They required only about
half the charge used for a Sharp's carbine, but their effectiveness
exceeded that of the largest ordnance, for they frequently dismounted
the enemy's cannon at Fort Hill and sometimes silenced all his
batteries. Ben's battery men were usually Jim Bowers, Martin Klock and
Henderson Gordonier. Grand Townsend was one of the invincibles and
sometimes volunteers were called upon to lead a forlorn hope. This
by-play formed an amusing recreation and frequently served to divert
our minds from the more serious and grewsome happenings around us. The
fun was by no means devoid of danger but that only served to give zest
to its enjoyment.
After the terrific assault and repulse of May 22nd, it became manifest
that Vicksburg could not be captured except by a prolonged siege.
Pemberton had previously disobeyed the order of Johnson, his superior
in command, to evacuate, giving as his reason that he regarded the
place as "the most important point in the Confederacy." Johnson was in
our rear and Pemberton had reason to believe that the latter would be
re-enforced and would exhaust every effort to raise the siege. Under
these conditions, it was clear that Pemberton intended to hold the
place at any cost.
It was essential that Johnson should be watched; and our company, under
command of Lieutenant W. B. Cummins, a section of a battery, the 21st
Illinois, Grant's old regiment and some other troops, including the 2nd
Iowa Cavalry, was ordered out for this purpose under the command of
Colonel Johnson. Our course led past Haines' Bluff, up the Yazoo River
to Mechanicsburg and thence along the Black River. A Confederate force
was met near Mechanicsburg which was charged and driven off by the
Second Iowa Cavalry. We continued our advance north and east and again
met them in the evening, when an engagement ensued. The action had
barely commenced when the enemy began to run. The fear of our foe
seemed to have a reflex action upon our commander who ordered a retreat
to Haines' Buff, about forty miles distant.
We returned to Vicksburg, where we were stationed at Logan's hind
quarters. During this time I acted as orderly for Dr. Trowbridge who
was acting Division Surgeon in the absence of Dr. Goodleak who was sick
at the time.
The method employed by our men in planting the mine under Fort Hill was
interesting and involved some features which I have not seen in print.
It was known to but few outside of Logan's Division. Captain
Tressiline, Logan's engineer, known as the "Wild Irishman," planned the
work. It was executed with the help of the pioneer corps and infantry
detailed for the purpose. The work was commenced at the top of a hill
northeast of Fort Hill and was complicated by an intervening sag which
had to be taken into account. A platform of heavy timbers about twelve
feet wide and sixteen feet long, was built and supported upon strong
wheels. Upon the platform was mounted two large wooden guns which were
painted black and varnished, each having what appeared to be a ten inch
bore. This formidable engine of war, suggestive of the famous
wooden-horse at the siege of Troy, was moved ahead of the workmen and
served to shield them and their work from the enemy. As the machine was
advanced, a trench was dug behind it, ceiled by timbers and covered
with the excavated material. When the sag was reached the Rebels could
not get their cannon to bear upon the moving structure from any point
and small arms were useless. There was a moat at the base of the fort,
and when our men reached the sag they tunneled beneath it to plant the
mine. This moat proved a boon to us, for it necessitated the running of
the tunnel at so low a level that the enemy in counter-mining, missed
it. There was lively work at this place. The enemy, being above us, had
a great advantage. They not only threw hand-grenades, but rolled
heavier explosives over the ramparts. All our men had to send in return
was twenty-four pound shells and these had to be thrown by hand. When
the fuse chanced to be a little too long, the enemy would cut or pull
it out. This was hazardous work and not always successful. Sometimes
the fuse was too short. Captain Hotaling had an experience with one of
these which exploded prematurely. A piece of it struck him a glancing
blow in the breast and he lay, apparently dead, for over two hours.
A few days before the surrender, the mine, containing three hundred
kegs of powder, was exploded. The explosion was to be the signal for
the grand charge; and in order that all might be ready for it, Grant
had previously caused the watches of all the commanding officers to be
set by his. The eruption was terrific and blew the top off the hill,
but the enemy had anticipated the result by building a second line of
works immediately within the other and the breach was not sufficient to
permit the passage of enough men to carry them. Our men were unable to
hold the positions taken along the line and at night fell back to those
formerly occupied. An armistice was declared and the dead were buried
where they fell.
A negro in Fort Hill was blown into our lines more frightened than
hurt. Grant quotes him as saying, when asked how high he went up:
"Dunno, Massa, but 'tink 'bout 'tree mile." The negro remained in
service at Logan's quarters and was ultimately sent by him to the then
famous showman, P. T. Barnum, for exhibition.
During an armistice upon July 3rd, papers of capitulation were signed
by Grant and Pemberton, by which it was agreed that the surrender
should take place at ten o'clock upon the following day. Logan's
command, being at the center, was among the first of our troops to
enter the fort. Our company, as escort for Logan, reported at his
headquarters, where we waited for General Grant, his staff and escort
to take the advance. Then followed General McPherson, our Corps
commander, with staff and escort and General Logan, with staff and
escort brought up the rear. We passed into the fortifications and
marched directly to the court-house, where General Logan, who was
assigned as Post Commander, established a temporary office.
The plight of the Confederates as we marched in appealed to our
tenderest sympathies. They were a sorry looking lot. The rank and file
were as simple minded as their condition was pathetic. It was one of
the provisions of the surrender that the men were to be paroled. The
word "parole" was apparently construed by many to mean a reward; for we
were frequently asked how soon the "pay-roll" would be ready for them.
Some asked: "What are you'ns goin' to do now? We'ns is mighty hungry.
Our mules is most all dead and et up."
The Confederate Guard at the Court House had some mule ham and black
peas for dinner. This was tasted by some of our boys but they were not
enthusiastic in their approval of it, owing, probably to conventional
prejudice.
Permission was given us to ride around the town to satisfy our
curiosity. Most of the inhabitants were living in caves dug in the clay
banks. Many of these were divided into a number of rooms and well
furnished.
About four o'clock, as I was going from the Washington Hotel to the
Court House, I passed a residence which was swarming with Confederate
officers and ladies. There were two vacant lots adjoining in which the
officers' horses were tied. Among them was a fine, well bred black
horse that took my fancy. Upon him was an elegant English cavalry
saddle upon which was strapped a tin telescoping-tube about three
inches in diameter and sixteen inches long, such as was used for
carrying official papers. It shone in the sun like silver. The horse
was the embodiment of beauty and I might have taken him but did not. I
rode to the Court House in search of a comrade to accompany me to camp.
I had been there but a short time when Henry Phelps of our company
appeared riding the horse I had just been admiring. The tin-tube was
still upon the saddle. I asked if he was going to camp and he replied,
"Yes, come on." His newly found horse proved to be a fast pacer and he
rode him at such a speed that I was obliged to put mine upon the run in
order to keep up with him. I said: "Hank, what is the use of riding so
fast?" He replied: "Some one may want this horse." So we kept up the
speed until we reached our lines. That evening I noticed Phelps and Lon
Casler examining some papers but paid little attention to it and did
not know what they were.
The next morning our company moved into Vicksburg and went into camp.
Upon our arrival Phelps was called before Logan who said:
"Phelps, you got a horse yesterday when you were here, didn't you?"
"Yes, sir."
"And what was on him?"
"A saddle and tin case with some papers in it."
"Was that all?"
"Yes, sir."
"And you got all that money, fourteen thousand dollars in greenbacks?"
"No sir, I did not find any money."
The general then turned to a Confederate officer who was present, and
said:
"Did you say the money was in the tin case?"
"Yes, sir."
Turning again to Phelps, he said:
"Well Phelps, what was the nature of the papers you got?"
"They were the capitulation papers of the surrender of Vicksburg,
signed by Generals Grant and Pemberton."
"You must produce them at once."
Phelps went out, returned with the case and handed it to General Logan
who opened it and removed the papers. He found, upon rolling them
closely, that they fitted the case and completely filled it. Turning to
the officer he told him that he must have been mistaken about where he
put the money. Logan then ordered Phelps to produce the horse and
saddle, which he did and was then dismissed.
To us, who had fought and striven at the front, it was difficult to
realize that Vicksburg had fallen or to conceive the significance of
its fall. The coveted position for which we had so long fought and
endured, was again an integral part of the Federal Union with all that
that fact implied. The heroism, bravery and fortitude of the men who
fought and won can never be too strongly commended; but all this would
have gone for naught without the commanding genius, the prescience, the
broad grasp of military situations and the superb poise and indomitable
will of the one regal mind by which it was inspired and directed.
General Grant in this campaign executed one of the most daring and
brilliant movements known to military history. In opposition to the
most revered precedents of military science as well as to the judgment
of his foremost general, he deliberately moved his army into an enemy's
country beyond a great river, between two strongly fortified positions
held by the enemy, severed that army from its base of supplies, placed
it between opposing forces outnumbering it two to one, fought them in
detail, laid siege to the larger one behind fortifications of almost
unprecedented extent and strength, while still warding off the other,
fought his way back into communication with his original base and
brought the siege to a successful issue. It was the most Napoleonic
campaign of the war and the most decisive and far reaching in its
direct results and final significance. It secured to us "the most
important point in the Confederacy." It insured the segregation of all
the Confederate forces west of the Mississippi and the freeing of our
western army for the capture of Mobile, Atlanta and Chattanooga. In
short, considering all things, it was, of all our victories, the
boldest, the greatest, the most audacious and the most prophetic,--the
most prophetic, because it foretold the doom of Richmond.
[Illustration: JAMES BOWERS]