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a number of prisoners, and forcing the enemy, through his fears, to mass his forces to stop my progress.
Another rumor charges me with the responsibility of the loss sustained by the other army corps.
And wherefore, do you imagine?
Simply, because I urged that other parts of the line should continue the attack as well as mine, or that I should he reenforced--one or the other.
In asking the former, I but asked what General Grant had expressly and peremptorily ordered.
The fault, therefore, if any, was not with me. In asking, alternatively, the latter, I only asked what, in massing our forces on a single amid shaking point, would have materially conduced to the success of the attack.
Perhaps our endeavors would have been crowned with success if the latter plan of attack had been originally adopted.
In short, it was but fair for all to cooperate under an order from a common superior, alike binding on all, for the attainment of a common object.
And if loss was sustained by others, it was also sustained by me, probably in still greater proportion; but not as a consequence of any thing that I said or did, but as a consequence of the order alluded to, and the effort to carry it into successful effect.
Coming as it did, from competent authority, it is not my province, nor is this the proper occasion to impugn that order.
Without intending injustice to any one, I may be permitted to say that my corps led the advance from Milliken's Bend to Bruin's Landing, and to the field at Port Gibson.
At the latter place it was the first to attack the enemy and break his force.
This battle was determinate of all our following successes.
Pursuing the enemy next day, it captured the town of Port Gibson, and drove the enemy from the north bank of Bayou Pierre; thence marching toward Edward's Station, on the Vicksburgh and Jackson Railroad, it encountered and drove back the enemy from one of the crossings of Fourteen Mile Creek, on the same day that General Sherman drove him back from the crossing at Turkey Creek, and McPherson beat him near Raymond.
Soon after it led the advance to Bolton on the railroad, and again against the enemy at Champion Hill, first attacking him and achieving a signal victory, with the assistance of McPherson's corps.
That my corps bore the brunt here is attested by the conspicuous part borne by General Hovey, and the greater loss sustained by his division.
Rapidly pursuing the routed enemy, we captured many prisoners, together with Edwards's Station, and all of the enemy's stores there, during the evening and night of the same day. By eight o'clock the next morning we overtook the enemy in considerable force on the Big Black River, and immediately engaged him, drove him from his skilfully constructed works at the point of the bayonet, taking many prisoners and eighteen pieces of cannon.
Thence we marched upon Vicksburgh, and have done what has already been recounted.
The odds were now largely against me, yet for some eight hours I held my ground, baffling every attempt to dislodge me, and in the mean time repeatedly asked for a diversion of the enemy on my right, or to be reenforced.
Reenforcements finally came up, but too late; night cut short the engagement.
With timely reenforcements, I doubt not, what a number of my officers affirmed, that we could have gone through the enemy's works.
Indeed, I have learned since that the enemy was about to yield.
With what justice it has been imputed to us that we have brought up the rear, you will decide.
Others, doubtless, have done their duty as well — it may be, better than we. It is foreign to my purpose to complain of any one, to make invidious comparisons; but let justice be done.
If need be, let there be an investigation by competent authority of the whole campaign, in all its parts and policy, and in regard to all its officials, from Milliken's Bend to this place, and tile truth declared.
Your obedient servant,
Indianapolis Journal account.
camp in rear of Vicksburgh.
On Friday, the twenty-second, while accompanying General Smith's aid, I again had an opportunity of witnessing some of the operations.
Brilliantly streamed the sunlight on that May morning over the fort-crowned hills around Vicksburgh.
Traces of serious thought were upon the countenances of the men, for they well knew that to many that gladdening sunlight was, their last.
The order was to open with all our guns, and at ten o'clock to charge.
From the hills where the siege-guns were planted, manned by the First regulars, the wreathing smoke of our batteries in active operation, could be seen around the whole line, while to the car, came the sudden roar of the gunboats on the river.
The rebel hospital and court-house were in sight, but for miles along their rifle-pits and forts, not a man was visible.
About four hundred yards in front of their works, was a ridge, on the top of which the rebels had burnt a house.
Three pieces of the First Indiana battery were in the rear of the chimney, land two of Blunt's cannon were in the road, to the left of which Generals Carr and Smith made their headquarters.
Between ten and eleven o'clock, the rattle of musketry and a shower of bullets announced that Benton's brigade was advancing.
General Carr, followed by his staff, rode up to the ravine from the railroad, stopping just below the crest of the hill, and sat like a statue while around him passed the hissing hail of lead.
Lawler's brigade, on the left, advanced nearly to the works, and while Osterhaus's division was falling back, Landrum's brigade rushed down the hill through the ravine and commenced ascending the hill on which that fort was situated, amid the concentrated fire of a half-dozen forts.
The Twenty-second Iowa had planted their flag on the outer edge.
Some of the Pioneer corps, with picks, were trying to dig into the works.
A 