60 



AKMY OPEKATIONS. 



with fine effect, compelling the enemy to shift 

 their hatteries several times. At the same time 

 the enemy endeavored to throw forward a body 

 of sharpshooters, but were prevented by the 

 fire of our men from so doing. The artillery 

 duel and sharpshooting continued for about 

 three hours, when Gen. Pemberton rode up 

 and ordered our men to cease firing, as he de- 

 sired no artillery duels. In obedience to the 

 order, our men ceased firing, and the result was 

 that next morning, the enemy, emboldened by 

 our silence, approached one hundred yards 

 nearer than they were the day before, without 

 any opposition. On Tuesday the enemy made 

 their first assault on the line of works held by 

 Brig.-Gen. Shoup's brigade of Louisianians. 

 They marched up in one solid column, our men 

 withholding their fire until the enemy had ap- 

 proached within thirty yards of the lines, when 

 they opened a terrific volley of musketry. The 

 enemy wavered a moment, and then marched 

 forward. They were again met by another 

 volley, when they broke and fled under cover 

 of the hills. This was the only attempt made 

 on that day to force our lines, and the attempt 

 was evidently made more with the intention 

 of ' feeling ' our lines than with any serious 

 idea of storming them." 



By the 21st, the arrangements of Gen. Grant 

 for drawing supplies of every description were 

 completed, and he determined to make another 

 effort to carry Vicksburg by assault. His rea- 



sons for this are thus stated : "I believed an 

 assault from the position gained by this time 

 could be made successfully. It was known that 

 Johnston was at Canton with the force taken by 

 him from Jackson, reenforced by other troops 

 from the east, and that more were daily reach- 

 ing him. With the force I had, a short tune 

 must have enabled him to attack me in the 

 rear, and possibly to succeed in raising the siege. 

 Possession of Vicksburg at that time would 

 have enabled me to turn upon Johnston and 

 drive him from the State, and possess myself 

 of all the railroads and practical military high- 

 ways, thus effectually securing to ourselves all 

 territory west of the Tombigbee, and this be-, 

 fore the season was too far advanced for cam- 

 paigning in this latitude. It would have saved 

 Government sending large reenforcements much 

 needed elsewhere ; and, finally, the troops 

 themselves were impatient to possess Vicks- 

 burg, and would not have worked in the 

 trenches with the same zeal, believing it un- 

 necessary, that they did after their failure to 

 carry the enemy's works." 



Accordingly, orders were issued on the 21st 

 for a general assault on the whole line, to com- 

 mence at 10 A. M. on the next day. This as- 

 sault is thus described by Gen. Grant : " All 

 the corps commanders set their time by mine, 

 that there should be no difference between 

 them in the movement of assault. Promptly at 

 the hour designated, the three army corps then 



