62 



AEMY OPERATIONS. 



the water batteries being more on a level with them 

 than usual, the gunboats threw in their shells so fast 

 that the aim of the enemy was not very good. The 

 enemy hit our vessels a number of times, but, fight- 

 ing bow on, they did but little damage. Not a man 

 was killed, and only a few wounded. I had only 

 ammunition enough for a few minutes longer, and 

 set all hands to work to fill up from our depot be- 

 low. 



After dropping back I found that the enemy had 

 taken possession again of one of the lower hill bat- 

 teries, and was eno!eavoring to remount his guns, and 

 had mounted a 12-pounder field piece to fire at Gen- 

 eral McArthur's troops, which had landed a short 

 time before at Warrentpn. I sent the Mound City 

 and the Carondelet to drive him off, which they did in 

 a few moments. 



I beg leave to enclose a letter from Gen. McAr- 

 thur, explaining why he did not, to use his own expres- 

 sion, take advantage of the result gained by the gun- 

 boats. 



I have since learned through General Grant, that 

 the army did assault at the right time vigorously. In 

 the noise and smoke we could not hear or see it. The 

 gunboats were, therefore, still fighting when the as- 

 sault had proved unsuccessful. The army had terri- 

 ble work oefore them, and are fighting as well as 

 soldiers ever fought before, but the works are stron- 

 ger than any of us dreamed of. Gen. Grant and his 

 soldiers are confident that the brave and energetic 

 generals in the army will soon overcome all obstacles 

 and carry the works. 



(Signed) DAVID D. PORTER, 



Acting Rear- Admiral, Com. Miss. Squadron. 



Hon. G. WELLES, Secretary of the Navy. 



Gen. Grant now determined upon a regular 

 siege of Vicksburg, and immediately began to 

 mine the lines. The orders given to the ene- 

 my, by Gen. Pemberton, forbade the waste of 

 ammunition, and thus Gen. Grant was able to 

 commence throwing up works and erecting 

 forts within a short distance of the opposing 

 line of breastworks. The firing upon the town 

 was made only during the day, until the 26th 

 of May, after which it was continued day and 

 night. The mortars on the peninsula opposite 

 Vicksburg opened fire on the 25th, and con- 

 tinued it until the surrender. It was estimated 

 at Vicksburg that as many as 6,000 mortar 

 shells were thrown into the town every twen- 

 ty-four hours, and on the line in the rear of 

 the city, as many as 4,000 in the same time. 

 Of the women and children remaining in the 

 city, throe were killed and twelve wounded 

 during the siege. During about five days af- 

 ter the siege commenced, the troops in the 

 city were allowed full rations. At the expira- 

 tion of that time, they were gradually reduced 

 to the following amount : four ounces of flour, 

 four ounces of bacon, one and a half ounce of 

 rice, two ounces of peas, not eatable, and three 

 ounces of sugar, making a total of fourteen 

 and a half ounces of food daily. The extent 

 Of the works, and the limited number of the 

 Confederate troops, required every man to de- 

 fend their lines, and no time was allowed to 

 rest. Whole companies laid back of their 

 breastworks for three weeks without leaving 

 the line for a moment. The sharpshooters of 

 Gen. Grant's army were regarded by the ene- 

 my as splendid shots, and after the first few 

 days of the siege it was dangerous for any one 



of the enemy to look over their breastworks. 

 In one instance, a hat placed on a stick, and held 

 above a port for* two minutes, was pierced by 

 fifteen balls. The sharpshooters of the enemy 

 were no less expert. The garrison was buoyed 

 up with the hope of relief by an attack upon 

 the rear of Gen. Grant's army by Gen. John- 

 ston, who was gathering troops in Mississippi. 



Meantime every effort was made to strength- 

 en the force under the command of Gen. Grant. 

 He had already ordered a division under Gen. 

 Lanman and four regiments at Memphis to 

 join him. He now brought forward the divis- 

 ions of Gens. Smith and Kimball, of the six- 

 teenth army corps, and placed them under the 

 command of Maj.-Gen. 0. 0. "Washburn. On 

 the llth of June, Maj.-Gen. F. J. Herron's 

 division, from the department of Missouri, ar- 

 rived, and on the 14th, two divisions of the 

 ninth army corps, Maj.-Gen. J. G. Parke com- 

 manding, reached Vicksburg. These two di- 

 visions were a part of the forces of Gen. 

 Burnside, commanding in the Department of 

 Ohio. This increase of the forces of Gen. 

 Grant enabled him to make the investment of 

 Vicksburg more complete, and at the same 

 tune left him a large reserve with which to 

 watch the movements of Gen. Johnston. 



These reinforcements were arranged by pla- 

 cing Gen. Herron's division on the extreme left, 

 south of the city. Gen. Lanman's division was 

 placed between Gens. Herron and McClernand. 

 Gen. Smith's and Gen. Kimball's divisions and 

 the force under Gen. Parke were sent to Haines's 

 Bluff. This place was now fortified on the 

 land side, and every preparation made to resist 

 a heavy force. About the 25th of June, Gen. 

 Johnston crossed the Big Black river with a 

 portion of his force, and everything indicated 

 that he would make an attack. The position 

 of Gen. Grant before Vicksburg having been 

 made as strong against a sortie of the enemy 

 as their works were against an assault, he 

 placed Gen. Sherman in command of all the 

 troops designated to look after Gen. Johnston. 

 The force so designated, in addition to that 

 at Haines's Bluff, was one division from the thir- 

 teenth, fifteenth, and seventeenth army corps 

 each, and Gen. Lanman's division. As Gen. 

 Johnston did not make the attack at the time it 

 was expected, Gen. Grant determined to attack 

 him as soon as Vicksburg was taken. He ac- 

 cordingly notified Gen. Sherman that another 

 assault on Vicksburg would be made at day- 

 light on the 6th of July, and ordered him to 

 have up supplies of all descriptions, and to be 

 ready to move upon the receipt of further or- 

 ders, if the assault should prove successful. 

 Gen. Sherman made his prepar^ions immedi- 

 ately, and was ready to move earlier than the 

 time appointed. 



On the 6th of June an attack was made on 

 Milliken's Bend, in which the enemy were re- 

 pulsed. The Union loss was 101 killed, 285 

 wounded, and 266 missing. Gen. Halleck, in 

 his report, says: "It is represented that the 



