Friday, June 18, 2010

Sunday [June] 21 [1863]

Not a mortar shell sent by the
enemy during the day -- the
first instance that we
haven't been mortified -- as
M - puns - in that period
since the siege.

Desultory firing kept up on
the lines -- no material result.
Enemy has dis-continued work
in sap on Graveyard road
for last two days.

Council of war held on the
subject of the dispatches
last night received.

Saturday [June] 20 [1863]

Most terrific bombardment we
have yet sustained commenced
at daylight, from nearly their
whole line, and continued
without cessation for three
hours and a half -- Mortars
and a columbiad kept up
also an uninterrupted fire
from the peninsula -- The effect
on us not very severe though
many of the shells from the
lines came into the city.
This furor was very probably
intended as a prelude to
an assault, which we were
expecting on our lines for
some hours; but they did
not attempt it and the
natural conclusion is that they
were unable to get their men
up, after the heavy losses they
sustained in the charges of the 22nd
ulto.

At night two couriers arrive,
in about three hours of each
other, from Genl Johnston --
they bring cipher dispatches,
which being very important
are sub rosa

Friday [June] 19 [1863]

Many complain of fatigue &
impatience at the siege being
protracted to such length and
Genl Johnston not moving
to our relief; but as I regard
his not having yet moved
towards us as no evidence
that he will not do so, but
rather as an assurance that
he is endeavoring to render the
attainment of his object sure, and
turning every stone for that
purpose, before essaying the
accomplishment of the huge
task that lies before him, I
am not a whit depressed
at the seeming delay, nor fear-
ful that he will abandon the
attempt for our relief; but
more hopeful for the issue
as his tarrying evinces greater
preparation for the work to
be accomplished -- Few I think
realize what difficulties Genl
J. must overcome in order
to come to our assistance --
he will first have to meet an
army probably trebly his
own in the open field with
chosen position -- overcome
this and drive the enemy
to his entrenchments (who
has beyond a doubt now a
line of contravallation) --
then storm their works, which
we may rely upon as being
very strong, and put to
complete rout the host
threatening it, before Vicksburg
can be again considered out
of the clutches of the foe-

But apart from
this consideration of the prob-
able cause of Genl Johnston's
delay, I am not impatient
of the time we are thus
passing in our beleaguered
city -- we are going through
one of the most interesting
passages in a man's life,
and paying not-at-all
dearly for an experience
which is common to the
fortunes of few -- one which
many of us, I doubt not,
will hereafter often revert
to with pleasure and grate-
ful recollection.

Thursday [June] 18 [1863]

The enemy has placed in
battery two parrot guns on
peninsula just opposite the
city, and with them annoys
us a good deal, having range
raking the streets; and is so
well protected by the levee
that we have been as yet
unable to silence him with
our heavy guns. the mor-
tars have fired compara-
tively few shots in the
last two or three days.

At night had a con-
siderable picket fight in
front of Cummings -- the
enemy brings in two reg-
iments and a section of
artillery, but we are suc-
cessful, and keep the line
contended for.

Brigadier General Alfred Cumming

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Wednesday [June] 17 [1863]

Thirty one days since the com-
mencement of the siege, and not
relieved yet. Should we not be
succored before we have to surren-
der for want of subsistence I
think the onus of the blame for
the loss of this stronghold -- so vastly
important to the confed-
eracy -- should rest with the
administration or Genl Johnston;
for surely if ever garrison be-
haved well and nobly under
trying circumstances, and
endured fatigue and hard-
ships on reduced rations with-
out murmuring, these soldiers
have; and really deserve the
highest praise for the man-
ner in which they have ac-
cepted and complied with the
necessity of remaining con-
tinually in the trenches for
thirty one days consecutively --
receiving the incessant fire of
artillery and sharpshooters from
the enemy, and laboring to
repair the damage done their
works. The length of time that
our men have had to undergo
this continual strain upon
their powers of endurance, with
the prospect of having to con-
tinue to bear it for some time
longer, is I think without a
precedent in the annals of
war, when we take into con-
sideration -- the relative forces
of the enemy that beleaguers
us and our small garrison --
that almost any portion of
our small area within the
works may be crossed fired
on by them from land and
river -- and that there is no
relief for the men at all but
they have to remain in the
trenches uncomfortably crowded
day in and day out. Credit
and honor for such patient
endurance should hereafter be
awarded them by the country.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Tuesday [June] 16 [1863]

[Stamped on page: Headquarters Department, Miss. and East La., Jackson, Miss. Official Business]

Enemy's heavy artillery keeps
up continuous fire -- their
attention specially directed
to work on Jackson road, --
which is consequently battered
very much: as the parapet
is knocked away we sink
a pit just in rear of it to protect
the men. They can knock down
in half an hour all the repairs
that we could put up in a night.

The sap on Graveyard road
has now reached to within 25 feet
of us -- our countermine is pro-
gressing well and it is now
reduced to the question who is
going to be the smarter and
blow up the other first. A
curious state of things at this
point: by cautiously looking
over you can see their gabion
within a few feet of you -- and
distinctly hear them pick as
they work. they are also work-
ing up by sap on the Jackson
road and on Lee's front, but
have not as yet advanced so
near our work.

It requires untiring energy
and most incessant labor to
keep the works in a defensible
state; and Lockett deserves much
credit for the promptness with
which he meets every emergency
that arises, and overcomes with
his small corps of sappers and
miners, and very limited means,
every endeavor of the enemy
as yet made to destroy our
works.

Major Samuel H. Lockett, chief engineer.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Monday [June] 15 [1863]

Same routine -- with probably
a little more severe artillery
fire on some portions of our
line than usual --
At night when we were
posting our pickets in front
of Lee - the officer in charge
found the enemy posting his
at the same time -- when they
had come with their men to
within two or three yards of
one another -- said the Confed-
erate officer "Don't come any
nearer". "Don't you come any
nearer: replied the Yankee.
"Well, I'm ordered to place my
pickets here and I must do
it -- so keep off"
"But I've got this part of the
line now" said the Yank "let's
make an agreement not to fire
on each other"
"I can't do that" said the
Confed -- "but don't come any
closer", and there by a sort
of tacit agreement the pickets
of the opposing armies stood
all night so close to each
other that they could have
crossed bayonets. Conver-
sations are carried on every
night from the trenches by our
troops with the enemy -- those
on each side exercising their
wits at repartee &c--

Monday, June 14, 2010

Sunday [June] 14 [1863]

Day opens pretty brash on
the lines. Mr. Mortar has
little to say, till afternoon,
when he opens more briskly.
Expedition put on foot to
complete the burning of the
gunboat Cincinnati -- the
water having fallen so much
as to leave more wood work
above, and the enemy
being reported moving the guns
from her -- After keeping up a
fire of 15 minutes intervals
on the boat & adjacent
woods until about 9 o'c they start,
but fail in the carrying out
of their object as they find
the boat guarded --

"Policy may be allowed to
govern us, in matters of interest,
rather than "principle"' when no
infraction of moral law is in-
volved in following the line of
conduct indicated by it.
One is not to be Pickwickian
enough to go to a debtors' prison
on "principle" when funds in
hand can keep him out.
Though you may dislike
and even despise those
under you, who may be made
instruments of your advance-
ment; yet they should not
be made your sworn enemies
by your line of conduct, but
rather conciliated and used -
as a matter of policy.

Friday, June 11, 2010

Saturday [June] 13 [1863]

Unusually quiet during day.
In the night a heavy gun
that they have erected across
the river in front of the city,
and their guns on our ex-
treme left of land front
kept up a pretty continuous
fire. A sap on Genl Smith
has reached within 50 feet
of our work -- we tried hand
grenades against them, but
with ill success -- are now
counter mining and will
endeavor to blow up the
devils --

Capt Sanders with another
man, bringing 200,000 caps
arrived tonight from Genl
Johnston -- he has been nearly
two weeks en route -- had with
him 15 men, to carry the caps --
left 14 over in the swamp
between here and Yazoo river.
They had a severe time of it
coming through -- had to march
for great distance through im-
practicable swamp and drag
their canoe with them -- sub-
sisting as best they could on
berries and craw fisth -- S.
starts back tomorrow
night.

Friday [June] 12 [1863]

Since the 10th we have had
the usual amount of
firing on land and river
fronts -- on 11th the mortars
were particularly furious
and spiteful -- seven shells
being in the air at once,
sometimes -- an average of
two a minute. The enemy
has opened with a colum-
biad, on Hébert -- battered
his works a great deal;
but as our parapets are
destroyed we sink lower
into the hill and thus
each night repair the
effects of their fire during
the day -- no nearer reduc-
tion than we were three
weeks ago -- in deed if any-
thing stronger, except that
so unprecedented a length
of time for the men in the
trenches necessarily wearies
them: and the reduced
rations very naturally also
tells upon them; but, as
far as I am informed on
the subject, their spirits
are still good and their
determination to hold out
and withstand the enemy
as long as our supplies
last, is strong. In a day
or two the beef gives out and
we must come down to
mules, cats and dogs et id
omne genus -- if we would
eat meat at all. I think
I would refrain from it
but that it will hereafter
add to the interest of our
siege here to think of our
having become such epicures
as to get up such dishes
as barbecued cat, dog-
steaks, rat soup &c

Two of our heavy guns on
extreme right of river bat-
teries, near left of entrench-
ments, badly battered by
the enemy's heavy
artillery [-] of their
parapets all knocked to
pieces and burnt.

Courier arrived from
Genl Johnston today --
gave us great gratifica-
tion to hear once again
from the outside world --
The papers he brought
were greedily devoured
by us all: and from
them the principal news
was taken and reprinted
on small sheet here for
the benefit of the soldiers.
Sheet -- editorials &c - gotten up
by Louis Montgomery, who
has before been at the busi-
ness of newspaper editing.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Monday [June] 8th [1863]

Comparatively quiet on the
lines -- mortar fire severe
at intervals through the
day & night. Nothing
positive heard of Johnston;
a report from the enemy
says he has been skirmishing
with them for three days,
and had captured about
a regiment of their cavalry.
Various rumors afloat --
that Price has Helena --
Smith at Milliken's bend --
Lee has Arlington Heights --
one doesn't know what to
believe.
Prospect of our soon having
to eat mule meat, unless
relieved.

Monday, June 7, 2010

Sunday [June] 7 [1863]

Mortars renew their fire
with ncreased range and
fury -- throw their shells
beyond the city and almost
into the trenches. Usual
fire kept all day and
night on land front -- Miss:
river falling rapidly -- enemy's
gunboats seem to stand in
very wholesome awe of our
heavy batteries, since the
sinking of the Cincinnati:
The larger boats of the fleet
below will soon be aground,
unless they risk the gaunt-
let of our river guns, to
get above.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Saturday [June] 6 [1863]

Three weeks since the unfor-
tunate battle of Baker's Creek!
There is every prospect of our
being able to hold out here
so long as our subsistence
and ammunition last -- God
grant that Johnston may
overcome the enemy before
either is expended.

No fire from mortars today --
quite a relief! Artillery &
sharpshooters fire kept
up all the day on the line,
with about usual loss to
us. Distant firing said
to have been distinctly heard
during the night in the
direction of Snyder's Mills --
conjecture is that our
cavalry is there operating
on rear of enemy.

Friday [June] 5 [1863]

Fire from mortars ceased --
it is said they have been
carried up the river -- more
probable they are out of
ammunition -- We make
reconnoisances along the
whole line and endeavor to
throw our [-] through
them to the rear -- unable
to do so. Apparently enemy
is nearer the attainment of
his object than he was two
weeks ago -- they are however
daily strengthening and en-
larging their works. I wonder
that they have not brought
mortars to bear on our land
front -- "twoud I fear greatly
demoralize our men. No
news from Johnston.

Thursday [June] 4 [1863]

Comparatively quiet --
mortars fire occasionally-

Wednesday [June] 3 [1863]

Very quiet during the day.
Brief gunboat attack at
night, with no important
result -- they retiring after
becoming satisfied. Fire
kept up in the line of en-
trenchments through the
night -- caused by our
pushing reconnoitring par-
ties on their lines. Fire
from mortars slackened greatly.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Monday 1st June [1863]

On the lines pretty quiet --
mortar firing continues.
Opinions seems to prevail
that the enemy has diverted
the bulk of his force to the
rear to meet Johnston.
Ten couriers sent to us with
20,000 caps apiece said to have
been taken by the enemy --
Unfortunate! we need
musket caps very much.
The Yankees are well in-
formed of all our wants
& appointments -- one of
their pickets called to our
men "how do you like pea-
bread" -- we had, for economy,
been only for a day or two,
mixing ground peas with
the meal -- Deserters from
us have informed them.

Terrific fire at mid-night --
work of an incen-
diary -- destroyed a whole
block, many foods and
stores -- loss very heavy --
Whilst the fire was raging,
and all our efforts to
arrest its progress futile,
the shells from the river
and land fronts added to
the interest and excitement
of the occasion; and led
us to congratulate ourselves
on being so fortunate as
to participate in the gaie-
ties and festivities of a
beleaguered city.

A spirit medium in town
has a good deal to say as
to what will be the devel-
opments of the future -- pre-
dicts that Johnston will
come Wednesday next -- will
whip the enemy capturing
many prisoners -- that
we will participate in the
battle and Montgomery &
Withers be killed. Gammn!

Colonel Louis M. Montgomery, one of Pemberton's staff officers?
Colonel William Temple Withers (1825-1889)?