Sunday [June] 27 [1863]

Usual amount of firing
all around us -- front, rear,
flanks & centre: though we
may be said to have no
front, rear or flanks now
but to be all centre; for
here we are -- poor little
fellows! -- cooped up in
small limit with the horde
of the invaders -- enough to
eat us up -- assailing us
from all sides, with every
conceivable diabolical ma-
chine for destruction; and
employing every device and
mode of attack that their
fertile brains can afford
them, for our overthrow; so
far however in vain -- we
have thwarted them
at every turn; and their assaults
having proved futile -- they
are now devoting their
energies to mining, and
we to countermining -- let
the race be to the prompt
and ready!

We have made a very
handsome defence here
should we ever be over
come now, which there is
no reason in the world to
expect, more than hereto-
fore, except that we are
drawing nearer every day
the end of our tether -- of
provisions; when, or before
which time someting must
be done for our relief, if the
Confederacy would save Vicks-
burg. Forty one days, Mr.
Grant, and we are not yet
quite checkmated -- don't
you feel that you are mor-
ally defeated, by this insig-
nificant little nest of rebels?