sionary assaults. He declared that he had taken two forts, and needed assistance to hold them. Grant, whose position was such that he could see better than McClernand, doubting the accuracy of his report, first directed him to re-enforce himself from his reserve divisions; but afterwards, upon his importunity, sent him Quinby's division, and reluctantly ordered Sherman to make a new assault in his favor, which increased the mortality list at least fifty per cent., and gained us nothing.

To epitomize the results of this correspondence, we may say that, on account of it, and a congratulatory order of McClernand's to his corps, which reflected upon Grant and his dispositions, Grant relieved McClernand from his command and gave it to Major-General Ord. It was no time to consider personal feelings; the work must be done vigorously and cheerfully, without controversy, and in the spirit of a willing subordination.

But to return to the assault: like the former one, it was unsuccessful; we had lost three thousand men. It had been necessary to make it, in order to develop the strength of the garrison, the nature of its defences, and the character of the operations which must now be made. It was evident that a regular siege must be undertaken, and to do this Grant must have re-enforcements.

CHAPTER XV.

VICKSBURG BESIEGED.

RE-ENFORCEMENTS. THE COMPLETE INVESTMENT. THE CONDITION OF VICKSBURG.— THE FIRST MINE. THE EXPLOSION.-EFFECTS.-WE GAIN A LODGMENT. THE CANNONADE. THE SECOND MINE.-PREPARATIONS FOR FINAL ASSAULT.- PEMBERTON'S CHANGE OF OPINION.-FURTHER DELAY USELESS.-IS READY TO SURRENDER.

Or the re-enforcements which reached Grant, Lauman's, division, and four regiments from Memphis, with Smith's and Kimball's divisions of the Sixteenth Corps, came up, and were assigned to Major-General Washburne. On the 11th of June, the division of Major-General Herron arrived from the Department of the Missouri. On the 14th, two divisions of the Ninth Corps came up, under command of Major-General Parke.

Grant's army, re-enforced by these troops, was now thus disposed: Sherman occupied the extreme right with the Fifteenth Corps, from the river around to the roads leading to the northeast bastion. Joining his left, McPherson, with the Seventeenth Corps, extended to the railroad from that point. Ord, with the Thirteenth, continued the investment towards the left; which was completed by the divisions of Lauman and Herron, the latter lying across Stout's bayou, and abutting against the bluff at that point, separated by a belt of swamp and timber, not a mile wide, from the river.

Parke's corps, and the divisions of Smith and Kimball, were sent to Haines' Bluff, which had been fortified on the land side to resist any attempt of Johnston in that direction.

A force, under Major-General Sherman, consisting of one division of the Fifteenth and one of the Seventeenth Corps, was also held in readiness, with Lauman's, to move upon Johnston as soon as circumstances should prompt.

The approaches were now conducted with great vigor; and as Pemberton was in no condition to waste his ammunition, the trenches were opened much nearer to the rebel works than is usual. Thus our entire line was inclosing Vicksburg with trenches twelve miles in length. Along the entire front forts, batteries, and rifle-pits were erected; and, by reason of the irregularities of the ground, winding covered ways were constructed, through which our men could pass to and from the extreme works, concealed from the rebel sharp-shooters.

The condition of Vicksburg was now pitiable in the extreme. As early as the 27th of May, a courier from Pemberton to Johnston came voluntarily into our lines, and gave to Grant* the message he had been directed to deliver to Johnston. It was this: "I have fifteen thousand men in Vicksburg, and rations for thirty days-one meal a day. Come to my aid with an army of thirty thousand men. If you cannot do this within ten days, you had better retreat. Ammunition is almost exhausted, especially percussion-caps." This gave token that Vicksburg must fall; but Grant did not abate the vigor of the siege.

Mines were constructed at several points, particularly in McPherson's front, the excavations being under guard, and the greatest secrecy being observed; so that, although our men knew of a general intention to blow up the enemy's works, few knew where and when this would be done.

General Sherman, upon the receipt of information that General Johnston was again approaching the Big Black with a large force, set out, with the command already mentioned, to drive him back, leaving Steele in temporary command of his division. Grant's order to General Parke, on the 27th of June, indicates the character of the movement:

"GENERAL PARKE-Sherman goes out from here with five brigades, and Osterhaus's division subject to his orders besides. In addition to this, another

division, five thousand strong, is notified to be in readiness to move on notice. In addition to this, I can spare still another division, six thousand strong, if they should be required. We want to whip Johnston, at least fifteen miles off, if possible. "U. S. GRANT, Major-General."

Sherman, however, returned without finding Johnston within the prescribed distance, but learnt that he was making desperate efforts to come up in time to relieve Vicksburg.

THE FIRST MINE.

The mine which was now to be exploded was under the parapet of the works occupied by Forney's (rebel) division. Α series of zig-zags, covered from the enemy's fire, passed over the distance of three hundred yards to reach the main sap, a trench six feet wide and six feet deep, which was then extended only thirty-five yards, to reach the entrance of the main gallery. This gallery was a square shaft, running with a gradual declivity under the enemy's parapet. From it diverged three short galleries, to the right and left, one being formed in front; these contained the chambers, in which a ton of powder was placed. A sap was also run off to the left of the main gallery, for fifty yards, to hold our sharpshooters.

The enemy's attempts to countermine were only successful in giving our working-party one good scare, from which they soon recovered. Mining is not an easy task; but countermining requires such accurate knowledge of an enemy's plans, localities, and progress, and such nice counter-calculations, as to render it far more difficult.

At length all was in readiness for the first explosion. A messenger reached Grant, at three o'clock, on the 25th of June, announcing that they were ready to apply the match. All troops, except sharp-shooters, were withdrawn from the outer works. One hundred picked men of the Forty-fifth Illinois were to assault the right, and one hundred from the Twenty-third Indiana the curtain of the fort. Leggett's bri

gade formed the reserve of the stormers; Stevenson formed the support, with a strong reserve in rear.

At length the word was given; the match applied to the fuse. The few minutes in which it silently burned seemed hours. The troops, now fully aware of the purpose, stood to their arms in breathless expectancy. The stout hearts of the forlorn hope were summoning up the blood and stiffening the sinews. In their shirt-sleeves, and divested of every thing save muskets and cartridge-boxes, they were ready for the rush. One terrific burst, and the air is filled to the height of one hundred feet with timbers and earth, gabions, stockades, gun-carriages, mingled with smoke and dust-a miniature Vesuvius. Six men of the Forty-third Mississippi, who are in a shaft countermining at the time of the explosion, are buried and lost. This is the signal for the stormers. The two columns fly to their points of attack. Leggett's brigade moves to their support. But the rebels make desperate resistance. The Sixth Missouri regiment attempts to charge: its colonel, Eugene Irvin, is killed at its head. Our other supports are poured in; and at length the flag of the Forty-fifth crowns the summit of Fort Hill, amid cheers that can be heard above all the varied din of the battle.

Simultaneously with the rush of the stormers, Grant had ordered the batteries to open along the whole line. The firing began on McPherson's front; it was taken up by Ord, Lauman, and Herron on the left, and soon joined by Sherman. The ships on the river-front caught and hurled back the echoes, until the classic thunders of Virgil were realized over the whole heaven, and from pole to pole. The nearness of our batteries caused almost every shot to tell. Some shells struck the parapet, others ricochetted, and fell into the lines of troops beyond. It was the grandest cannonade ever heard up to that time in America.

Grant wrote at once to Ord:

GENERAL ORD-McPherson occupies the crater made by the explosion He will have guns in battery there by morning. He has been hard at work running rifle-pits right, and thinks he will hold all gained. Keep Smith's dici