amounting to four or five hundred men, demonstrated that it was a serious matter to storm works so well defended at all points. However, both moral and military reasons impelled General Grant to order another general assault along the whole line, to take place on the 22d at 10 A.M., to be supported by the concentrated fire of all the land batteries, and of Porter's mortar-boats and iron-clads on the river side of Vicksburg. 'At three o'clock on the morning of the 22d," says Badeau, "the cannonade began from the land side; every available gun was brought to bear on the works; sharp-shooters at the same time began their part of the action, and nothing could be heard but the continued shrieking of shells, the heavy booming of cannon, and the sharp whiz of the minie-balls, as they sped with fatal accuracy toward the devoted town. Vicksburg was encircled by a girdle of fire; on river and shore a line of mighty cannon poured destruction from their fiery throats, while the mortars played incessantly, and made the heavens themselves seem to drop down malignant meteors on the rebellious stronghold. The bombardment was the most terrible during the siege, and continued without intermission until nearly eleven o'clock, while the sharp-shooters kept up such a rapid and galling fire that the rebel cannoneers could seldom rise to load their pieces; the enemy was thus able to make only ineffectual replies, and the formation of the columns of attack was undisturbed." At the appointed time to the minute, the assault was made at the cost of three thousand Union soldiers killed or wounded-and failed completely, despite the heroism of all who took part in it. Says Badeau: "This assault was, in some respects, unparalleled in the wars of modern times. No attack on fortifications of such strength had ever been undertaken by the great European captains unless the assaulting party outnumbered the defenders by at least three to one."

BLOWS UP THE "MALAKOFF OF FIGHT IN THE CRATER-LOGAN'S CLOSE ADVISES A FINAL ASSAULT-ARMISTICE LOGAN LEADS THE ENTRY

THE SIEGE-WORKS-LOGAN

VICKSBURG-THE

APPROACHES-HE

AND SURRENDER

GOVERNOR OF VICKSBURG, AND RECEIVES A MEDAL.

MILITARY

The assaults having failed, reinforcements were sent for, and the Union army, in the order previously named, sat down to a regular siege, the details of which would be too tedious. for the purposes of this sketch. Suffice it to say, that General Logan was very conspicuous during this memorable siege, often inspiring his men to greater valor by exposing his own person to the hot fire of the enemy.* He commanded McPherson's centre opposite Fort Hill, the Malakoff of Vicksburg. It was his command that tapped and mined this key to the Confederate Sebastopol.† It was his command that, after the successful explosion, stormed the gaping breach and fought the hand-to-hand fight in the bloody crater. So greatly did he distinguish himself, that a powerful battery was named after him, Battery Logan," and Grant was often with him at his quarters for observation and consultation. Here he was again wounded by a bullet in the thigh.‡. He was one of the two Generals, out of the council of thir

* For one stirring instance of this exposure, see Part VI.

"During the siege of Vicksburg,” said a man who served under McPherson, "Logan commanded a division of McPherson's corps, which formed the right centre of the Union line. Logan's division occupied the Jackson road. The rebel line of intrenchments crossed this road at an elevated point, which was strongly fortified and known as Fort Hill. Here a mine had been run under the rebel works, whose attempts to countermine were unsuccessful. On the afternoon of June 25th, the mine was exploded, blowing the top of the hill completely off and leaving a crater where it had stood. Another effect was to toss into the air a party of men who were at work in the rebel countermine. Some of them came down still alive, inside the Union lines. Among them was a negro, who was more badly scared than hurt. He was brought to Logan's headquarters, where somebody asked him how high

"This sable hero remained at headquarters until the end of the siege, and proudly marched into Vicksburg in the wake of Logan's division when it occupied the captured rebel stronghold on July 4, 1863."-Army and Navy Register, January 1, 1887.

For Logan's own characteristic description of this incident, see Part VI.

teen, who, when the approaches at ten different points had reached so near to the enemy's works that the men of the two armies conversed across the lines, on July 1st advised General Grant to again assault the enemy's works, whereupon Grant determined to make the final assault on July 6th. But in the meantime, July 3d, Pemberton proposed an armistice with a view to arranging terms for the capitulation of the great fortress. It was in front of Logan's headquarters that the famous interview between Pemberton and Grant was had at three o'clock that same afternoon, at which Logan was pres ent. It was Logan's column also that, on the Fourth of July, 1863, was the first to enter the vast conquered stronghold. Says the Comte de Paris, in his interesting history of this terrible and bloody siege : "Logan's division was the first to enter Vicksburg; " and he adds: "It had fully deserved this honor. Grant rode at the head." Says Badeau: "Logan's division was one of those which had approached nearest the rebel works, and now was the first to enter the town. It had been heavily engaged in both assaults, and was fairly entitled to this honor. The Forty-fifth Illinois Infantry marched at the head of the column, and placed its battle-torn flag on the court-house of Vicksburg. Grant rode into town, with his staff, at the head of Logan's division."

But no history yet written has done full justice to Logan's great services during this remarkable siege, the result of which was the surrender to the Union arms of 31,600 men, including 2,153 officers of whom 15 were generals, and 172 cannon,-up to that time "the largest capture of men and material ever made in war, "*-the immediate fall of Port Hudson, and the opening of the Mississippi from Cairo to the Gulf. Grant, however, recognized that to him was due the

* See Badeau's Military History of Ulysses S. Grant, p. 386, vol. iii. Grant, in his Memoirs, says: "Logan's division, which had approached nearest the rebel works, was the first to march in; and the flag of one of the regiments of his division was soon floating over the court-house."