June 10, 1863 Vicksburg
Right Wing of the ArmyBesieging Vicksburg, June 10, 1863
Mr. Editor: This is the 23rd day of the siege, and now while
I sit in my tent writing--my trunk for a seat and the lid of a
cartridge box laid across my knees for a desk--the balls of the
rebel sharpshooters are whistling over my head; but an earthwork
behind which the tent stands, gives security from the danger from
them, so let them crack away. A portion of the regiment is kept in
the rifle-pits with reliefs every two hours, and they are getting
the range on the butternuts so well that when one raises his head
to fire, half a dozen balls from our Springfields raise the dust on
top of the rifle pits so close to him that he is soon silenced. The
siege is generally the heaviest for an hour or two in the morning,
and the same length of time in the evening, continuing until it is
too dark to see the enemy, and through the night a storm of shells
are thrown into their camps and the city, from the mortars on the
river above DeSoto Point, and the light and heavy artillery all
around the lines. During the heat of the day, (which has been very
oppressive for several days past), it becomes comparatively quiet,
we pass away the time reading the news in the latest northern
papers, or perusing old magazines sent us by kind and loyal friends
up north, and perhaps some of the boys indulge in a game of "Seven
up" or "Euchre". A day or two since some of them were thus engaged,
when a rebel ball came along through the tent and barked the thumb
of one of them, when he concluded to let some one else play out his
hand.
Well, we are having a long siege, but all are in good spirits
and confident that Vicksburg will be ours before long. While
deserters (half a dozen of whom come over every night), report that
the rebels are living on pea bread and blue beef, except
occasionally corn meal and bacon pressed from the citizens, and on
about 1/3 rations at that; our Union boys are living on Uncle Sam's
best, and full rations, besides what they buy from the Sutler, who
is on hand and keeps up a good supply of many things that greatly
improve the soldiers fare. Besides this, our reinforcements since
we have had the city invested have reached 40,000.
Our army has unlimited confidence in Gen. Grant, and think
there is no such thing as failing in taking Vicksburg and the whole
rebel army inside its works, prisoners of war. When we get it it
will be a "big thing" and you can have some big glorifications over
it, but you fellows up there who are out of the range of rebel
shells and rifle balls can afford to wait, if we can. We have had
but one man severely wounded since I wrote last--William Carman,
Co. I, (K), gun shot through the neck, and two or three others
slightly. The regiment was never in better health than now.
Our camp equipage and all that we left behind when we went
from Milliken's Bend, was soon after moved to Young's Point, and as
the rebels did not go there in force, they are all safe. Our men
are without tents as yet, only those that were captured from the
rebels when we drove them in from their earthworks, but we have not
room to put all our tents if we had them, where they would be out
of range of the rebel rifle pits. But we expect to have better
quarters, in the city of Vicksburg, before very long, and are
patiently enduring all the inconveniences here. The 76th occupy the
same hill that they have from the second day of the siege.
Thursday Morning June 11. Isaac Holtsberry, of Co. G, was
killed this morning by a musket ball passing through his head, just
as he was entering the rifle pits.
R.W. Burt
Note: Letter to the Newark True American Found at Vicksburg National Military Park
Copyright © 1995-2000 Larry Stevens