yards of the enemy's intrenchments, driving those of the enemy within the lfication. S

About midnight of the 18th, the THIRD Brigade of my DIVISION, commanded by Brigadier General Hugh Ewing, joined me before the works of Vicksburg, having marched from Grand Gulf (by Raymond) to this place, a distance of 85 miles, in three days. General Ewing's brigade was assigned position n the right of my days. General Ewing's brigade the left of General Steele's DIVISION (First DIVISION, Fifteenth Army Corps.). His left connected closely with the right of my First Brigade, commanded by Colonel Giles A. Smith, who held the center of my line and commands the Graveyard road. The SECOND Brigade, colonel Thomas Kilby Smith commanding, held the left of my line, the right resting on the left of the First Brigade, and its line of battle extending across the Graveyard road.

During the morning of the 19th, the entire line of skirmishers of my DIVISION was pushed froward, with a view of obtaining a closer position and of reconnoitering the ground.

At 2 p. m. the signal was given for an assault, and my whole DIVISION dashed forward, and, wherever the nature of the ground was not insuperable, reached the enemy's intrenchments, and in several instances planted our flags upon his works. Two regiments of General Ewing's brigade, the Fourth Virginia and Forty-seventh Ohio, succeeded in approaching very near the enemy's works. The Thirteenth U. S. Infantry, captain E. C. Washington, and One hundred and SIXTEENTH Illinois Volunteer Infantry, colonel N. W. Tupper, of the First Brigade, colonel Giles A. Twenty-seventh Illinois Volunteer Infantry, colonel Hamilton N. Eldridge, and Eighty-THIRD Indiana Volunteer Infantry, colonel Benjamin J. Spooner, of the SECOND Brigade, commanded by Colonel Thomas Kilby Smith also succeeded in reaching the same ground, but the heavy fire re-enforced in our front, made it utterly impossible for them to make a utmost tenacity until night, when they withdrew.

The 20th and 21st were employed in skirmishing with the enemy, reconnoitering the ground, and improving our position.

On the 2 d, I received an order to renew the assault at 10 o'clock in the morning, I massed my DIVISION in the ravine to the left of the Graveyard road, where it debouches upon that road as it passes across pary, consisting of 2 officers and 50 men from each brigade of the DIVISION, was to lead the assault. General Ewing's brigade and the brigades of Cols. Giles A. Smith and Thomas Kilby Smith were to follow in the order in which they are named, and to charge across the road by the flank.

At the signal the volunteer storming party, led by Captain John H. Groce, of General Ewing's brigade, dashed forward in gallant style, and planted the flag of the Union, which was borne by Private Howell G. Trogden, of the Eight Missouri, upon the bastion of the enemy. The leading regiment of General Ewing's brigade, the Thirtieth Ohio Volunteers, went forward with equal impetuosity and gallantry, but the next regiment, the Thirty-seventh Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, faltered and gave way under the fire of the enemy, which was far from being severe on this regiment, and was in fact, directed upon the head of the column. The man lay down in the road and behind

17 R R-VOL XXIV, PT. II