A Whistling Hail of Death: The First Assault on Vicksburg with the 95th Illinois


          The first assault on Vicksburg, Mississippi occurred during the afternoon of May 19, 1863 as General U.S. Grant, eager to follow up on his victories at Champion Hill and Big Black River, pushed forward William Tecumseh Sherman’s 15th Army Corps and General James B. McPherson’s 17th Army Corps to assault the northeastern quadrant of the Vicksburg defenses. The primary assaults took place against Stockade Redan and on Green’s Redan just to the south of Stockade Redan.


The 95th Illinois, part of Brigadier General Thomas E.G. Ransom’s brigade of the 17th Army Corps, took part in the bloody assault on Green’s Redan. Ransom’s brigade, consisting of the 11th, 72nd, and 95th Illinois regiments, along with the 14th and 17th Wisconsin regiments, charged across a deep ravine but could get no further than the outer wall of the Confederate works which were stoutly defended by the 36th and 37th Mississippi regiments. After clinging to the works and under constant musketry and artillery fire, Ransom’s men retreated back to their camps just before daylight on May 20, 1863, having lost heavily in men but gaining mightily in reputation for the tenacity and courage they demonstrated on the field.


This article present accounts from four soldiers of the 95th Illinois describing their experiences in this assault.

 

The assault on the defenses of Vicksburg, Mississippi; May 19 & 22, 1863

Sergeant Stephen A. Rollins, Co. B

The order of attack being arranged, we moved by the right flank of a road towards the enemy’s works, exposed to his grape and musketry, most of which we avoided by walking as low as possible. We approached as near as practicable and formed in line and sent forward skirmishers to feel the enemy. Our company was detailed for this duty and we advanced over a ridge, exposed to the enemy’s fire, on the quadruple quick and got behind logs and brush on the next ridge. After firing away all our cartridges we returned to the regiment, which was soon ordered forward to the works.

 

Captain William H. Stewart, Co. F

On the 19th, about 9 or 10 a.m., the 95th Illinois and 17th Wisconsin started in line of battle as we all supposed to charge straight upon the Rebels, but as we came up the crest of the hill, instead of a Rebel line, before us stretched out a ravine at least 200 feet deep and 40 rods across, formerly heavily-timbered, but now all cut and tumbled into an interminable mass of vines with which this country abounds with a long line of Rebels on the crest of the hill. On the opposite side of the hill was a furious Rebel battery off to the right and another to the left. All these, as soon as we appeared, combined to thunder their furious spite upon our devoted heads.

 

The failed May 19, 1863 assault on Stockade Redan and Green's Redan; the 95th Illinois was part of Ransom's brigade of General John McArthur's division of McPherson's 17th Army Corps.
(Map courtesy of Hal Jespersen, www.cwmaps.com)

Second Lieutenant Morris F. Ellsworth, Co. F:

About 11 o’clock our skirmishers had driven the Rebels in and made clear another field in the front and to our right when the brigade again moved forward and formed a new line under the brow of a hill to the right of the first fort and directly in front of their center and main fort. The 17th Wisconsin was formed on our right and the 14th Wisconsin on our left. At 1 o’clock they opened fire on us from the fort on our left, throwing shells over our heads and among us and striking the colonel’s horse. At 1:30, we were ordered to fix bayonets and charge with a shout. The ground between us and the Rebel works was down a steep hill about 50 rods then up another about the same distance, the top of the ground running parallel about 30 rods from the fortifications. The ground was once very heavily-timbered but the trees had been cut down and lay crossed and piled up in every shape, making it almost impossible for a man to get through and the ravine and hill beyond were literally gray with Rebels.

 

Private Robert Horan, Co. G:

Co. B of our regiment was sent out as skirmishers. They attacked the Rebels and drove them in; we followed, after the order was given to the 17th Army Corps to advance, to attack them in their rifle pits. But the attack was made about 15 minutes sooner than ordered and the 14th Wisconsin also advanced on our right, but they were too fast. Then Colonel [Thomas W.] Humphrey ordered forward the 95th Illinois and we went with a will! But to our surprise the Rebs were not where we expected, but some 100 rods or more from us and we were obliged to go down a hill and up another; and by that time the Rebs had the timber all cut down and everything in the way, so it was impossible for a man to go down such a place.

 

Among the ranks of Co. G of the 95th Illinois was Private Albert D.J. Cashier, 
but she was really Jennie Hodgers and managed to conceal her true identity until
many years after the war.

Sergeant Stephen A. Rollins, Co. B

Just before we started, our brigade adjutant said to our regiment, “Now boys you must do your duty just as you always,” and just then a ball struck him in the thigh and cut short his speech. Our major then said, “Let every man stand to his post. Forward 95th!” The regiment started forward as usual with a yell under the hottest fire I ever had been under before. The air seemed filled with bullets which whistled with spiteful fury like the winds our Northern homes in winter. The hail of death fell so fast that only a part of two companies, besides ours, ventured to run the fiery gauntlet. The groans of the dying, the shrieks of the wounded, and the almost unearthly screaming of shells and cannonballs mingled with the rattle of musketry made up a scene that men see but a few times in a lifetime and the fewer the better.

 

Captain William H. Stewart, Co. F

Parallel with us, a couple of rods in advance was a strong rail fence. When we charged we started off gallantly in a fine line as far as the fence. Here was a little faltering- more from disappointment and not knowing just what was wanted then from anything else. Then they tumbled over the fence and necessarily ran helter-skelter down the hill. The hill was in so bad a condition that it was impossible to keep any sort of line, but zig-zag we went in innumerable single, double, and four-fold files, sometimes crawling under the mass of fallen rubbish and sometimes climbing over it as best we could. The first shot we got was the most snappish I ever heard. It was before we started on our perilous charge as we were filing across a cornfield. We came in sight of a battery on our left. “There is one of the Rebel works,” said I to one of the boys when quick as a flash came the stinging report and at the same time the grape and canister rattled around us! One passed within less than a foot of my head and struck the ground not four feet from my right and another struck about two feet in front of Lieutenant Colonel Blanden who was walking a little to my right but did not harm. All this while a tremendous thunder storm was raging over and around us; but the thunder was that of Rebel cannon and the storm was leaden hail, fragments of broken shells, and the crash of the tumbling mass while the air was furious with shells.

 We were so near the Rebels that we could pelt them with clods of dirt on the other side of the works. They threw over an empty whiskey bottle to show us what they had to drink, and we threw back crackers to let them know what we had to eat.~ Sergeant Stephen A. Rollins

Sergeant Stephen A. Rollins, Co. B

After we had got under shelter of the enemy’s breastworks, our men in the rear kept the Rebels from shooting over at us; and we were so protected that we could keep them from firing much at the rest of our men who came up a few at a time. We planted our flag with that of the 20th Illinois on the outer slope of the enemy’s main fort and remained there to defend them 14 long hours. The balls were flying as though all the Rebels on this side of hades were pouring their murderous fire upon us. We were so near the Rebels that we could pelt them with clods of dirt on the other side of the works. They threw over an empty whiskey bottle to show us what they had to drink, and we threw back crackers to let them know what we had to eat.



Captain William H. Stewart, Co. F

There were but very few of our regiment who turned back and they are now ashamed to own it. The rest went forward finely and did their duty nobly. We held the crest of the hill about 30 rods from the Rebel works and lying low, peppered every head that peeped above the banks, ourselves only in danger when we showed our heads when they popped us. The 17th Wisconsin on our right found their position not to their liking and so delivered their fire and right about returned. We stayed until daylight next morning when our General ordered us back and he we are sleeping to the music of guns given and guns returned.

 

Second Lieutenant Morris F. Ellsworth, Co. F:

Nevertheless at 2 o’clock we had planted our colors on the top of the hill within 30 rods of the Rebel fortifications. Our color-bearer being wounded, Lieutenant Colonel Leander Blanden planted our colors which were riddled with balls. The shell, grape, musket balls, and solid shot, flew around us like hail and the Colonel was wounded on the first hill in his foot, but continued with us cheering on his men. After gaining the hill, we lay on the hill and poured our fire into the Rebels as they showed their heads over their breastworks until our ammunition was nearly gone. We held our position till 4 o’clock next morning when we were ordered to retire our old camping ground which we did in good order. Our loss in the charge of the 19th was nine killed, 52 wounded, and six missing, since returned, totaling 61.

 

Sergeant Stephen A. Rollins, Co. B

Our beloved major fell mortally wounded while gallantly leading the charge. We all saw our colonel fall and supposed him dead; it cast a heavy gloom over our spirits and checked our ardor. You can better imagine than I can describe our joy when after dark we saw him coming the hill to us. Nothing but the providence of God could save men from death in such a position as was his. The regiment cried for joy at seeing him with us once more; it was as unexpected as though he had risen from the grave. The next morning, we were ordered to fall back which we did one at a time without loss.

 

The above accounts were drawn from various June 1863 issues of the Woodstock Sentinel and from Lydia Post Minturn’s Soldiers’ Letters from Camp, Battlefield, and Prison published in 1865.  

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