A Most Bloody and Foolhardy Charge: A Buckeye Recalls the First Crack at Vicksburg

    William Bakhaus was a mere lad of 17 when he joined the predominantly German ranks of Co. C of the 47th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He started off as a musician but ended up being reduced to the ranks as a private, serving out his three year enlistment and mustering out August 20, 1864. The 47th Ohio saw extensive service in western Virginia before joining General Ulysses S. Grant's Army of the Tennessee and taking part in the Vicksburg campaign. Bakhaus witnessed firsthand the folly of the first assault on Vicksburg which occurred on May 19, 1863 and was unsparing in his criticism of the generalship displayed on that bloody day.

    "Our path was pointed out to us by General Frank P. Blair, then commanding our division, who occupied a very strong position behind a big oak tree and with curses that came near withering the leaves urged us forward and to "go in and give 'em hell," Bakhaus recalled. "Well we went in as directed and later on I will show who it was that got the hell. In justice to General Blair, I must here state that he was perfectly justified in holding on to the tree for his legs were very weak from an overdose of commissary."

    The 47th Ohio, along with the 30th and 37th Ohio, and the 4th West Virginia formed Hugh Ewing's brigade of Blair's division. Bakhaus' reminiscences were published in the June 2, 1888 issue of the Ohio Soldier.


Private Robert M. Burnard, Co. A, 47th Ohio Volunteer Infantry served more than four years with the regiment, mustering out in August 1865. 

Vicksburg- what old soldier of the old Army of the Tennessee can recall to his mind this name without a shudder? Grant and his army started with a succession of victories, closed in around this citadel, which Sherman in his memoirs says “was stronger than Sevastopal,” on the night of May 18, 1863, and so confident were we of success that the throwing up of defenses was not considered necessary. The morning of the 19th opened up clear and bright and the boys were all anxious to be led forward at once, but the inevitable delay, which for some unaccountable reason occurs at every battle and which causes more demoralization in the ranks than bullets do, also occurred here and the consequence was that the slaughter did not commenced until 2 p.m. when the bugles sounded forward.

General Frank P. Blair

Then one of the most bloody and foolhardy charges took place, only exceed perhaps by the Burnside blunder at Fredericksburg and the greater fizzle at Petersburg. Our path was pointed out to us by General Frank P. Blair, then commanding our division, who occupied a very strong position behind a big oak tree and with curses that came near withering the leaves, urged us forward and to “go in and give ‘em hell.” Well, we “went in” as directed and later on I will show who it was that “got the hell.” In justice to General Blair I must here state that he was perfectly justified in holding on to the tree for his legs were very weak from an overdose of commissary. Some of the boys claim that as a rule he could not get in that condition but there are exceptions to every rule.

47th Ohio Battle Banners
Ohio History Connection

But to return to my mutton as the dog said. The path pointed out to us lay directly to the right of the graveyard road leading into Vicksburg, down a steep hill into a valley, all thickly covered with tangled vines and fallen timber, then up another steep hill about 20 yards from the brow of which were our friends waiting to received us with open arms and the usual well known Southern hospitality. Of course we got over the ground in less time than it takes to write this and so confident were we of straddling the works that one vied with the other as to who should get there first and those who did get there are mostly still there for, as we rushed over the brow of the hill and into the open space, yes, even to within 15 feet of the Rebel guns, we received a well-directed volley which came near wiping us out.

 

Here we stood, however, like a flock of sheep grazing at a ditch that was not less than ten feet wide and of the same depth; not knowing what to do. But here we stood for fully a minute- it seemed an hour. Not a Rebel was in sight, they had all skedaddled after the first volley but we could hear their officers urging them to return and they did and we gave them Hail Columbia for all there was in it. How I got away from there I don’t know to this day, but I suppose in the excitement I went with the crowd. I have a recollection of rolling down the hill some 60 feet and after satisfying myself that I was still in the ring and fit fir duty, I crawled up again to the brow to get a peep at the place and see where I came from. But what a sight! There lay my comrades in heaps, writhing with pain and crying for help. But we were utterly powerless. Those of the wounded that were abled crawled into a strong frame house that stood in the vicinity which, as soon as darkness set in, was set on fire and consumed with all its human contents. Who is the author of this outrageous and damnable deed was I was never able to ascertain, but am inclined to think that some of our own shells did the work. Grant and Sherman both make no mention of this in their books, for which they probably have good reasons.

 


As we had no desire for making another attack on this day, we retired under cover of darkness to our position that we held in the morning, sadder and much wiser. The wounded that we could not recover were kindly taken care of by the Rebels, but the dead lay in the broiling sun until the 23rd unburied when Pemberton (not Grant) who had some feeling for his fellow man though an enemy, asked for a suspension of hostilities for two hours in order to bury our heroes that lay in front of his works. This was graciously granted by Grant and the men were then covered with dirt where they feel as the bodies were too much decomposed to stand removal. The Johnnies assisted us in this work.

 

Source:

“Vicksburg 1863,” Private William Bakhaus, Co. C, 47th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Ohio Soldier, June 2, 1888, pg. 658

The torn regimental colors of the 47th Ohio boldly showcase the regiment's service in the assaults and subsequent siege of Vicksburg. (Ohio History Connection)


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