THE HICKS BURG CAMPAIGN.

5ii

time I had kept my position near Hovey, where we were the most heavilypressed; hut about noon I moved with a part of my staff by our right,around, until I came up with Logan himself. I found him near the roadleading down to Baker’s Creek. He was actually in command of the onlyroad over which the enemy could retreat; Hovey, reenforced by two brigadesfrom McPherson’s command, confronted the enemy’s left; Crocker, with twobrigades, covered their.left flank; McClernand , two hours before, had beenwithin two and a half miles of their center with two divisions, and two divis-ions— Blair’s and A. J. Smith’s—were confronting the rebel right; Bansom,with a brigade of McArthur’s division, of the Seventeenth Corps (McPher-son’s), had crossed the river at Grand Gulf a few days before and was comingup on their right flank. Neither Logan nor I knew that we had cut off theretreat of the enemy. Just at this juncture a messenger came from Hovey,asking for more reenforcements. There were none to spare. I then gavean order to move McPherson’s command by the left flank around to Hovey.This uncovered the Confederate line of retreat, which was soon taken advan-tage of by the enemy. ☆

During all this time Hovey, reenforced as he was by a brigade from Loganand another from Crocker, and by Crocker gallantly coming up with two otherbrigades on his right, had made several assaults, the last one about the timethe road was opened to the rear. The enemy fled precipitately. This wasbetween 3 and 4 o’clock. I rode forward, or rather back, to where the middleroad intersects the north road, and found the skirmishers of Carr’s division justcoming in. Osterliaus was farther south, and soon after came up with skir-mishers advanced in like manner. Hovey’s division, and McPherson’s twodivisions with him, had marched and fought from early dawn, and were not inthe best condition to follow the retreating foe. I sent orders to Osterhaus topursue the enemy, and to Carr, whom I saw personally, I explained the situa-tion, and directed him to pursue vigorously as far as the Big Black, and tocross it if he could, Osterhaus to follow him. The pursuit was continueduntil after dark.

The battle of Champion’s Hill lasted about four hours of hard fighting,preceded by two or three hours of skirmishes, some of which rose almost tothe dignity of battle. Every man of Hovey’s division and of McPherson’stwo divisions was engaged during the battle. No other part of my commandwas engaged at all, except that (as described before). Osterhaus’s and A. J.Smith’s had encountered the rebel advanced pickets as early as 7:30. Their

Dr. William M. Beach of London, Ohio , sendsto the editors this anecdote of General Grant:

“ At tlio time of tlie Vicksburg campaign I was the As-sistant Surgeon of the 78th Ohio Regiment; but I hadbeen detailed by J. H. Boucher, Medical Director of the17th Army Corps, as the Division Hospital Director ofBogan’s division. I had a regular service of men andWagons; and at the battle of Champion’s Hill —whenm y division had been assigned to its position —I choseai) abandoned farm-house and its surroundings as aProper place to establish our hospital, and immediatelyProceeded in its preparation. My position was in the*ear of our left wing, and not far in the rear of Hovey’s

right wing. About the time I was fairly ready to receivethe wounded the line had advanced across an open field,and had swung to the right and front nearly a quarterof a mile. The steady roar of battle had rolled fromHovey’s front by this time to that of Logan’s, who wassteadily advancing, and where the sound of the conflictwas now simply terrific. Grant and his staff, comingfrom the left, dismounted at the front gate, Withintwenty feet of where I was standing. He had scarcelydismounted, when,— more clearly and distinctly hearingthe fury of the contest on our right,—leisurely takinghis cigar from his mouth, he turned slowly to one of hisstaff and said, * Go down to Logan and tell Mm he ismalting history to-day* ” EDITORS.