540
THE VICKSBURG MINE.
especially those of the brigade commanded byGeneral M. D. Leggett, working under the direc-tion of the chief engineer of the corps — was im-posed the greater part of the labor.
The “pioneers” of the corps were at once sentto the cane-brakes, swamps, and lowlands in therear to construct sap-rollers, gabions, and fascines,and details of 150 men for day and the same num-ber for night duty were made for work on the mainsap, which was commenced on the Jackson road ata point about 150 feet south-east of a large frameplantation house, known as the White House ,which for some unexplained reason had been leftstanding by the enemy. Up to this point troopscould be marched in comparative safety undercover of the intervening hills, supplemented bythe construction of parapets at exposed points.The line of the first section was selected duringthe night of the 23d under cover of an attackmade upon the enemy’s pickets. Upon this linethe workmen were placed at intervals of aboutfive feet, each equipped with a gabion, pick, andshovel, with instruc-
tions to cover them-selves securely and diga connection through tothe adjoining burrowbefore daylight. Theday relief was engagedin deepening and wid-ening the sap thus com-menced, and on thefollowing night thesecond section waslaid out and oc-cupied in thesame man-ner.
On the25th ofMay theConfeder-ate com-ma n d o rsent in
llsff"
PLAN OF THE APPROACHESTO THE VICK9BURG MINE(LOOKING WEST)
FROM A DRAWING BYBREVET BRIGADIEH'GENERALANDREW HICKENLOOPER.
flag of truce, for the purpose of tendering per-mission to bury the Federal dead who had fallenin front of their works during the heroic assaultof the 22d, which was gladly accepted. Thisincident afforded the chief engineer a much-needed opportunity of closely inspecting tlioground to be passed over, of fixing the salientpoints in his mind, and of determining upon thegeneral direction of the various sections of thesap. The highest point between the fort and theWhite House was selected as a spot upon whichto locate a battery and “place at arms” (after-ward known as Battery Hickenlooper), the gunsof which rendered valuable service in covering theextensions of the sap beyond that point. Two8-inch naval guns located in battery south-eastof this point also rendered effective service insilencing the guns of the Confederate fort; thusleaving the Union soldiers exposed only to the ever-vigilant sharp-shooters of the enemy. Not evena hand coidd be safely raised above the parapets ;and heavy rope shields, or aprons, were hung infront of the embrasures for the protection of thegunners while they were sighting their pieces. Afavorite amusement of the soldiers was to placea cap on the end of a ramrod and to raise it justabove the head-logs, betting on the number of bul-lets which would pass through it within a given time.
The sap-roller, used to protect the workmenfrom an enfilading fire during the opening of eachsection of the sap, was a wicker casing live feet indiameter by ten feet in length compactly filledwith cotton. The roller was several times foundto be on fire, and on the night of .June 9th it wastotally consumed ; but through what agency was,at the time, a great mystery. After the capitula-tion it was ascertained that cotton saturated withturpentine and placed in the hollow of a ininie-ball had been fired from a musket into the pack-ing of the roller. [Seep. 491.]
It was difficult for the sharp-shooters to reach tlioConfederates by direct firing, and the artillerymenfound it impossible to gauge their shells so as tocause the explosion immediately behind the Con-federate parapets. To overcome this latter diifl"culty, when the sap reached the vicinity of thefort we caused “ Coeliorn mortars ” to bomade from short sections of gum-tree log®bored out and hooped with iron bands. Thesenovel engines of warfare, being accuratelycharged with just sufficient powder to lift sixor twelve pound shells over the parapet antidrop them down immediately behind, provedexceedingly effective.
The general plan of conducting the work will 1flying-sap by night and deepening and wideningby day was pushed forward with the utmostenergy until June 22d, when the head of thosap reached the outer ditch surrounding thofort. A few days previous an order had beenissued for all men in tho corps having a prn 0 'tical knowledge of coal-mining to report to th®chief engineer. Out of those reporting thirty'six of the strongest and most experienced wereselected and divided into two shifts for dayand night duty, and each shift was divided into