The following interesting extracts from a letter from Captain Ed. Keffer, formerly of this place, now of the 56th Ill., to his wife, we are kindly permitted to publish.
In Field, Near Vicksburg, Miss.
May 28th, 1863
On the evening of the 24th, after dark our regiment was sent to the front, on picket, where we remained forty-eight hours; and when I tell of what we did, you will think we were rather close quarters with the “rebs” to be safe.– But first it will be necessary to give you an idea of the nature of the ground we are contesting for: There is nothing but hills– very steep and rough from 100 to 300 feet high. The ravines are not over 20 to 100 feet wide at any place. We have fought over nearly such ground from Grand Gulf to this place.
Our camp at present is on the side of one of these hills, just far enough down from the top to let their shells and cannon balls pass over and strike some other hills in our rear. Here we consider ourselves as safe as coons in a tree.
At daylight, on the morning of the 25th, we found our position only two hundred yards from a rebel Fort, directly in our front, and in range of rifle bullets from two other forts on the right and left of the first named one. Our duty was to keep a constant fire of musketry on any “reb” that might venture to show himself, and in the port holes of the Forts, so that they could not use their cannon on us; which we did so effectually that they fired but two cannon in the forty-eight hours; and our artillery got positions so close that they have been throwing shells into their Forts at pleasure. At half past three, p.m., on the 25th, the “rebs” sent out a flag of truce, and every gun was silent.
In less than five minutes after firing ceased, our men and the “rebs” commenced hallowing at each other, and in ten minutes they were meeting halfway between our lines, shaking hands and having a social time generally. They wanted to know what regiment of sharpshooters ours was and were surprised when we told them we were only infantry. The flag was sent out to stop hostilities to bury their dead, and was in force till half past eight p.m., but there was no more fighting until the morning of the 26th, when we gave them our best until dark, at which time we were relieved.
I had twenty men out with me, and they used nearly six thousand rounds of cartridges in the forty-eight hours. We had to raise our flag at one time to show the artillery where our line was, and in one hour there were fourteen holes shot through it, one of the tassels shot off, the fringe cut, and one ball through the center of the staff. You can form an idea how good a range they had on us; but we don’t expose ourselves, only to fire, and then we are very careful.
I cannot give an opinion of how long will bill be in getting Vicksburg yet, but I think it will not be many days. They have been turning their horses and mules out to our lines for two nights – upwards of 1,000 I saw Rod’t Rob, Ed. Williams, Ike Harris and Shivvers, on the 25th; they were all well.
We have sent north a large number of prisoners, and have more here. We are prepared to whip all the reinforcements they can send here, and hold those we have in Vicksburg besides.
– Published in the Stark County News, Toulon, Illinois, Thursday, June 18, 1863
In Field, Near Vicksburg, Miss.
May 28th, 1863
On the evening of the 24th, after dark our regiment was sent to the front, on picket, where we remained forty-eight hours; and when I tell of what we did, you will think we were rather close quarters with the “rebs” to be safe.– But first it will be necessary to give you an idea of the nature of the ground we are contesting for: There is nothing but hills– very steep and rough from 100 to 300 feet high. The ravines are not over 20 to 100 feet wide at any place. We have fought over nearly such ground from Grand Gulf to this place.
Our camp at present is on the side of one of these hills, just far enough down from the top to let their shells and cannon balls pass over and strike some other hills in our rear. Here we consider ourselves as safe as coons in a tree.
At daylight, on the morning of the 25th, we found our position only two hundred yards from a rebel Fort, directly in our front, and in range of rifle bullets from two other forts on the right and left of the first named one. Our duty was to keep a constant fire of musketry on any “reb” that might venture to show himself, and in the port holes of the Forts, so that they could not use their cannon on us; which we did so effectually that they fired but two cannon in the forty-eight hours; and our artillery got positions so close that they have been throwing shells into their Forts at pleasure. At half past three, p.m., on the 25th, the “rebs” sent out a flag of truce, and every gun was silent.
In less than five minutes after firing ceased, our men and the “rebs” commenced hallowing at each other, and in ten minutes they were meeting halfway between our lines, shaking hands and having a social time generally. They wanted to know what regiment of sharpshooters ours was and were surprised when we told them we were only infantry. The flag was sent out to stop hostilities to bury their dead, and was in force till half past eight p.m., but there was no more fighting until the morning of the 26th, when we gave them our best until dark, at which time we were relieved.
I had twenty men out with me, and they used nearly six thousand rounds of cartridges in the forty-eight hours. We had to raise our flag at one time to show the artillery where our line was, and in one hour there were fourteen holes shot through it, one of the tassels shot off, the fringe cut, and one ball through the center of the staff. You can form an idea how good a range they had on us; but we don’t expose ourselves, only to fire, and then we are very careful.
I cannot give an opinion of how long will bill be in getting Vicksburg yet, but I think it will not be many days. They have been turning their horses and mules out to our lines for two nights – upwards of 1,000 I saw Rod’t Rob, Ed. Williams, Ike Harris and Shivvers, on the 25th; they were all well.
We have sent north a large number of prisoners, and have more here. We are prepared to whip all the reinforcements they can send here, and hold those we have in Vicksburg besides.
– Published in the Stark County News, Toulon, Illinois, Thursday, June 18, 1863
