With confidence the Union Army approached the outskirts of Vicksburg, but they found the Confederates there in line of battle. They knew nothing of the Confederate fortifications that lined the east side of Vicksburg. The assumption was that they were not that formidable and could be carried by assault. But still they approached with caution.
Since 8 o'clock this morning, there had been firing along the skirmish lines, and it grew heavier as the sun rose higher. Nearly all of the fighting was to the right (North) where Sherman led the 15th Corps. McPherson was in the center, and McClenarnd led the 13th Corps (and the 130th Illinois Regiment) was on the left.
By noon the firing on the right became very heavy - not only muskets but cannon, too. Soon the firing spread to the left, and by one o'clock the whole line was engaged.
At two o'clock the Union lines had been formed and the order was given to advance slowly until their artillery began firing. Then they were to move quickly into the enemy's works with fixed bayonets. These orders were made before a single piece of artillery was in position. This demonstrated the confidence the Union command had in their ability to walk almost unmolested into Vicksburg, but also their ignorance of the enemy's fortifications and the nature of the approaches to them.
The Illinois 77th Infantry had been in the same brigade of the Illinois 130th Infantry since they left Milliken's Bend. In fact, the two regiments will be side-by-side the rest of the Civil War. Here's the story of this afternoon's assault from the 77th:
At two o'clock then, the 77th Regiment already formed in a ravine, commenced moving over the hill in their front in line of battle. We had reached the brow of the hill when the rebels from their forts, opened upon our whole line with shell, shrapnell, grape and cannister. Hurrying down into the next ravine we escaped injury. Another high hill was now to be gone over. We went steadily forward up its steep side, in comparative security. When we had reached its brow in full view of the rebel line of works, there poured upon us a shower of shells which made the earth tremble with their terrific explosion. It was on this hill that the loss of our regiment on this day was sustained.
On account of the deep gorges on the Vicksburg side of the hill, we were unable to keep our lines dressed, and the men anxious for the security afforded by the ravine at the bottom, broke down into it in lively confusion. An enormous shell, which exploded in uncomfortable proximity to my own person, sent me hurriedly down through a gorge of the hill, and has left its mark upon my knee, occasioning some stiffness, but not disabling me. Our loss upon the hill just alluded to, was four killed and twelve wounded.
Having reached the ravine above referred to, there was only one more ridge or hill between us and the hill from which the rebel guns thundered, probably six hundred yards off. Finding the enemy strongly entrenched, a halt was ordered for the purpose of bringing forward our artillery to better positions. The idea of an immediate assault was abandoned.While the assault was not successful, it did give the Federal troops an improved position.
Three soldiers from the 130th Illinois Infantry were killed in the battle today. Private William A. Kalb, Company B, was from Sangamon County. Corporal Isaac Thorn, from Greenville and Private Levi A. Clough, from Bethel, were both part of Company F - William Fleming's company. Therefore one could assume that Company F was involved in the assault today.
