fierce and bloody one for the Army of the Tennessee. A charge was ordered along our whole lines upon the enemy's works, to take place at two o'clock in the afternoon, and at the appointed hour the furious onset commenced. General Sherman's 15th Army Corps occupied the right of the Federal line, resting on the river above Vicksburg; General McPherson's 17th Army Corps held the centre, and the 13th Corps, under General McClernand, held the left, extending nearly to the river on the south side of the city. The ground in front of General Ransom's brigade, and over which it charged at this time, was located near the Jackson road, on the right of the celebrated "White House," and near to the notorious "Fort Hill." Cut, as it was, into deep ravines, and covered with fallen timber, and each ravine being enfiladed by the enemy's fire, it was ground of the very worst character to expose and impede an advancing column. There were intervening ridges to be passed over, which brought the charging regiments into open and close range of a murderous fire of musketry and artillery from the enemy's line.

The Ninety-fifth held an important position in the brigade during this memorable charge, and, led forward by its gallant colonel, advanced under a galling fire to a ridge within one hundred yards of the rebel works,

and held the position during the remainder of the day. While maintaining this position Colonel Humphrey received the following dispatch from General Ransom :

เ 'COL.

You have done well, nobly. I desire that you hold your position. Do not expose your men or waste ammunition. I occupy the rear of the ridge back of you. Will move forward as soon as we are supported on the right and left. I expect to hear from General McPherson.

T. E. G. RANSOM,

Brig. Gen'l."

Colonel Humphrey, early in the action, received a wound in the foot, but remained with his command, cheering on his men, until he received orders to withdraw his regiment under cover of darkness that night. Thus the attempt to carry the enemy's works on the 19th, failed at this as well as at all other points on the Federal line, but not without the exhibition of undaunted courage, reckless daring, and the performance of great deeds on the part of our troops. The Ninety-fifth was largely represented in the list of casualties this day, having had seven men killed and fifty-four wounded.

General Grant, with his characteristic perseverance, ordered the assault to be renewed on the 22nd of May, with the intention, if possible, of breaking through the enemy's line at certain points, then of heavily

reënforcing the successful assaulting column, with the hope and prospect of thus carrying the day. At ten o'clock A. M., on the 22nd, the charge began again furiously. The Ninety-fifth, on this occasion, also gained an advanced position on the crest of a ridge near the enemy's works, encountering one of the most sweeping and destructive fires to which troops were ever exposed. Colonel Humphrey, in advance of and leading his regiment, exthusiastic with the desire to storm the fortifications in his immediate front, determined to accomplish it, if among human possibilities, and with that natural daring which characterized the man, pressed onward over that ridge, then being swept by rebel musketry, and plowed up by rebel shot and shell. The regiment attempted to follow their leader, and bravely rallied to the charge, but to advance was to meet certain death, and it was plain that a farther prosecution of the undertaking would annihilate the regiment. It had gone into the charge with three hundred and sixty-seven officers and enlisted men in line of battle, and upwards of one hundred of the same had already been rendered hors du combat. Captain Manzer, of Company "C," and Captain Cornwell, of "K," were killed; Major William Avery, Captain Cook, of "D," Lieutenant Smith, of "C," Sponable, of "A," and Pierce, of "I" companies,

were severely wounded, while a large percentage of the enlisted men had been killed and wounded. The heroic colonel had gone on in advance, and was given up as killed. Orders came during the afternoon for the murderous and unequal conflict to cease on our part, and the regiment was gradually withdrawn to a neighboring ravine for better protection. Toward night, with thinned ranks, and having left many a gallant soldier killed and wounded on the field, the little band of Ninety-fifth men, exhausted by the ef forts of the day, wended its course among the ravines back a short distance to the brigade encampment. The colonel, as has been stated, was supposed to have been killed during the charge, as nothing had been seen or heard of him since he crossed the ridge. General Ransom had ordered a coffin for the reception of the corpse, so certain was he of Colonel Humphrey's death. The latter, however, turned out to be safe, and during the same evening appeared, to the great delight and astonishment of all, at General Ransom's headquarters, where the coffin was then in readiness! After passing over the ridge mentioned, Colonel Humphrey lay down closely upon the ground, as it was impossible for a human being then to be visible above it and live. In this condition, with the mad cannon balls screaming over him, and plowing around his

body, covering him with dirt, and benumbing his limbs, he remained until evening, when he noiselessly crept from his precarious position, and appeared so suddenly and unexpectedly in camp, as already related.

Brigadier General Ransom, in his report of these charges, makes the following allusions to the Ninetyfifth:

"On the 19th, the Ninety-fifth Illinois, Colonel Humphrey, commanding, reached a ridge within one hundred yards of the enemy's works, and, though exposed to an enfilading fire of artillery, maintained their position until night, when I withdrew them to a safer position. Early in the action Colonel Humphrey was severely wounded in the foot, but would not leave the field. His loss was much heavier than that of any other regiment in my command.

"On the 22nd inst., in compliance with the order for a simultaneous assault, at 10 o'clock A. M., I moved my command under cover of my sharp shooters, through a net-work of ravines, filled with fallen timber and cane brake, to a point within sixty yards of the enemy's works, and massed my troops as well as the nature of the ground would admit. Colonel Giles Smith's brigade, of General Sherman's corps, took