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of Raymond, Miss.
On the following morning the brigade, after a sharp skirmish with the enemy, was relieved by S. D. Lee's brigade, and went forward by Gen. C. L. Stevenson's order to guard his trains to Vicksburg, halting and skirmishing occasionally with the enemy.
The brigade reached its destination on the 17th, and went into position on the lines.
On the 18th of May the brigade was assigned position on the left of Barton's brigade, which held the Confederate right, the left resting on the Hall's ferry road, the right of Cumming's brigade.
The Thirty-first, Fifty-ninth and five companies of the Third were assigned to the ditches; and the Forty-third and the remainder of the Third were held in reserve.
Here for forty-seven days these brave sons of Tennessee endured the rain and heat of summer, living on half rations, half clad, daily under fire, without a murmur, says the brigade commander, and bore themselves with constancy and courage.
On the 29th of May the enemy drove in the picket line; but after nightfall the Tennesseeans drove them back and the line was re-established.
On the 1st of June the enemy established a battery 800 yards in front of the brigade.
This was soon silenced by Capt. F. D. Claiborne's battery of field pieces, but on the night of June 4th the enemy established a battery of four guns of heavy caliber in front of the Tennesseeans.
The fire from these guns was constant from the 5th of June until the surrender on the 4th of July.
On the 9th of June another battery of 20-pounder Parrott guns was mounted in front of the Tennesseeans, within 400 yards of their line, our pickets having been gradually withdrawn.
The enemy advanced to a point 75 yards distant, and there constructed works stronger than those occupied by our troops, these intrenchments being continuous along the brigade front.
The enemy's sharpshooters maintained a constant fire, and the exposure of the person was fatal.
Frequent successful sorties were made at night, but the
Atlanta, Ga. 1899.
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