One of the more interesting segments of the battle for Vicksburg takes place here. The views to the right are from the Confederate lines looking toward the entrenched Union. The images change from day to day. They look along a line at the top of a very steep hill. At the bottom of which the Union was building a tunnel. The plan was to get the tunnel under these positions in the view to the right and below up explosives at the end of the tunnel then attack in the confusion.

This particular tunnel was not exploded. The battle ended just as the tunnel was completed. Others at this battle were detonated. For example on June 25 under the Third Louisiana Redan one was set off. Control of the breach in the line raged for 26 hours before the Confederates again gained control.

This tactic was again used at Petersburg later in the war and is famous as the battle of the Crater. What is interesting is that in both cases the troops charged into the crater. They had difficulty getting out making excellent targets.

Major General John Logan

On the left is Major General John Logan of Illinois. He was the commander of the Third Division of the Seventieth Corps of Grant Army. This is a monument from the state of Illinois.

After the war one of last forts built to fight the Plains Indians in Colorado was built just outside of Denver, Colorado. It was named Ft. Logan after the Major General. It is currently the home for a National Cemetery and the state of Colorado has a mental health hospital located on the site.

Vicksburg Battlefield
View from Thayers Approach

If one lets their gaze follow the path in the center of the photo to the crest of the hill one can see the spot that the above photos were taken. The hill line marks the Confederate positions.