Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 7.djvu/559

78 of the batteries; but, though killing half the crew and further disabling the Arkansas, failed in their purpose and themselves suffered severely. This fourth and final battle left the Arkansas, as Brown is fully justified in saying, "though reduced in crew to twenty men all told for duty, still defiant in the presence of a hostile force, perhaps exceeding in strength that which fought under Nelson at Trafalgar."

With this failure to destroy the Arkansas the serious attack upon Vicksburg ceased, although the bombardment was kept up until the 27th, when both fleets disappeared. For sixty-seven days the enemy had been in front of Vicksburg, and during much of the time had been raining shot and shell into the devoted city and defenses. The number of Federal missiles was estimated at from 20,000 to 25,000, yet the casualties in the batteries were only seven killed and fifteen wounded, and but two deaths were reported from the town. Probably 300 guns were used against the defenses, but of the comparatively small number on the Confederate side not one was dismounted, and but two temporarily disabled.

The troops gathered by General Van Dorn for the defense of Vicksburg included the brigades of General Helm, General Bowen, General Preston, Colonel Statham and General Smith. The Mississippi organizations in these commands were the Thirty-first infantry, Colonel Orr, with Helm; the Sixth infantry, Colonel Lowry, and Second Confederate battalion, James C. Malone, with Bowen; the Fifteenth infantry, Lieutenant-Colonel Farrell, and the Twenty-second infantry, Captain Hughes, with Statham; the Sixth battalion, Lieutenant-Colonel Balfour; the Third infantry, Colonel Mellon; Company I, Thirty-ninth infantry, Captain Randel; First regiment Mississippi light artillery, Colonel Withers; Twenty-eighth Mississippi cavalry, Colonel Starke, with Smith.

These officers and men are mentioned in the reports of Generals Smith and Van Dorn in the most complimentary