The First Honor at Vicksburg: The 1^st Battalion, 13^th U. S. Infantry
By Terrence J. Winschel
From Volume 2, Number 1 (1992) of Civil War Regiments - A Journal of the American Civil War

These powerful statements spoken by the sixteenth president were no exaggeration. Confederate cannon mounted along the bluffs commanding the Mississippi River at Vicksburg were not only trained on the river, but denied that important avenue of commerce to Northern shipping. It is important to further note that Vicksburg was also the connecting link between the eastern and western parts of the Confederacy and sits astride a major supply route over which the armies of Braxton Bragg and Robert E. Lee received much needed food, clothing, medicine, and ammunitions, as well as fresh troops.

It was imperative for the administration in Washington to regain control of the lower Mississippi River, thereby opening that important avenue of commerce and enabling the rich agricultural produce of the Northwest to reach world markets. It would also split the Confederacy in two, server that vital supply route, achieve a major objective of the Anaconda Plan, and effectively seal the doom of Richmond.

To underscore the significance of the Mississippi River and Vicksburg, the following statements are offered as support:

William T. Sherman wrote: "To secure the safely of the navigation of the Mississippi River I would slay millions, On that point I am not only insane, but mad."

General-in-Chief Henry W. Halleck wrote in similarly direct, albeit less eloquent terms, " In my opinion, the opening of the Mississippi River will be to us of more advantage that the capture of forth Richmonds."

And finally, Confederate President Jefferson Davis in writing to Lt. General John C. Pemberton after the fall of Vicksburg stated his view, "I thought and still think you did right to risk an army for the purpose of keeping command of even section of the Mississippi. Had you succeeded, none would have blamed, had you not made the attempt few would have denied your course."

After the fall of New Orleans in April of 1862, the Confederates began to fortify Vicksburg. The city’s geographical location made it ideal for defense. Equally important, existing rail lines which connected Vicksburg with Jackson and via Jackson, points elsewhere in the Confederacy, enabled the shipment of heavy ordnance to the "Hill City". It was not long before Vicksburg became as the Gibraltar of the Confederacy." The strategic significance of Vicksburg greatly increased after the fall of Memphis where the bluffs met the river. It was only a matter of time before war in all its horror centered on Vicksburg.

It was clear to President Lincoln and his advisors that large land and naval forces were required to "pocket" the key city of Vicksburg and regain control of the great river. The administration had already taken steps to augment the Regular Army by the addition of several regiments, and had assembled numerous volunteer forces for the drive down river from Cairo, Illinois. Of the mighty host thus assembled and destined for glory, one unit in particular would surpass all other attaining fame in the operations for Vicksburg, the 1st Battalion, 13^th United States Infantry – the Regulars.

The 13^th United States Infantry regiment was constituted by President Abraham Lincoln on May 3, 1861 4. The unit’s remarkable career, which began near St. Louis, Missouri, at Jefferson Barracks, continues today. During various drives to gain control of the Mississippi and its major tributaries, the 13^th United States would see action at Chickasaw Bayou (December, 1862) and at Arkansas Post (January, 1863). It was, however, in the spring of 1863 that this unit established a reputation befitting its first commander, Col. William T. Sherman, and earned the distinction of "First at Vicksburg."

The year 1863 was ushered in with feverish activity as Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, commander of the Union Army of the Tennessee, seized upon Federal naval supremacy on the inland waters to transfer his forces from Memphis to Milliken’s Bend and Young’s Point, Louisiana, on the Mississippi River just north of and opposite Vicksburg. He also stationed troops farther to the north at Lake Providence, Louisiana. During the winter months, Federal forces stockpiled tremendous quantities of food, clothing, medicine, ammunition, and countless other items in preparation for the spring campaign aimed against Vicksburg. Grant also orchestrated a series of ill-fated bayou expeditions, the object of which was to reach the rear of Vicksburg. During this phase of the operations, the Regulars of the 1^st Battalion, 13^th U.S. Infantry participated in the nearly disastrous Steele’s Bayou Expedition.

By late March, the spring of 1863 came into bloom and the roads in the lower Mississippi Valley began to dry. After months of frustration and failure, Grant examined his options, three of which were discussed at army headquarters. The first was to launch an amphibious assault across the Mississippi River and storm the Vicksburg stronghold. The second was to pull back to Memphis and try the overland route once again. The third option was to march the army down the west side of the river, search for a favorable crossing point, and transfer the field of operations to the area south and eats of Vicksburg. In characteristic fashion, and with grim determination, Grant boldly opted for the march south. On March 29, Grant ordered Maj. Gen. John A. McClernand and his XIII Corps to open a road from Milliken's Bend to new Carthage on the Mississippi River below Vicksburg. The movement started on March 31, and thus the Vicksburg campaign began in earnest.

To divert Confederate Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton’s attention from his principal movement, Grant sent Sherman up the Yazoo River toward the Confederate’s northern flank, while his principal columns marched down the Louisiana side of the Mississippi River, first to Hard Times, then to Disharoon plantation, thirty-five miles below Vicksburg. To complete this initial movement, the Union fleet under command of R. Adm. David C. Porter passed below the Vicksburg batteries on the nights of April 16 and 22, and the batteries of Grand Gulf on the evening of the 29^th. By the end of April, all was in readiness to cross the river and move on Vicksburg form the south.

The Regulars were commanded by the gallant Capt. Edward C. Washington, and attached to Col. Giles Smith’s 1^st Brigade , Maj. Gen. Frank Blair’s 2^nd Division, of Sherman’s XV Corps. The officers and men who comprised the 1^st Battalion, 13^th U.S.I., were eager for action and disappointed at being left behind to make a demonstration while the rest of the army moved to cross the Mississippi River. The demonstration which took place near Snyder’s Bluff on April 30-May 1 was less than impressive, and the men saw little activity. The Regulars were anxious to join in the more active operations. Yes, they were only further disappointed when Blair’s division was left to guard the supply bases in Louisiana, while Sherman's two remaining divisions had to join Grant.

On April 30-May 1, 1863, Grant hurled his army across the might river and onto Mississippi soil. A band aboard the flagship Benton struck up the "The Red, White and Blue" as Grant’s infantrymen came ashore. In the largest amphibious operation in American history up to that time, the Federal commander landed 22,000 men and began the inland campaign to capture Vicksburg. Once ashore, Grant’s forces pushed rapidly inland and march through the night. Ion the early morning hours of May 1, Confederate resistance was encountered west of Port Gibson, In a furious battle which raged throughout the day, Union solders fought with grim determination to secure their beach head on Mississippi soil, which Southern soldiers fought with equal determination to drive the invaders into the river. Late in the day, after hours of fierce fighting, the blue soldiers swept the Confederates from the field, firmly securing their beachhead on the Mississippi side of the river.

With the initiative firmly in hand, Grant marched his force to the northeast toward Jackson, capital of Mississippi and an important Confederate supply center. A share engagement was fought on May 12 near the village of Raymond, but Union forces won the day once again. Sherman’s corps. Less Blair’s division, joined their comrades in Mississippi. On May 11, Captain Washington’s men gave a rousing cheer as the crossed over the river from Hard Times to Grand Gulf. The stalwart men of the battalion, along with two of Blair's three brigades, pushed out of Grand Gulf early in the morning of May 12 escorting a large supply train consisting of 200 wagons. The weather was extremely warm and roads dusty, Water along the route was scarce and, in the intense heat, the soldiers suffered with parched throats. The cumbersome wagons slowed the mare to a crawl and the column was forced to make frequent halts. The line of march took the mend from Grand Gulf through Willow Springs, to Rocky Springs, Old Auburn and into Raymond where they arrived on May 15.

By the time Ed Washington and his regulars tramped into Raymond, Jackson had been captured and was being effectively neutralized by the other units of Sherman’s corps. Grant’s main columns were pursuing west with a view of concentrating at Edwards Station, mid-way between Vicksburg and the rail center of Jackson. Confederate force, however, under Pembertons’s personal command, were in Edwards Station and a major battle appeared eminent.

Early on the morning of May 16, Grant was apprised of Pemberton’s whereabouts by two civilian employees of the Southern railroad. Reacting quickly to the intelligence, the Union commander pushed his columns over three parallel roads covering a broad front, yet maintaining supporting distance. The Regulars moved out of Raymond at sunrise and took up the line of march on the direct road to Edwards Stations. By mid-morning the rugged footsoldiers of the battalion had covered nine miles when they heard the sound of firing to there front. Pemberton and his army were making a stand near Baker's Creek, the salient point of the line resting on Champion Hill. Although the field was bitterly contested as the battle swayed back and forth, the Regulars saw but little action and suffered no casualties. In this, the bloodiest action of the Vicksburg campaign, Grants numerical superiority prevailed and the Confederates were driven from the field.

With little rest, the Regulars were on the road at daylight on the 17^th. Brigade commander Col. Giles smith reported that "the ground everywhere evidencing the haste with which the retreat of the enemy had been made, it being strewn with ammunition, muskets, wagons, caissons, and in a field near the road, eleven pieces of artillery were found, which had been abandoned by the enemy." The soldiers pushed forward with confidence and by noon were on the banks of the Big Black River at Bridgeport.

The Regulars were greeted by the sharp crack of musketry which announced the presence of Confederate sharpshooters on the opposite bank. Skirmishers were immediately deployed and returned fire. Artillery was also brought froward and sprayed the opposite bank with canister. In quick order, the Southerners were compelled to surrender and the river cleared for crossing. By nightfall, a pontoon bridge was laid and Blair’s division went safely across. The 1^st Battalion, 13^th U.S.I., was among the first units to cross and the men bivouacked two miles east of the river on the plantation of Mary Brooks.

Earlier that day, farther to the south, the greyclad columns were in full retreat toward Vicksburg and its strong fortifications. The Confederates stopped in an effort to hold the bridges over the Big Black River to await Maj. Gen. William W. Loring’s Division which had been cut off during the retreat from Champion Hill. Grant, however, moved with great speed. On May 17, Brig. Gen. Michael Lawler’s brigade of McClernand’s XIII Corps stormed the Confederate works and compelled the fleeing Southerners to burn the bridges. Pemberton’s army, badly shaken, ran for the cover of the Vicksburg defenses.

The citizens of Vicksburg watched in fear as the shattered remnants of Pemberton’s army poured into the city on that fateful day. Mrs. Emma Balfour, wife of the prominent Vicksburg physician, stood in her doorway as the demoralized mass of humanity filled the streets. She later wrote with trepidation, "I hope never to witness again such a scene which enveloped her, "From twelve o’clock until late in the night the streets and roads were jammed with wagons, cannons, horses, men, mules, stock, sheep, everything you can imagine that appertains to an army being brought hurriedly within the intrenchment." She confided to here diary the fears of many in Vicksburg, "What is to become of all the living things in this place…God only knows."

On through the long day and into the evening marched the weary soldiers of Pemberton’s army. Singly, or in small groups with no sense of order or discipline, the men filed into the rifle-pits and trenches to meet Grant’s rapidly approaching army. A medley of sounds filled the night air as the confederates readied their defenses: officers shouted orders, teamsters whipped their animals and dragged artillery into position, and, as the soldiers worked with picks and shovels, some men cursed while others prayed. Throughout the night, the ringing of axes was constant as additional trees were felled to strengthen fortifications, clear fields of fire, and form abates in their front. Work continued at a feverish pace and, by sunrise, the city was in a good state of defense.

The familiar sound of reveille shattered the morning stillness at an early hour on the 18^th, and the Regulars were on the road at daybreak. Although the day was warm, Captain Washington and his battalion covered nine miles by 9:30 am, and had reached the junction of the Bridgeport and Benton roads. A halt was made for the troops to rest and eat their rations. Fires were started and the men enjoyed a relaxing cup of coffee.

With buoyant spirits, the troops eagerly resumed the march early in the afternoon. As the Northerners neared Vicksburg, Companies A (Capt. Charles Ewing) and C (Capt. Frank Muhlenberg) of the 13^th U.S. Infantry were deployed as skirmishers and felt for the Confederate rear guard. A member of Company C later wrote, "we went in on our nerve to feel the gentlemen slightly." Contact was made two miles from the city along the Graveyard Road and continued to within 100 yards of the Vicksburg defenses, when pursuit was called off. Later that same night the Regulars were again sent forward to relieve the pickets of Col. Thomas Kilby Smiths’s brigade, and there they remained till early morning.

There was little sleep that night as orders were carried from army headquarters to the various units and disposition made for the assault planned for the 19^th. Grant believed that a quick and powerful assault would give him possession of the fortress city, but perhaps he moved too quickly, his army was strung out between Vicksburg and the Big Black River. Consequently, when the time of the attack arrived, Sherman’s corps, alone, was in proper position.

The morning of May 19 brought the sharp crack of musketry between pickets and sharpshooters. The Regular boiled their coffee and ate their hardtack, while artillery pieces were wheeled into position and brought to bear on the Confederate works less than a quarter mile away. The people and the defenders of Vicksburg were about to experience war in all its horror.

Pemberton’s defense line ran for more than eight miles and formed a huge semicircle around the city with both flanks resting on the river. The formidable Confederate defenses were a series of large earth works connected by rifle-pits and parapets dotted by embrasures for artillery. Northeast of Vicksburg, guarding the Graveyard Road approach to the city, was the 27^th Louisiana Lunette, and just south of the lunette and the road was the Stockade Redan. Sherman’s task was to reduce these strongholds and open the roadway to Vicksburg.

The XV Corps was formed with Blair’s division on the left in the following order: Colonel Thomas Kilby Smith’s 2^nd Brigade on the left, astride the Graveyard Road; Col. Giles Smith’s 1^st Brigade in the center; and Brig. Gen. Hugh Ewing’s 3^rd Brigade on the right. After the lines were formed, the troops were marched to the crest of a hill, ordered "in place rest," and there the sturdy veterans under Ed Washington waited for the artillery to open on the Confederate works.

To soften up Pemberton’s lines, Grant ordered an artillery bombardment to precede the attack of his infantry. Accordingly, at 9 a.m., the cannons opened a sporadic fire to get the proper range, then maintained a vigorous fire for hours. The ground shook as the artillerymen hurled solid shot and shell at the city’s defenses, and the thick clouds of smoke which rose from the guns shrouded the fields, making it virtually impossible to see. The Confederates crouched behind their defenses and made little reply to the fire of Wood’s, Barrette’s and Hart’s Illinois batteries.

As the artillery continued its fire, the Regulars made final preparations for the assault. The infantrymen steadied their nerves, placed bayonets on tier rifles, and dressed their lines. Giles Smith’s brigade was arrayed with the Sixth Missouri on the right, five companies of the 113^th Illinois, right center, 116^th Illinois left center, seven companies of the First battalion, 13^th United States Infantry on the left, and the Eighth Missouri in reserve.

At 2 p.m., all the artillery pieces in position fired three volleys in rapid succession, the signal for the charge. Capt. Edward Washington, commander of the 13^th U.S.I., turned to his men, drew his sword, and gave the commands in quick order: "Attention, Shoulder Arms. Battalion Forward, Charge Bayonets, Double Quick-March." "In an instant," wrote a member of the battalion, "our brave boys moved over the hill at the double quick through a most deadly cross fire of grape, canister shot, and shell but we heeded it not." The Regulars, 250-strong, went forward in splendid array with their bright colored banners snapping in the breeze above them. The regimental standard was carried by Sgt. Robert M. Nelson of Company B, and the national colors by Sgt. James E. Brown of Company C. Both men were determined to plant their colors atop the parapets of Vicksburg.

Once over the crest, the Confederate works came into view, looming ominously against the skyline. Between the surging blue tide and the city’s defenses, the terrain was difficult to traverse, being a deep, steep ravine filled with obstruction designed to disrupt the advancing lines. Sgt. Washington W. Garner of Company C described the scene by writing that there were "fallen tree tops facing us, many of the limbs sharpened, and a wire strung to strike us about the knees or below and throw us on those sharpened limbs." The advance would carry them through a cornfield beyond which the men also had to contend with tree stumps, a dense growth of brush and cane, holes covered with mats of dried grass, several fences and, off to the right, a large frame house and outbuildings.

The entrenched Southerners were ready. Inside the Stockade Redan was the veteran 36^th Mississippi under Col. W.W. Witherspoon, anchoring the left of Brig. Gen. Louis Hebert’s Brigade. About 2 p.m., responding to the massing of Federal troops opposite the 27^th Louisiana Lunette and the Stockade Redan complexes and the ensuing advance, Col. Francis M. Cockrell sent his Missouri Brigade forward to bolster the defenses. Col. A. C. Riley’s 1^st Missouri and Col. James McCown’s 5^th Missouri quickly joined the Mississippians in the Redan and among the poplar stockade. The 3^rd Missouri, under Col. W.R. Gause, fell in behind, ready to reinforce weak spots in this sector of the Confederate defenses.

Shortly after the advance started, Confederate artillery and small-arms fire began taking its toll, ripping into the advancing lines and tearing gaps that could not be filled. Casualties mounted at an alarming rate, especially among the color guard. Cpl. Noble Warwick was the first of the color guard to fall, being hit "just after passing over the crest." As he lay upon the ground in pain, Warwick watched his comrades advance. Years later he wrote, "Corporal Slate of G Co. was the next wounded of the Color Guard shot through both thighs." In the hail, of fire, Sergeant Brown and the national colors were the nest to fall. A member of the battalion who witnessed the colors drop to the ground noted that the assault , Cpls. Daniel Payne and Edward Maher, both of Company C, would also be killed while carrying the national standard, along with fourteen others killed or wounded.

As the charge of the Regulars swept through the cornfield north of Graveyard Road, the first line of obstructions was reached. The tangled mass of cane, brush, and trees presented an "an almost impassable" barrier and disrupted the advancing blue lines 50 yards from their starting point. The advance continued as the Union troops filtered through the abatis one-by-one or in small groups, but all order was lost.

The Confederate fire was devastating and pinned down several units. So that the advance might continue, the Eighth Missouri was halted at the top of the ravine and blazed away at the defenders of Vicksburg. Under this protective fire, the brigade pushed forward and sought shelter at the bottom of the ravine. Captain Washington led his men down the steep ravine to the next line of obstructions. Gardner recalled, "Our comrades were now falling around us at every step, some killed instantly, others having an arm or leg shot off, and wounds of all descriptions." Casualties became heavy and the regimental surgeon set up a temporary hospital between the lines in the shelter of the ravine.

Not only was Giles Smith’s attack faltering, but to his left, Kilby Smith’s brigade was also having a difficult time. His five regiments formed in two lines and guiding on the Graveyard Road, swept toward Stockade Redan. A deadly crossfire raked their lines and brought most of the bluecoats to a halt far short of their objective with their lines bleeding and torn.

With momentum waning, brigade regimental and company commanders attempted to rally and reform their men. It proved a difficult task-because of the intensity of the Confederate fire and the rough terrain, alignments had been lost. As confusion spread, regiments became intermixed. To get the men moving again, Captain Washington and the color-bearers advanced to the rail fence at the base of the slope. As the line resumed its forward movement, the fearless Washington was cut down while scaling the fence. Seeing the Captain fall, Sergeant Nelson immediately ran to his side and asked if there was anything he could do for him. Realizing that his wound was mortal, Washington slowly unfastened his sword belt, took his pocketbook and watch, and asked that Nelson give them to the next officer in command.

In spite of Washington’s loss, the Regulars continued their determined advance up the hill toward the north face of Stockade Redan. On hands and knees the men clawed their way up the hillside. As they neared the confederate works, the men came under the fire of their own infantry and artillery. Still, they continued. Pvt. Charles H. Smart of Company C recalled, as he climbed the hill, "I saw John A. Phelan, a private of Company C, raise his gun two or three times and endeavor to draw a bead on some object in our rear." When asked what he was trying to do, Phelan replied: "There is a fellow back there on the hill, who loads his gun, sticks it over the log behind which he is concealed and fires away, regardless of where his shot takes effect, and if he puts his head above that log I’ll kill him."

A handful of Federals cleared the rail fence along the Graveyard road. This was the final obstruction between them and the Confederate line, and they clambered up the last stretch of hill. A private carrying the national flag was shot through the head, and the colors fell once more. Captain Ewing seized the standard and , waving it defiantly above him to inspire the men, moved forward.

Within twenty-five yards of the Redan, Ewing was overcome by exhaustion and sat on a stump to catch his breath. The young captain, however, continued to wave the flag as the blue tide swept up the hill. Finally at the top, several men made a dash for the ditch fronting the Confederate works, one of them being Sergeant Nelson with the regimental colors. Among those swarming over the top and the first into the ditch was Sergeant Gardner of Company C. Nelson was immediately behind him and thrust the flagstaff into the outer wall of Stockade Redan. The regimental standard of the Thirteenth U.S. Infantry was the first Northern flag planted on the exterior slope of the works surrounding Vicksburg.

While standing on the stump urging his men forward, Captain Ewing had his right thumb shot off and the "Stars and Stripes" fell to the ground. A member of the battalion who stood nearby grasped the flag, jumped into the ditch, and planted the standard on the parapet. The Regulars had carried their colors to the enemy’s works and there they proudly waved side by side in the bright afternoon sun.

Once in the ditch, the Federals began digging holes in the bank with their bayonets for the purpose of scaling the bastion’s exterior slope and waited for reinforcements. At that moment, as the remainder of the 1^st Brigade crept toward Stockade Redan, Kilby Smith’s brigade resumed its advance. Down the Graveyard Road surged men from Ohio, Illinois and Indiana. A few men from the 83^rd Indiana and the 127^th Illinois also reached the ditch and planted their flags. The majority of the brigade, however, was pinned down less than 50 yards from the Confederate works and, at such close range, the lethal exchange of fire continued.

As the men of the 1^st and 2^nd Brigades struggled up the hill on hands and knees toward the ditch, Brig. General Hugh Ewing’s 3^rd Brigade came into position for the assault. With a fury, he let loose his four regiments on the 27^th Louisiana Lunette. Several times his men surged through the ravine and up the hill, only to be stopped within 30 yards of their goal, suffering frightful losses. Unable to reach their goal, his men sought shelter in the base of the ravine.

The Federal battle lines had been stopped. Heavy casualties made another assault by Blair’s division impractical without support. Lt. Justus A. Boies of Company H was sent to the rear to ask Sherman for orders and reinforcements. En route, an artillery projectile severed a leg and he soon died.

With no assistance in sight, the brigades began to withdraw. The handful of men in the ditch were left to fend for themselves in what one of the Regulars termed a "living grave." Sergeant Gardner of Company C noted with anguish, "I expected every minute would be our least." In the heat of battle, Private Smart of Company C recalled seeing "a Confederate musket held in a vertical position behind the Redan." Years later he wrote:

Resting my musket on the fence at full cock and pointed at the Confederate gun, I picked up a piece of a limb of a tree about a foot long and an inch and half in diameter and threw it at the musket, striking it fair and square. As it did so, the man holding the musket raised up in full sight, when I pressed the trigger of my Springfield. The Confederate threw up both hands falling backwards.

In addition to the deadly musketry, hand grenades were tossed back and forth between the men behind the works and those in the ditch. Confederate demands for surrender were met by the sharp crack of a musket. A lieutenant of the battalion, who made it to the ditch, was bold enough to grab the national colors and hold it as high as he could. The spearhead was shot off and the tassels and ribbons fell to the ground. One Southerner even attempted unsuccessfully to seize and pull in the colors.

Realizing that it was useless to scale the Redan, the men in the ditch decide to wait until the sun set then withdraw as best they could under cover of darkness. As soon as it was dark, the men mounted the bank behind them on the north side of the Redan, and scrambled down into the ravine. On his way back, Pvt. James Kephardt of Company C spotted a wounded officer and carried him to the rear and medical treatment. For his action, Kephardt was awarded the Medal of Honor.

As darkness blanketed the fields, the sounds of battle slowly faded into silence, only to be replaced by the cries of the wounded. Dead and wounded were thickly strewn among the stalks of corn, in the ravines and gullies, and on the slope leading into Stockade Redan. Casualties had been high, especially in Giles Smith's brigade. The Regulars alone lost 7 out of 12 officers and 64 enlisted men for a total of 71 out of 250 engaged.

Under cover of darkness, several men of Blair's Division returned to the bloodstained fields to search for killed and wounded comrades. Confederates also came out of their works to gather in the Union wounded that were close to their lines. One of the Federals thus seized was Capt. Edward Washington. Pvt. J.V. Kearns of Company H recalled that, as his party neared the enemy's works, the Confederates called out that they had Captain Washington in their hands and that he was dying.

To prevent further removal of the Union wounded by their comrades, a detachment of Confederates set the frame house between the lines on fire. The light from this blaze burned for hours and exposed the fields and hollows for all to see. Nonetheless, search parties continued their work and brought in several privates and Lt. Joseph L. Hour of Company D.

The search, however, failed to locate the national colors and led the Regulars to believe that the cherished banner had been captured. The regimental and national colors were borne from the enemy's works by Sergeants Nelson and Medley, respectively. Nelson arrived safely back in camp with 4 bullet holes in his clothes, 18 bullet holes in the flag, and 2 pieces of canister and 1 mini ball in the staff. Medley, however, did not make it back. Around 3 a.m., as the men sat by their campfires, reflecting on the days events, an exhausted private, Patrick Maher, staggered into camp limping slightly from a leg wound and dragging the national colors behind him. Upon examination, the flag was found to contain 56 bullet holes and the staff had been broken in three parts; ample support for Sergeant Gardener's statement that, "men never stood hotter fire."

Next day, May 20, the regiment was drawn up in line once more. As General Sherman and his staff rode by, the corps commander called to Capt. Charles C. Smith, now in command of the battalion. With sadness in his voice, Sherman asked, "Is that all that was left of the 13^th? Are either of the color Sergeants saved?" "Yes General," was the captain's response, "Sergeant Nelson." Sherman answered, "Well, we can give him something better," and Nelson was made quartermaster sergeant.

The corps commander gave his former command "something better" as General Orders No. 64 issued on August 15, 1863, from department headquarters read:

The board finds the Thirteenth United States Infantry entitled to the first honor at Vicksburg, having in a body planted and maintained its colors on the parapet with a loss of 43.3/10's per cent including the gallant Commander Washington who died at the parapet. Its conduct and loss the board, after a careful examination believe unequaled in the army and respectfully ask the General commanding the department to allow it the inscription awarded "First at Vicksburg."

Capt. Frank Muhlenberg of Company C later wrote with firm conviction that, "No men did more when they faced shot and shell that memorable afternoon than did the officers and men of that gallant Battalion, and its sacrifices were most glorious and heroic to protect the country for which they fought." So proud were the men of their achievement and the singular honor awarded, that they adopted is as their unit motto. And, to this day, men of the 13^th U.S.I. proudly wear inscribed on their shoulder patches the honor awarded: "First at Vicksburg."

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