Report of Ashbel Smith, Colonel, 2nd Texas, Inf. at Vicksburg.
"...The enemy, having completed his parallels, pushed forward three saps against the lines occupied by the Second Texas, two of them directed against the fort. Of these, one advanced toward the right salient parallel with the Baldwin’s Ferry road; the other advanced toward the left, ascending obliquely the sharp hill heretofore described as being situated to the front and between the debouches of the two valleys. Large sap-rollers were moved along the head of each sap for the protection of his sappers. The sap-rollers were cylinders some 7 or 8 feet long and 4 1/2 in diameter [this doesn't sound right D.U.], and made by rolling a matting woven of wire for the warp and cane for the filling around a central core. Six-[pounder] or 12-pouuder shot did not materially damage them. Various attempts were made by us to burn them; at length successfully. The sap on the right was now within 18 feet of our ditch. Fire-balls of cotton soaked in spirits of turpentine were thtown against the sap-roller. These fire-balls were drawn into the sap and extinguished. At length an 18-pounder shell wrapped with the soaked cotton was bowled against the sap-roller. Its explosion, as one of the enemy was seizing it, made them wary of our fire-balls. The sap-roller was ignited and thoroughly consumed. The other sap, protected by its roller, was pushed within 20 feet of our left. The core of this sap-roller was two cotton bales placed end to end. A fuse fired from a smooth-bore musket ignited one end of
the core of cotton. An incessant shower of Minies from our works made it perilous for the enemy to attempt to extinguish it. This sap-roller, too, was wholly consumed..."
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HEADQUARTERS HEBERT’s EnGADE,
June 9,1863.
MAJOR: I hare the honor to report that, for two days before, the enemy had been advancing their works on the Jackson road, under the cover or cotton bales placed on a car which car was moved along at will. Yesterday I directed Lieutenant-Colonel Russell, of the Third Louisiana Regiment, to make an attempt to destroy this cotton, and, if necessary, I would order some volunteers to dash forward and fire the cotton. The lieutenant-colonel, however, invented a safer and a much simpler course. He procured spirits of turpentine and tow, and, wrapping his musket-balls with the same, fired them, with light charges, into the cotton bales. His attempt succeeded admirably. The cotton was soon burning, and our sharpshooters, having been well instructed, prevented the fire from being extinguished or the cotton rolled away. Lieutenant-Colonel Russell reports that the car and over twenty bales of cotton on it were destroyed. He says that the car was composed of the platform of a freight railroad car and the wheels apparently iron. The car was at a istance of some 7S yards from ur works when destroyed, at 10 p.m. yesterday. Lieutenant-Colonel Russell deserves commendation for his success.
I am, major, respectfully, your obedient servant,
LOUIS HEBERT,
Brigadier-GeneraL
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David Upton