Our captain answered the rebel thus, “Sir, I am Captain Jackson of the pioneer corps, and have orders from U. S. Grant to dig you out of here, and who are you, sir?”
“I am Colonel Jackson of the 20th Alabama Confederate, and have my orders form General Pemberton to blow you out of existence if you cross that wire fence.”
They met each other between the lines, shook hands, and had a long interview, for they proved to be uncle and nephew. I thought that we were in for it that night when their picket was called in and I heard the gunner call out, “Double shot with cannister, Number Four.” But now all was settled and we rested in our rifle pit until morning.
On the 29th the rebels planted a heavy gun to dismount our twenty-four pounders, that lay to our rear. They had fired two shots which took no effect, when one of our twenty-pound Parrots in the rifle pit threw a shot which knocked the rebel gun out of existence.
July 1, 1863, the rebels made a charge on part of McArthur’s division, but they were driven back into their works, with a counter charge. They lost thirty killed and taken prisoners. They also charged out on Lawman’s advance, capturing and filling up several rifle pits. They covered up several of our wounded, who perished before we recaptured the pits. That part of the line was reinforced and we established our line nearer their fort.
On the 3rd, we advanced our works by sapping and mining. We dug up some negro skeletons as this had been a negro graveyard. We were building ladders and preparing for a general charge. We could throw clods of dirt into the rebel’s forts. They had planted several mines under our rifle pits by digging tunnels.
We all knew that something was going to happen, as this kind of warfare could not last much longer.
At nine o’clock, on the morning of the 3rd of July, a flag of truce came out from the rebel lines, and was received at General Grant’s headquarters. Then came the order to cease firing all along the line for a three hours’ armistice. But Porter, who had not received the order, kept his big mortars busy, and threw some large pieces of shell over the rebels, and into our lines.
This rest was a good thing for all of us. Both rebel and union troops sat up on our works and talked over the business of the day.
This is a day long to be remembered by many, both of the North and the South. At twelve o’clock at noon both armies resumed their places in the works and renewed that long struggle, but the firing was not as heavy as it had been.