I now discovered that, instead of a regiment, a whole brigade was coming, and that our skirmishers had fallen back, and that I was in range between McAlister's Battery and the rebs. I started on a run, and fairly _flew_ as I went; but before I could get out of range, the battery opened on the rebs with double charges of grape and canister, which came howling and tearing the ground all about me. How I escaped instant death is a wonder to me. I succeeded in getting out of the way before another round was fired, quite satisfied with my experience there. I then moved round much further to the right, and took with me a corporal of the 20th Ohio, by the name of Wm. Grinnell, whom I found engaged in sharp-shooting. After reconnoitering a little, we discovered a rebel battery of eight guns, that kept up a harassing fire upon our lines. We succeeded in sheltering ourselves from view, in close rifle range of the guns, behind a large clump of bushes, and then commenced paying our respects to the gunners. We were doing "bully" execution, and had fired ten or twelve shots apiece, when the rebs returned our compliments with a charge of canister that mowed the bushes all about us. The charge made such a terrible whizzing and howling, and came so suddenly and unexpectedly, that I involuntarily dropped to the ground. "Are you hurt, Bunker?" called out the corporal. "No; are you?" "No; but if we had stood anywhere else we should both have been killed." The ground was literally plowed up all about us. A few minutes later, the 8th Illinois and 32d Ohio made a charge on the battery to capture it. As the line advanced, there became a strife between the two regiments which should reach it first and take possession. The officers and men of the 32d Ohio had been smarting under the false accusation of "Harper's Ferry cowards," and had longed for an opportunity of retrieving their reputation. "Come on, boys; we are 'Harper's Ferry cowards!'" shouted a Captain; and the words were instantly repeated by the whole regiment, and with a dash they outstripped their Illinois rivals. As they raised the hill near the battery, a round of canister was fired at them, but, fortunately, it was aimed too high to do much injury. The rebs then broke and run, leaving six of their guns to fall into the hands of the 32d Ohio. Major-General Logan complimented the regiment highly for its gallantry, and allowed Company F to retain the guns and serve them. That company was originally recruited as an artillery company. On the 17th of May we resumed our march, and on the 18th we crossed Black River, and on the 19th our lines extended around Vicksburg, from the river above to the river below, occupying a line of about seven miles in length. Major-General Sherman's corps occupied the right, Major-General McPherson's the center, and Major-General M'Clernand's the left. Then began the siege of Vicksburg.