JUNE 2. The mortar boats were unusually active last night, and part of the town was burned. It made a grand illumination. Towards morning infantry firing opened, also artillery. We were immediately formed for action, not knowing what was coming, but we thought it was the Rebs. It finally died down and we lay ready to fall in at a moment’s notice, but were not disturbed until morning. We were up before the sun, preparing to be out sharpshooting. Our artillery opened the middle of the afternoon and poured a perfect torrent of shot and shell over us. A good many burst among us. One man was wounded and we thought ourselves very lucky that no more were hurt. At night our boys tried to strike up a confab with the enemy, but not a word could be drawn from them. They were as silent as their works. JUNE 3. Wednesday. We were relieved early and returned to camp. Quiet during the day. Siege guns are coming up and heavy details are at work, entrenching and fortifying. About 8 o’clock, just as I had gone to bed and gotten to sleep, after a good wash, we were awakened by the boom of musketry, and ordered to form our line of battle immediately. We did so. Co. K and one or two others were held in reserve while the others were at work digging rifle pits. The firing gradually died away as it did the night before, and we lay down at 2 o’clock in the morning, dressed and equipped so as to be ready to fall in at a moment’s warning. It was rumored that the Rebs were making a desperate effort to cut their way through the net Grant completely enclosed them in, but the rumor proved false. JUNE 4. Thursday. All quiet. Heavy details were made to work on fortifications. One detail was at work digging a magazine which caved in and killed one man and wounded another from our regiment. I was on the detail that worked on the big fork of the road. I worked for over an hour in plain view of the Rebel sharpshooters on the right. They were not more than one hundred and fifty or two hundred yards distant. I expected a ball every minute, but for some reason they didn’t fire until our relief came on and then they sent a volley over. The work we are constructing here is on an eminence not more than twenty rods from the main Rebel fort. From here one can see the river, town, and a large hospital camp, also three lines of works, mostly rifle pits. We have heard that the fire in town the other night was their commissary depot and that the citizens set it on fire to end their sufferings, which were beyond their power of patriotism and fortitude to endure. It is rumored that they first requested Pemberton to cut out or surrender. The Rebels called over the line the other night for us to look out as they had a new General. We asked who it was and they replied: “General Starvation.” Blair’s expedition is returning from the rear; they went within sixteen miles of Yazoo City, but old Joe was nowhere to be found. A division has just come down from above. I wrote home today.