On June 25, 1863, the great siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi, had been underway for a month. However, the tedium of siege warfare was about to be broken by an alarming incident that occurred when a tunnel was dug under the defenses of Vicksburg. Mines were laid inside, which will soon be exploited. No one could have predicted the unexpected outcome of this military action.
General Ulysses S. Grant had led his troops across the Mississippi River at Bruinsburg, and after a series of battles he pursued the Confederate troops under General Pemberton within the confines of Vicksburg. Due to natural and man-made defenses, the riverside city was almost impregnable. The fortifications stretched for seven miles along ridges, each end of which was anchored by 200-foot river cliffs. The forts themselves were connected by trenches. The South had worked on the city’s defenses for a year, and the Federals were going to have a hard time taking it by force.
Within the besieged city, residents had fled their homes and taken refuge in the hills. Using primarily the labor of their slaves, they created multi-room homes, often bringing in rugs and furniture to increase their comfort. Northern soldiers called the area the “prairie dog village.” The projectiles launched by the land batteries and ships in the great river fell harmlessly past the houses on the hill. The seat stretched with little action.
Fortunately for the North, they had at their disposal an ancient weapon: hunger. In June, Vicksburg residents were limited to half and then a quarter ration. At last they were reduced to eating mule meat and peas. Many felt that mule meat was degrading to be consumed. The peas were mixed with cornmeal and formed into bread that had a texture like gunpowder. When baked, the peas took twice as long to cook as cornmeal, producing a half-raw loaf. Dejected residents later said the bread resembled Indian rubber and was also digested.
Finally, Grant grew impatient with the wait and ordered the engineers to excavate the aforementioned tunnel. The mines were carefully placed under the fortifications where Confederate soldiers were lying unconscious, and the engineers left the tunnel, unwinding long fuses as they went. When everything was ready, the fuses were lit and a huge crater melted in the walls. Union soldiers who rushed in soon engaged in deadly combat with the shocked Confederates.
The big bang had an unintended consequence. A southern slave named Abraham soared into the air and sailed over the Union lines, landing with a thud among the astonished soldiers. He was unharmed and looked around, realizing that, in an instant, he was free. An Iowa unit quickly claimed it as “war loot” and installed it inside a store. Inquisitive soldiers were charged a nickel to see the “flying black.” He was grateful to be released and to be fed so much better. Abraham became something of a celebrity and eventually served in the US Quartermaster Department.
The blast itself was unsuccessful, as Northerners in the crater were fired upon by southern soldiers. They were soon removed and Pemberton gave Grant permission to collect his dead and wounded. After a second mine exploded, Grant returned to his waiting game, enriched by an inadvertently acquired slave. Vicksburg finally surrendered on July 4, 1863.
Despite the loss of life and misery, one man in particular was the winner in Vicksburg. By sheer luck, Abraham, a black slave, won his freedom in spectacular fashion. As he was literally released, his emancipation occurred before the Lincoln Proclamation went into effect.
