Coppy

"In regard to the death of Mr Fogg I may say briefly: The lines had been advanced untill they had were verry near each other. At the point where he met his death, they were perhaps not over 60 ft apart. It was the habit to shout at any and all times, and various devices were adoped to cause an enemy to expose himself. One day General Blair—commanding the Division—came over to my Regiment to take a look at the works. Unguardedly he steped upon a slight elevation in the rear of the breastworks and instantaneously was fired upon (fortunately without injury) by the Rebels. Fogg called to him, and I pulled him down. It was then that our attention was called to the fact that Fogg had stuck a spade in the top of the earth works behind which he could take observations and fire. I said to him that it was risky: "You are liable at any moment to be killed." and Gen. Blair made the same remark. The words had scarcely left our lips when Fogg (who had just fixed his face behind the spade) fell at our feet dead. A rebel bullet had passed through the spade and penetrated his brain. Even in the midst of the scenes of death that surrounded us every hour during the siege, his sudden taking off was a great shock I am sorry that I cannot make a better or more lengthy description of his death but I can do little to day with my pen. Please say to the friends of Mr Fogg that he was a good soldier—respected and honored by his comrades and that, in both the charges at Vicksburg proved himself a hero.

                                                                                   

Sincerely Yours

J L Vance

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