Since today, May 22, is the anniversary, here is an excerpt from Cockrell's OR of the siege of Vicksburg describing the repulse of the Federal attacks on May 19 and 22. Bowen's Division being the reserve, the 1st Missouri Brigade moved to supported different sections of the line during the attacks, mainly around the Stockade Redan and surrounding works.
On May 18, 1863, began the siege of Vicksburg. On this evening I received an order from General Bowen to move out the Graveyard road to support Major-General Smith's division. Reporting to General Smith, in obedience to his order I occupied a line on the extreme left in advance of the main line, after occupied during the siege, and was fired upon by the enemy's skirmishers before gaining my position. Skirmishing continued till darkness closed in. This evening I had 1 man killed and 8 men wounded. During the night of the 18th instant, I withdrew in rear of our main line, and remained in reserve, in rear of the right of Brigadier-General Baldwin's brigade.
About 2 p. m. (19 instant), the enemy massed a large force in front of Brigadier-General Shoup's brigade and the left of Brigadier-General Hebert and the right of Brigadier-general Baldwin's, and made a most furious and determined assault. Seeing this concentration of the enemy's force, I immediately moved the Fifth Missouri Infantry, under Colonel McCown, to the support of General Hebert's left, and the First Missouri Infantry, under Colonel A. C. Riley, to the support of line at the stockade between General Hebert's left and Shoup's right, and the Second Missouri Infantry, under Lieutenant Colonel P. S. Senteny, to the support of the Twenty-seventh Louisiana Regiment, on Shoup's right, and the Sixth Missouri Infantry, under Col. Eugene Erwin, to the support of Brigadier-General Vaughn's brigade, on the extreme left (then threatened), and held the Third Missouri Infantry, under Col. W. R. Gause, in readiness to re-enforce any point. The enemy in large masses, without any regular lines, pressed forward very close to our works, but were soon severely repulsed and driven back in disorder; and every subsequent effort was likewise repulsed.
This brigade, with General Shoup's brave Louisianians, had the honor of receiving the first assault of the enemy and repulsing them--suffering, too, the dangers, incident to such clash in arms, losing 8 killed and 62 wounded in this engagement.
The brave and gallant William F. Luckett, ordnance sergeant Second Missouri Infantry, acting with me as aide, while bringing us ammunition, was mortally wounded and afterward died.
The brigade remained near this line up to the 22nd instant. On this day, about 2 p. m., the enemy, preparatory to a charge, moved his whole force as near our lines as could be done, and then made a most desperate and protracted effort to carry our lines by assault. This assault was preceded by a most furious fire from the enemy's numerous batteries, of shell, grape, and canister. The air was literally burdened with hissing missiles of death. During the terrific clash of arms, the Fifth Missouri Infantry occupied a line to the right of the Thirty-sixth Mississippi Regiment, in Hebert's brigade; the Third Missouri occupied the stockade and the redan to its right; five companies of the Second Missouri occupied a portion of the line of the Twenty-seventh Louisiana Infantry, and the other five companies in reserve; six companies of First Missouri Infantry were placed in the trenches with the Thirty-sixth Mississippi Regiment, and one company occupied the redan to the right of the Thirty-sixth Mississippi Regiment, and the remaining three companies were moved from point to point; and the Sixth Missouri Infantry was sent to re-enforce Brigadier-General Moore's line, and then General Hebert's line north of the Jackson road. Nobly did the officers and soldiers of this brigade greet every assault of the enemy with defiant shouts and a deliberately aimed fire, and herded them back in disorder. The enemy gained the ditch around the redan to the right to the stockade and occupied it for some time. Colonel Gause, of the Third Missouri Infantry, procured some fuse-shell, and, using them as hand-grenades, threw them into the ditch, where they exploded, killing and wounding some 22 of the enemy.
This day the brigade lost 28 killed and 95 wounded, the Third Missouri suffering fearfully, losing 12 killed and 52 wounded, having been exposed during the assault to an enfilading and rear fire in the redan, against which there was then no protection or defense.
In the CV article by W. J. Ervin on Lt. K. H. Faulkner of Co. E, 3rd Missouri Inf. (see post #37) it is stated that it was Faulkner's idea to use the shells as hand-grenades at the Stockade Redan.
It was at Vicksburg, on May 22, that my dear friend Faulkner came to the front. During the fearful onslaught of that day by General Grant on our fortifications, our regiment, the Third Missouri Infantry, occupied "The Stockade" or what was afterwards known as the "slaughter pen." It was erected at a salient point of our works and played upon by forty pieces of the enemy's artillery, and being subjected to a cross fire of both artillery and small arms, together with three terrific charges and onslaughts made in succession by infantry columns upon our works led by Gen. Frank P. Blair, of Missouri, who was afterwards United States Senator and candidate for Vice President.
In defeat the Federal troops took refuge in an immense excavation made around the base of the hill upon which our stockade was built. In an attempt to dislodge the Federal troops just below us, King Hiram Faulkner went to the magazine of a battery that had been silenced and disabled, calling for the six-pound shells left, and ordered the fuses on them cut to three seconds. Thereupon the sergeant refused a notice so short. He then called the writer to his aid, to perform this work unknown to the average infantryman; but, being a private, I obeyed orders. Time and excitement did the balance. Upon the throwing of each of the forty or more of these shells a demand was made by Lieutenant Faulkner for surrender. From General Blair's men came back the sad refrain: "Go to h—."
On the following morning twenty-seven dead were counted in the works around our base, General Blair and his men escaping under the cover of darkness. This was the beginning of hand grenade throwing, which became so annoying and destructive during this siege. On May 25, when a truce was made for the burial of the dead, General Blair asked General Cockrell for the name of the man who threw those shells. When informed who he was, he sought an introduction to him, stating that he admired a genius in war. Colonel Faulkner and myself were in retirement just then, but upon the call dear old Frank went to the front, where he was introduced to General Blair. I will never forget that scene—a Federal major general eulogizing a Confederate lieutenant for his bravery and perseverance.
Here's a diorama located in the Missouri State Museum at the Missouri State Capitol depicting the attack on the Stockade Redan and surrounding works at Vicksburg. The Stockade Redan can be seen in the background with Missouri battle flag flying, and I believe that is the Federal "forlorn hope" detachment charging down the Graveyard Road.
https://friendsofmsm.org/civil-war/