Web Author's Notes:
Below are two sketches of Union troops at the siege of Vicksburg. The first sketch shows the position of Gen. Isaac Quinby's, succeeded by Gen. John E. Smith's Seventh Division, 17th Army Corps (McPherson's). These troops would have been positioned due east of the city. The second sketch shows the position of Gen. Alvin Hovey's Twelfth Division, 13th Army Corps. Hovey's position was southeast of the city. The specific regiments are listed in the caption on the drawing.

Note: These sketches were drawn by Alfred E. Mathews, a musician with the 31st Ohio Infantry. Of interesting note, Mathews was a northerner, residing in Alabama at the outbreak of the war, and was coerced into joining a local, Rebel military company. He managed to escape the situation and embarked on an arduous journey, making it all the way to the safety of Chicago. He tells his colorful story in a short book titled Interesting Narrative; Being A Journal of the Flight of Alfred E. Mathews, of Stark Co., Ohio, published in 1861 and which is available for viewing on the Library of Congress and several other websites. A year later, on September 24, 1861, Mathews enlisted in the Ohio volunteers, eventually joining the 31st Ohio Volunteer Infantry as a Musician. Although his unit was several hundred miles away from Vicksburg during the siege, he was present and made the accurate sketches below (as confirmed by Gen. Ulysses Grant). An extensive description of his colorful life notes he made a large number of Civil War sketches and was an artist during and after the war. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant knew him, personally, and admired his work, this possibly being the connection that put Mathews at Vicksburg in 1863. It is surmised that due to his abilities, he was often on detached duty to various places during the war, making sketches of a number of battles when his regiment was no where near.

Images from Library of Congress.