Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1862-08-16
From The VIeksburg Citizen, August
pROV,DENOE PROTEOTS THE INNOCENT.

The remarkable efcspe Of the people Of Vicksburg
during the bombardments is oil the most wonderu u
Illustrations Of the protecting care OF an overriding
Providence that has yet been recorded IN the bsoy oil
time For ten weeks did their mortar set lay CT before
this city aud mud their fiery missiles into our midst
without .f.cirg any serious Injury. Notwithstanding
their boastu threats that they could lay this little city
in ashes in two hours under the fury OF their com
bned fleets. Vicksbug still stands, apparently as sound
as ever. The power Of their guoboas has vanished
the prestige and dash Of their mortar feet is broken
the glory of their navy Is departed their trip on
the Mississippi was q barren But their main cb-
jec. their pet des the destruction Of Vctsburg, vac,
above all the ohe,t Of their hearts desire and in 1t
they made Illuminating failure. All the poser of every
mortar rife seige gun, email erms grape, canister,
round shot, r!ha SHE'LL rquid shel, hct shel-from the
mamie bs the hundred and ninety pound bomb shell,
all hurled with the concentrated fury Of the CON-
bned fleets against this devoted city During the storm
OF fire. and iron sulphur and all the beish combinations
of Yankee ingenuity, on the morning OF tho 2S.h OF
June the CONSTANT unbroken and dsafening roar, the
reverberatng echoes from the forests the bowling Of the
rife balls in their passage through the air the clouds OF
dust they raised when they struck the earth with orce
that shyered everything they hit the whirring OF rag
ments of shell they flew from the elevated points Of
explosion aud the continuous sheet OF dame on the Tv
err all combined to render Il! the most terrific pyrotech.
mic exhibition ever witnessed. Indeed ii is fair assert
that the ike was before Witnessed, The accounts
given by tue enemy themselves say that the world had
never witnessed a bonita d rent like this-
Their combined H,ets, composed OF the pride and
boast of the Federal navy-ther armament ali consist
ing of the latest most improved and destructive insu
ments Of eunnery, manned by the most experienced
adopts urged by al the CONSIDERATIONS and iaducemeI u
OF booty and b. auty, and driven BY the mosL savage,
wsntoD, brute force, w5ich further augmented Uy
the modification at set their ttIra so iruiess and
abortye. The prestige OF their fret class sloeps Of
Hartford, Richmond, Brooklyn, Iroquos and 0leida
he AT Ael q
gunboats had iorsaken tn, IL has been sply said
that IL all the thunder storms tia! man has ever heard
In MS life concentrated into space OF three hours
It you'd equal the umutuous roar OF that eventiul
morning. Tae very earth shudderee the forest reul-
bled, and the buildings ratified as shaken by hurr
cane. Such is imperfect picture Of the teuif; bonn
bardment on the morning Of tho 25h, and again the
evening OF the 18Th Jlly.
In the midst OF this storm did gallant and noble
Genera Van ssue address to tho brave defenders OF
vi k,burg apply saying that all this tumut merely
sound aud fury sgniiyng nothing" A. the time, but
few Of our people wiling TO sgree with this sent-
ment but after the h.ng had ceased examination OF
the Casualties lad and /. isoertainsd that out
two lives we're lost aud tina, the city but ils H.
iured ell became reoonoed 70 the timely assertion that
il pIs all Sound and turJ, sgnifJng nothing"
TrGly did kind Providence preside over the dss.
tines Of this city aud her people In those trying
& NEE: Surely may We congratulate ourselves that
taere than one-eyen more ;bGn i've righteous
lett ~ luis city " Nneu OlI NJ
t,mp;ed is Destruction Thst anything should live
A such fiery otdtal-that building should remain
Standing and unli juTed, Ia uuy wonderful and
mysterious. Yet but lives loaf, and serious
damsga result. d the city, while batteries were
euure,y unhsrmld aud untouched. II ever q comMu.
My had occasion offer Thank giving TO their CreatGr
TOR proyidential protection t must ely DC the caro-
here. Like ,inel OF old, when the ain. hid se, up
g goiden i1sgne and comm ,nded all the people 70 bow
down and lip IL, sat Sssdfac, kesbao snd Abe1
Ncgo who relu.ed to obey lis decree, cas-. into
burnt e fery furnace, their God hSered them wiz cut
even tue smell Of fire upon their hair. So did
mcs SGT up golden Image at Washington, ard ordered
the people OF Vcksbug 70 fall down aud worship him,
and upon their reiu al do So their houses bc
bu,Dsd down, their property destroyed, their wives
aud little ones 10 be slaughtered, and tie
| las. ycstiCs of their besuiful city was 70 be
| wiped from CT the OF tho earth The people
| hero were uus 20 their trust, and, like the three
faithful OF old refused worship this idol which
our enemy had up, and storm OF iron, 6fe, and
Drimstons and all the deadly conGivances OF wick
ID perverse nation let loose upon the deyct city
I'd her faithful people, and instead Of hArming them,
fry was hurled back upon the sggressos ard smoe
them by the Like Daniel In the lions den, the
people safe in the midst OF the deadly missiles OF de-
sruction the power OF doing harm 10 have been
tiken from the shells and balls and srgs they were
hnrled into the CITY, and the destruction Of life aud pro
rty resulted almost entirely to the sae Of remorse
les foe while Wick burg stands Triumphant and almost
unscathed amidst the a,ry tempest. Surely divine
P.GUdsnoe protests lhs just and the Innocent.
Ii IL no misfortune for nice young to lose htT
Y anod u MIA nj har hattki.