The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1863-07-18


prising that there are so few heavy guns, but this
is explained by the rebels in the loss of great
number at Grand Gulf, Haines' Bluff, Fort Penn |
berton and Big Black. Two of their heavy guns
have burst during this SIEGE and many of their
field pieces are disabled by our shot.
A considerable quantity of molasses, sugar and
tobacco was discovered but of all other stores the
quantity was quite limited
Pemberton, as is we'll known, lisa Philadelphian |
by birth, who early in life married southern la
dy and has since cast his lot in that section He
has been trusted friend of Jeff. Davis, and was
by him intrusted with the special defense of Vicks
burg. He denies having made the speech attrib
uted to him about the last dog, &C. 1t must
have been invented by Johnston and published to
raise the hopes of bis army.
The appearance of the city after such an unpar
aleled bombardment was naturally point of
much curiosity. We expected to see awful havoc
from shells and mortar bombs. The first sight is
disappointment. The place is not damaged SO
much as might have been expected. Nearly every
house has been shot through, it is true, but hole
made by a cannon ball is comparatively but
small matter. Here and there were buildings
with corner blown out, and some with bulge
ia the walls. Huge craters were to be seen in the
streets, where the thirteen-inch shells had BURST
the pillars of house porches split and shattered TO
splinters. There is not, perhaps, whole pane of
glass within five miles of the courthouse. One
church was riddled while another near by was
only scratched. Hospital flags were stuck up on
houses all over the city. There are not less than
three hundred houses occupied as hospitals.
In the thirty-one thousand inhabitants there
were three thousand citizens and thousand ne
groes. Their status is not defined, it would ap-
he b,Iti 10 md
that they will be req ured to take the oath of al
legiance or leave the city sooD. In the meantime
they will have to be fed. Of food there is very
, little left. Even the secret boards had all been
brought out before the surrender. Something of
their sutferings may be understood when we dis
cover that flour actually sold at $40 per
pound or $500 barrel sugar, 1855 corn, $40
a bushel bacon, So pound; rum 500 gal
E Ion, and other things in proportion.
p Gen. Pemberton, it is said, refused to allow the
citizens to draw from the army stores, insisting
O that the private stock in the city should be used
J for that purpose. Mr.. Genella prominent mer-
chant in the city, being accused of extortion in
this matter, publishes card in vindcaton of his
character.
The principal part of the female population is
composed of the wives and families Of the foreign
population, the husbands and supporters of which
, have long ago been forced into the rebel army.
Numbers OF these undoubtedly drew rations from
the army stores. Besides these were few ladies
Of good family, the wives of officers and few o.
the residents of the town. These were not free
of their presence after our occupation. We met
, a few who weIe uubroken in spirit and seemed tc
call down maledictons upon the pestilent Yam
q KEGS. The most of them appeared to be stricken
with all the sadness of adversely, and crushed be-
| a ff cnHor and
: HORRORS OF THE COMMANDMENT.
, When we consider that these people-men
, women and chidren-have, for month and
half been in daily terror of their lives, never be-
i. ing able to sleep night at their homes, but
9 crawling into caves, unable to move except in
a the few peaceful intervals in the heat of the day
. we may appreciate what life of horror was
!, theirs.
These caves, indeed, are among the most curl
GUS features of this life in a beseged city. In
several places the streets are cut through the
bluff, and in the walls rows of caverns have been
hewn, resembling somewhat the appearance oi
rabbits. Most of these are shaped like the letter
2 \, the stem forming the main entrance branching
out some seven feet. Into these subterranean
pits the inhabitants would crawl 80 often as the
guns and mortars opened out what promised to
be heavy fire. AS many as twenty-five have
been crowded into one hole. The sight of these
poor creatures flying
With blanket in the alarm OF fear caught up -
was both ludicrous and melancholy. The cry
would 60 up from the irreverent soldiers, Rats. /.
to your holes, as women and children huddled in
to the bank. The men generally remained out
side, or sought shelter in the bombproofs and
! magazines nearer the batteries.
CASUALTIES.