Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1869-07-16
Vicksburg as it Is.
A correspondent of the Boston Travel

Of some little commercial Importance,
and is made lively by the frequent ar
rivals Of steamboats, from st. Louis or
New Orleans. The buildings show the
marks of the great siege, and in many
places the patchwork covers the greater
part of the structures. The hundreds of
caves in the sides of the hills are still
open, and bring to mind the accounts we
have read, and heard related, of the suf-
fering there. Many, however, have caved
in, and in some places the whole side of
the hill came down into the street at the
same time. One of these caves, opened
few weeks ago, was found to contain
the bones of whole family who had
been sufocated there during the SIEGE
The cannon have all been removed, but
the rifle pits and earth forts still remain
on the hill tops. The spot where Grant
and Pemberton consulted upon the terms
Of surrender, which was then surround
ed by trees and shaded by the branches
of large oak, is now in an open field,
cultivated by negro who fought there.
The marble monument raised to mark
the spot, was so hacked by relic seekers
that it has been removed, and ten-inch
Columbian gun reared in its place, upon
which is engraved the words
"THE SITE WHERE GENERAL, s.
GRANT ARRANGED THE TERMS OF SUR
RENDER WITH LIEUT.-GEN. PEMBERToN."
The graves of the Northern soldiers,
which were thickly strewn over the hill
sides and along the ravines, have been
opened and the bodies taken to the GEM
etery, just above the city, on the bank of
the river. The Confederate graves are
plowed over and obliterated, while the
bones of many are sxhumed by lead
hunters and carried into the city and sold
for fertilizing purposes. l
"Have you got lot of Yankee bones
there, Sambo ? Well, pitch them in here;
they are just as good as mule bones"
greeted our ears as one of these bone
pickers deposited his load at the shop of
the purchaser. All, don't deceive your
self; they are not Yankee bones, thank
God ! they sleep in peace, thought we,
as we passed on down the street. The
canal, which took so much time and Ia
Dor to excavate, is now filled with sand
and food-wood, deposited by the over
flowing of the Mississippi. @
The Southern chivalry, either refusing
to hire niger" or unable to get them,
are now obliged to carry their own trails,
drive their own or borrowed horses, and
turn to the right when they meet a col
ored citizen of African descent YaL-
KEGS are working into the trade and build
ing some new stores while the negroes
are industrious and happy, having homes
and schools of their own. A combina-
ton of the landowners, who will not sell
foot Of land to negro, at present him
ders the full exercise of their enterpris-
ing spirit but this cannot last long
The junk shops are full Of old pieces of
shell and tons of bullets, which will soon
be shipped away and recast into stoves,
roofing, or perhaps into ploughshares and
pruning hooks. The glorious old flag
floats proudly from the staff over the
national dead, and from the top of the
barracks in the city, where the garrison
| of soldiers now remain. The silent
smooth.old Mississippi moves majestical.
ly on, carrying up and down the com
merce of mighty nation. No batter
les frown from its banks, no rebel flags
fly from the bluffs speaks peace
That peace which " flows like river
must soon come, and the nation become
the home of the free" which the sol.
diers of the nation fought to make it,
The fourth of July was fitting day fol
rebels against the Government founded
on that day, to surrender, and may the
nation founded in '76 and preserved in
'65, see many hundred years beforeanoth
er hand is raised against it.
JOHN HANcoCK.-No man has prob
ably been more overrated than JOIN
Hancock. He was rich, lived ostenta
tiously, and was very generous, but HI
was vain and unscrupulous. Almost ev
erybody with whom he traded was oblig
ed to sue bin. My father told me tina
one could seldom pass the court house il
Boston, during term time, without hear
ing the crier of the court proclaim from
the doorsteps, " His excellency, Johr
Hancock, come into court and make an
swer to A. B., or you will be defaulted.'
He would present to clergyman, fo
example, on election day, suit of clothe
and the tailor would have to sue tn
: governor for payment-and SO in numer
| Gus other instances. His widow, Madam
;. Scott, who married Capt. Scott, maste