Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-07-20
Gen Pemher one Deatll.

commanded the Confederate forces sus-
tanning the siege of Yicksburg, and
whose death has been already announced
at Penllyn, near Philadelphia, the Phila-
delphia Times saws:
''Gen. Pemberton was one of the off,
GERS of the regular army who resigned
his commission at the breaking out of
the war. He was a native of Philadel-
phia, and was born in 1917. He gradu-
ated from West Point in 1887, served
with distinction in the Mexican war,
and at the time of his resignation was a
Captain. On entering the Confederate
service he was made Lieutenant Colo
mel of cavalry and Assistant Adjutant
General to Gen Joseph E Johnston.
Without seeing any service, he was pro
NOTED to be Lieutenant General in the
provisional army, and was put in com
mand of the Confederate forces In north
ern Mississippi, where the advancing
army of Grant found him in the spring
OF 1868.
1.-The Vicksburg campaign is still the
subject of controversy among the ex-
Confederate officials. 1t began in the
latter part of 1862 with Sherman's disas
trous attempt to turn the enemy's flank
by an expedition up the YazOo, and it
was ended by Grants brilliant move
ment past the batteries, then into the
heart of Mississippi, driving Johnston
off, then beating PembertOn at Cham
pion Hills and finally sitting down to
siege which resulted in the surrender of
the most important Confederate strong
hold on the Mississippi. AS he said over
and over again, Pemberton considered
Vicksburg the most important point in
the Confederacy, and when Grant ran his
batteries and landed his forces south of
him he foresaw that the struggle
for the. possession of the river was
to come. Johnston was at jack
son, and both he and Pemberton were
anxious to make a combination and give
battle to the Union troops with united
army; but Grant was too quick for the
Confederates, and even before a start for
union had been made his army had been
placed between the two Confederate
commands The first difference between
Pemberton and Johnston resulted from
the latters refusal TO send Van Dorn's
cavalry to Vicksburg, and PembertOn
ALWAYS insisted had his wishes In this
respect been regarded by his superior
officer he would have been able, by cut
ting his communications with the Mis-
sissippi, to have prevented the march of
the Union forces to Jackson. MIR. Davis
strongly defends PembertOn from the
charge of having made too great haste to
concentrate his troops in Vicks-
burg, and evidently fully believes
that all the blame for not giving Grant
battle in the open field rests with John
ston, who is persistently charged
with delay and hesitation in making eff
forts to relieve the besieged city. John
ston, however, was faced by Sherman,
and he would undoubtedly have risked
his own army by making an attack,
which both Davis and PembertOn con.
stantly urged. PemOerton did start out
of his works to attack Sherman in the
rear, but the attack met with a very dis
astrous result to the Confederate COM
mander. 1t is but just TO him to say,
however, that he made the movement
under protest. On tie day before the
final investment of Vicksburg, Johnston
urged Pemberton to save his army by
evacuating the place, but that officer
held council of war, at which it was
unanimously decided that the advice
should not be folio we'd. PemhsTton clos
ing his letter by saying: 4 still con
in the Confederacy.'
'After the war he became a farmer
near Warrenton, Fauquier county, Va
He has passed quiet, uneventful life.
His loss of Vicksburg so stirred up the
popular feeling of the South against him
that he never had the opportunity to re-
trieve that disaster, and he failed to at
tain the distinction that was expected
for him by his official superiors, the con-
fidence and respect of all of whom, how
ever, he seems to have always retained
"The farm was remote and isolated and
| the life was different to what he had
been accustomed. Therefore he gave it
up and went from one place to another,
stopping for little while, until at last,
about four years ago, he anchored here.
Meantime he had been at Norfolk, Va,
| Allentown, South AmbOy and other
| places. He had given up nearly every
thing for the cause in which he cast his
| lot, and his fortune was necessarily di
minished. About two months ago he
began complaining of indigestion, and
since then grew constantly worse.
'Since Tuesday he was delirious and at
times unconscious. All through the
doctors could not determine exactly
what was the matter with him, but the
complication of troubles took him off at
last. Most of his relatives, including
his son, F. r. PembeIton, of f. r. Penn
berton q Co., shipping merchants of this
city, were with him when he died At
eleven minutes after five o'clock, bearing
to the last the evidences of his soldierly
training and gentleness of character, he
passed away"