The Portland daily press., 1885-03-17
Grant at Vicksburg.
admiral Porter in his "Anecdotes and Reminises
ces of the Civil War'1

admiral Porter in his "Anecdotes and Reminiscent
ces of the Civil Wary
In the history of the worlds sieges noth-
ing will be found where more patience was
developed, more endurance under privations
or more courage shown than by the Union
forces at the siege of Vicksburg; while on
the part of the besieged it was marked by
their great fertility of resource in checking
almost every movement of ours and for the
long months of suffering and hardships they
underwent 1t belongs of right to Gen
Grant to tell the story of that event, for in
ne case during the war did ne so clearly show
his title to be called a great general, nor
did he elsewhere so fully exhibit all the
qualities which proved him to be a soldier.
If Gen. Grant had never performed any
other military act during the war, the capt
uTe of Vicksburg alone, with all the cir
cumstances attending the siege, would have
entitled him to the highest renown. He had
an enemy to deal with, of twice his force,
and protected by defences never surpassed
in the art of war. l saw myself the great
stronghold of Seyastopol of the Malakoff
town and the Redan, the day after they
were taken by combined army of 10000
men; and these stroDgholds, which have be-
come famous IN ballads and story, never in
any way compared with the defences OF
VIcksburg, which looked as if a 1000 Titans
had been put to work to make these nights
unassailable. am told that there were So
miles of entertainments thrown up, one with
in the other. The hills above with their
granite rocks standing In defiance, were
enough to deter foe without having in
trenchments bristling with cannon and
manned by the hardest troops in the con-
federacY. After 1t was all over, and Gen.
Grant could see the conquered city lying at
his feet, he could well afford to laugh at his
vile traducers, who were doing all they
could to hamper him by sending kilograms
TO the seat OF government questioning his
fitness for SO important demand.
That was happy Fourth of July when
the confederate flag came down at Vicks-
burg, and the stars and stripes went up in
its place, while Meade's force at Gettysburg
was driving Lees army back to Richmond
tattered and torn. That day so glorious in
the annals of our history, lost nothing by
the two brilliant events which were added TO
our fame, and made it still more dear to the
heart of every true American. When the
Union flag was hoisted on the ramparts of
Vlcksburg, my flagship and every vessel of
the fleet steamed up or down to the levee be-
fore the city. We discerued dust in the
distance, and in a few moments, Gen. Grant
at the head of nearly all his generals, with
their stats, rode up to the gaugway, and
dismouuting, came on board. That was
happy meeting, a great handsbaking and
general congratulation. l opened all my
wine lockers. which contained only Catawba
on this occasion. 1t disappeared down the
parched throats which had tasted nothing
for some time but bad water. Yet it exhila
rated that crowd as weak wine never did be-
fore. There was one man in the party who
preserved the same quite demeanor that he
always bore, whether In adversely or in
victory, and that was Sen. Grant, No one'
to see him sitting there with calm exterior
amidst all the jollity and without any staff
would ever have taken him for the great
general who had accomplished one of the
most stupendous military feats on record.
There was quiet satisfaction on his face
that could not be concealed, but he
behaved on that occasion as if moth
ing Of Importance had occurred. Gen.
Grant was the only one in that assem-
blage who did not touch the simple wine Of
fered him; he contented himself with ci-
gar; and let me say here that this was his
habit during all the time he commanded be-
lore Vicksburg, and also while be command
ed before Richmond, though the same de-
tractors who made false representations of
him btfore Vicksburg, misrepTesented him
also In the matter above alluded to.