Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-07-31

secret of their ill-gotten wealth.
"Stepni0k.h IN London Times.
TWO NOTED BATTLES.
The Capture of yicksburg and the Battle
of the Wilderness.
''The Vicksburg newspaper. which
we received regularly while before
Vicksburg, through the courtesy of the
rebel pickets, said prior to the 18th. ir
speaking of a Yankee boast that they
would take dinner in Vicksburg that
day, that the best receipt for cooking a
rabbit was, 'ketch your rabbit first.
The paper at this time, and for some
time previous, was printed on the plain
side Of wall paper. The last number
was printed on the 4th. and announced
that we had caught our rabbit.
81 have no doubt that Pemberton
commenced his correspondence IN the
Cd with a two-fold purpose: FirAt to
avoid an assault which he knew w&uld
be successful; and second to prevent
the capture taking place on the great
national holiday, the anniversary of the
Delegation OF American Independence.
Holding out for better terms. as he did,
he defeated his aim in the latter partic-
ular. On the Fourth Of July. at tho
appointed hour, the garrison of Vicks-
burg marched out of their WORKS and
formed a line in front, stacked arms
and marched back in good order. Our
whole army present witnessed this
scene without cheering, and without a
single offensive remark that / ever
heard of. Logan's division, which had
approached nearest the rebel works,
was the first to march in, and the flag
Of n of the regiments of that division
wassoon floating over the Courthouse"
OF the Wilderness campaign the
General says: Operating as we We're
in an enemy's country, and supplied
always from a distant base, large de-
tachments had at all times to be sent
from the front, not only to guard the
base of supplies and the roads leading
to it, but all the roads leading to our
TANKS and rear. We were also oper-
ating in a country unknown to lis and
without competent guides or maps
showing the roads accurately. Es-
timating Lees strength in the same
manner az ours, the enemy had not
less than 80, 200 men at the start. His
reinforcements during the campaign
were about equal to ours. deducting
our discharged men and those sent
back. Lee was on the defensive, and
in a country in which every stream,
every road, every obstacle to the move
ment OF troops, and every natural de-
Tense was familiar to him and bis
army. The citizens were all friendly
to him and his cause, and could and
did furnish him with accurate reports
of IL every movement. Rear guards
were not necessary for him, and having
always a railroad at his back, large
wagon trains were not required. All
circumstances considered. we did not
have any advantage of numbers.
'On the morning of the 9TH we sent
out p;ckets and skirmishers along ou1
entire front to discover the position O
the enemy. Some went as far a. 8
mile and a half before finding him. Blu,
Lee showed no disposition to come out
There was no battle during the day
and but little firing. except in Warren!
front. About midday Warren was di
rected to make a reconnaissance il
force: This drew some sharp firing.
but there was no attempt on the par
Of the rebels to drive him back. Thi:
ended the battle of the Wilderness.
"More severe fighting has not beer
witnessed on this continent than tina,
Of the 5th and 9th of May, 1864. Ou1
victory consisted in having successfully
crossed a formidable stream almost ir
the face of the enemy, and in getting
the army together afterward as a unit.
We gained an advantage on the morn.
ing Of the 9th. which, if it had been fol.
lowed up. must have proved very deci.
sive. In the evening the enemy gained
an advantage. but was repulsed. AS we
stood at the close, the two armies Were
relatively in about the same condition
to meet each other as when the river
had divided them. But the fact OF
safely crossing was a victory. Our
losses in the battle of the Wilderness
were 2,261 killed, s,7S5 wounded. and
1902 missing, probably nearly all the
latter captured by the enemy."-Gcn.
erdt Grants Personal Memoirs.