The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1886-07-14

times. Since he met Gen. A. s.
Johnston at Shiloh, he had encoun.
tered only commonplace generals,
who were no match for him His
Vicksburg campaign was one Of the
most brilliant the world ever saw.
He completely oulwitted and out.
generated and out ,maneuvered Gen.
Joseph +. Johnsoa. Gen. Pemher-
ton seems to have dl,ined General
Grants intended maneuvers; but in
dilly-d .llying with Gea. johnson,
Gen. Grant forced him into the forti-
fications of Yicksblrg where his cap
ture was only aqaeslioa Of tine. AM
Of no very long time either This
was wound to our Western Army
past all surgery. Gen. Pemberton
was fully aware that the surrender vf
his gallant army, would produce !.
much stronger feeling in the North,
by its being IN de on the 4th 0, July.
He tried to avoid makins the surren-
on that day. But this was exactly
what Gen. Grant was determined
should take place, for its effect upon
the Northern people. On that i'll.
fatel day, Pemberton 3 army Of near
ly 10000 men, after having done all
that brave men coull do, surrender.
ed themselves as prisoners Of var.
While this was going on, the 9th er
de@th wound MAS. -heiag inflicted ID
the rugged rocky heights Of GcttS.
burg. The line Of battle Of the Fed
eral army under Gen. Meade Wis
that Of the better v, the apex beng
turned towards tine town Of Gettys
burg; the Baltimore turnpike ran
along one limb Of the | tier, and the
Tarfytown pike along the other limb,
the turnpikes uniting at the , and,
went Oh 10 the town. Gen. Lee had
his Headquarters in the cup,la ofthe
College which stood upon a high hill
beyond the town. which lay nestled
in a beautiful valley between the apex
of the ?. In the apex was the seme-
terry Of Gettysburg, at the enl of
Cemetery Ridge. Thus Gen. Lee
had the whole panorama Of the bat
tie Immediately under his view. or
course, tho Confederate Army hal
TO conform their lines To those Of the
F,derals, whose line followed the ir.
regular zigzag course Of the rorgh
boulders Of rocks which form a nat.
ural rampant Of rock that was imprcg-
nable when manned by American
soldiers, lighting on their soil, defen-
ding their own homes, and attempt.
ing to drive back the invaders Of their
land; for Gen. Lees army was then
an army Of invasion.
Notwithstanding all this and more,
yet Southern valor repeatedly carried
those rugged heights; those rimparts
Of huge rocks framed by natures
own hands, and named by Ameri-
can veteran soldiers behind them,
fighting on their own soil an army Of
invaders who were trying to conquer
peace fr themselves.
Yet 10 zigzag was the Federal l:nc
that, when carried by the confedrr
ates, they were instantly reflled
and almost surrounded on their
flanks; and never could hold wha,
they hal 50 eallantly taken.
No s.orming column in either an
cient or modern times, surpassed the
coolness and daring Of the 9th N
y. Regiment, which led the column
Of Hokes Bngad". They stormed
the cemetery proper situated in the
apex Of the -, and planted theft
colors among the graves Of Gettys'
burg's dead whose monuments hat
been utterly destroyed by he terrible
artillery fire concentrated on tha
point. II was taken; but could no
be held.
an vain, alasl in vain, ye gallant few;
From rank 10 rank, your volleyed thunde
l few
The Durham com, any was amen
those gallent men who composed thi
storming column; and the survivor
still irll over the story Of that day
glory and & DOM, around their FIRE
sides and on our streets.
Il Afterwards Grant and Lee met ]
the final struggle; and it was such
, struggle as might have been expecte
lfrom two such masters in war. I'll