The National tribune., 1888-08-09

half hour or more and the men on both
lines were on top of their works, one of
the mortar-boats threw q shell, which
came over the two lines of works and
exploded. The explosion had hardly taken
place when every man on our line went down
behind the works. But not rebel moved from
his position As our men began to get back up
on the works one great big rebel said st the
top of his voice:
Boys, if you had been in here as long as we
have, you would not dodge at a III thing
like that"
Some one on our line appreciated the joke,
and said:
Boys, three cheers for the big rebel"
They were given with will. This, of course,
was followed by a running fire of witty saIlies
from both sides before the truce expired, which
] think went a great way toward convincing
Gen Pemberton that he had better surrender
than to attempt TO withstand an assault.
The truce ended, the flags came down, and
with them the rebels behind their works, and
again the familiar sounds OF war were being
heard all along the line, but not with the for
mer vigOr or spitefulness. Both sides appeared
to believe that the game was ended, and that
the morrow would end the siege. Yet not one
jOt of former vigilance was omitted on that
night of July and the morning of July T. 1863
On the morning of July 4-that day which all
Americans set apart to display their loyalty
W
nOisiest possible demonstrations-the sun rose
clear and bright, the air was pleasant the men
in good health and spirits after the display Of
weakness on the part of the commanders in the
city on the day before, and all ripe for a glori-
GUS Fourth of July. Whatever this buoYancy
of feelings were before that time, they were
heightened when about 8 o'clock the little white
hags-thOse blessed messengers of peaee-again
put in their appearance, and the word came
HnXyT no limo that the pifv had finally
dered. Then indeed We had enough to make
us have glorious Fourth. After awhile the
rebels marched out of their works, stacked
their guns, piled their accOuterments and flags
those Cleveland wanted to return-and
marched back within their works, and Vicks-
burg, the Gibraltar OF the COnfederacy aud the
barrier to the use of the Mississippi, the last
connecting link of the rebellion east and west
of that mighty river, was ours. The Joy Of
that army was unbOunded, but no wild or noisy
demonstration was made out of respect for our
gallant but fallen foes.
lt was not long after the siege had ended and
the surrender made until you would see Yank
with 3 rebel in charge making his way TO the
Union camp for some coffee, hardts@as. etc. He
was feasted by his Yankee captor on the best
his quarters could furnish. When he had
treated his prisoner to all he could eat he would
return him to the lines inside the guard.
have seen more than so men treated this way
at time in my own regiment. l suppose it
was 50 all along the line. 1t was not those men
who made Andersonville possible. 1t was the
men who were in the rear all the time that
were responsible for the infamy that was prac-
ticed there.
We had scarcely gotten well warmed up, as
the boys said, with our joy at the surrender
when we received an order to prepare to march
in quest of Joseph Z. Johnston, who was said 10
he at nr near Taekeon