Wichita eagle., 1889-08-04

| other great contest-the battle OF Gettysburg
perhaps the greatest of the war, that has
| passed into history by reason Of its 'magni-
! tude, its strategy, and the splendid heroism
| of both armies The main purpose Of the
| Confederate movement across the Potomac
was to free Virginia from.the presence OF the
Union forces which were organizing on
| grand scale for another advance against
Richmond
II this object could be accomplished by
maneuvering an important result would have
been cheaply obtained, but in the event OF
battle the Army of Northern Virginia felt
reasonably sure of victory, ard the defeat OF
Gen. Meade. it was believed by the public
men of the south, would secure Confederate
independence. The Confederate strength was
about G., 900; that of the Federals, according
to the testimony of Gen. Meade before the
committee on the conduct OF the war, was
about 5000. OF the former 1900 were
placed hors du combat, end Of the latter
$4,000. No event of the struggle proved
more momentous in its far reaching results,
and none has been theme OF greater discus
sion on both sides of the Atlantic among
military critics and historians.
THE FALL OF vICKsBURG.
July was made doubly welcome this year
by the surrender of Vicksburg with'its garri
son. thirty thousand strong. From May II
until the 18th Grant had pounded away at the
Confederate forces in the field, at Raymond,
Jackson, Champions Hill and Big Black River
bridge, and then with logged obstlnacy sat
down to invest Vicksburg. The total loss OF
Grant in this campaign was s, 800. Port hud-
son, in Louisiana, with 5000 men, fell into
the hands of Gen Banks a few days later, and
thus the Mississippi was opened throughout
its length
The story Of the sufferings of the soldiers
and citizens while thus invested reads more
like romance than reality, and the ingenious
devices to provide substitutes for food, in the
shape Of mule and horse meat rats, roots
and cane brake, would make unusually in
teresting rsading in modern cook book.
The effect OF the surrender, north and south,
was immense, and it may be doubted whether,
after Nicksburg and the twin tragedy OF
Gettysburg, there was ever any vital hope
in the southern heart except among the sol
diers There were desperate battles after
wards and occasional victories, but the tale
OF disaster had cast its impending shadow,
and the faith of the simple folk never rallied.
The riots in New York on the 13th-l6th of
July are not the least among the war mem
cries connected with the month and the year.
On the Goth of July another agreeable sur
prise was given to the people of the north by
the announcement of the capture of Gen.
John Morgan in Ohio, together with thou
sand or more of his rough riders their wagon
train and artillery. The famous raider had
started on the Cd of the month with two
brigades of cavalry, aggregating an effective
strength of . 400 men and four field pieces,
for the purpose Of penetrating Indiana and
Ohio and creating diversion in favor Of
Gen. Bragg until his safe withdrawal to the
new line south of the Tennessee.
Morgan effected this purpose and the cap
ture and destruction of his force of trifling
consequence to the Confederacy compared
with the advantages gained by his opera
lions. He destroyed no supplies, cut 10 i'm
portant lines of communication, captured
nothing but some forage, food and a large
wagon train, but he delayed the invasion of
East Tennessee three months. He afforded
Bragg time TO obtain re-enforcements and |
disturbed all the calculations of Burnside |
and Rosecrans. In fact it has been alleged |
that if Burnside could have met ROsecrans
at Chattanooga by the Goth of July, the bat |
tie OF Chickamauga would not have been !
fought.
July, 1864, was marked by Early's invasion !
Of Maryland on the 9TH and the battle of the |
Monocacy in Maryland on the 9th. On the |
Goth, 22d and 28th battles occurred before /
Atlanta. Ca, and on the seth the explosion |
of the famous Petersburg mine in Virginia |
took place, but the backbone of the Confeder |
acy had been broken, and from this time until |
the engagements preceding the surrender Of
Lee and Johnston in Virginia and North |
Carolina there were no events more decisive !
than those above recorded. After all those
trouhlous years, which the month SO signally |
recalls, we have peace
Peace on the farthest seas,
Peace in our sheltered bays and ample streams
Peace wheresoe'er our starry garland CLEANS,
And peace in every breeze
JULY DATES IN FRANCE
Nor is it in America alone that July is the
memorable month with June and August
good seconds. July is the month of revolu
tionary memories in France also, as attested
by the noted Column of July" which is the
pride of patriotic Frenchmen. Among the
many momentous events of the month in the
different years of their revolution ll1s9-95)
the French have, by common consent, taken
the storming Of the Basti,e as the most mem
orable, and so its date is now celebrated by
Frenchmen everywhere as a sort of Indie
pendence day-this is July IA.
The event was indeed momentous. Fol-
the first time in French history the people
took arms against a fortified stronghold OF
despotism, and the army did not Withstand
them. Indeed, the soldiers sympathized with
the people Down TO that time it was taker
as a matter of course in Europe that peas
ants rising against government could only