The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1891-07-04

manly defense, days
nights of gloom, the
garrison walked out of its trenches,
furled It's flags, laid down its arms, and
surrendered rs prisoners of war.
/ DO you not remember it, comrades?
DO YOU not remember that beautiful
morn in July, 1868? The sun came
bounding up over the hill tops, and
sent It's earliest rays down the hill
slants to kiss the ripping waters of the
majestic Mississippi. Soon the stiffness
of morn gave way To the booming OF
cannon, and the strains of martial
music. Up there where our flag had
SO long been floating the colors of the
union were soon flying, and long lines
of men were marching in and taking
possession-conquerOr of an army
that yielded to hunger, to fate, to
force, but not to superior valor. 1t was
with look almost of disappointment,
that the veterans of Grants magniii,
Gently equipped army gazed upon the
men they had starved-not whipped
into surrender, and to their credit be il
said. there was no unseemly eXultation
Many were the episodes of the siege
which eliminated this day, % year:
ago in the capture of Vicksburg but
none, | believe, more thrilling THAI
that of the blowing up of Fort Hill out
on the extreme of the line of confeder
ate dcfenscs.
II was about the 10Th of June, th'
18th day of the scige, that the confed
crate sharpshootcrs discovered tina
General Grants sappers We're burrow
ing under Fort Hill with the eviden
purpose of blowing it up.
History has told how, after four days
three of which were spent in fruitles
assaults on the confederate fortified
tions, General Grant had settled dow
10 u regular seigc, determined to fore
the garrison to unconditional surrende
by gradual approaches. The invest
ment of the city was soon completed
there was no possible way of escap
open to the bcleaguercd confederates
they were too weak to cut their wa
through Grants army, and capilulatiol
or starvation was inevitable. But tn
, SLOW advance by parallel lines was no
all of Grants plans. That of mining
under accessible, important points AM
preaching them by explosion was als'
adopted.
Fort Hill, as il was called, was Onl
: an elevated point in the line of confed
crate defensive works, with an imper
feet line of breastworks surmOumting il
Embrasures for artillery had been con
! structcd, but the only cannon ther
were two or three siX-pounder bras
field guns. A parrot shell had strucI
one of these in the muZZle and put sue
n clip on il that it had been abandon
ed as useless. Until he was hemmed ii
ut Nicksburg, the confederate com
mander seems to have had n very lam
idea of the weakness of his fortiiica
tions. He had left this very importan
point practically undefended as far Il
effective artillery was concerned. But
it being the highest elevation on tn
t confederate line of works, and ut
point where these works turn
right angle, Fort Hill was the key t
the confederate position, and on tina
+ account of vast importance TO Genera
, Grant. With Fort Hill in his posses
/ sion the destruction of Pemberton
!. army and the triumphant occupation c
5 the city would be the work of but
. few hours.
AS soon us Grants underground d,
signs were discovered, an attempt g
r countermining was made, but the II
) suit was failure.
: The spring rains had ceased. Th
Il weather became settled and the temper
, ature was already buZZing in the uppc
end of the ninties. Both armies sougl
every means of protection from tn
burning rays of the sun. But notwitl
standing the heat, an active fire wa
kept up all along the line. The seve
, hundred cannon planted around tn
! federal position poured an incessaI
shower of solid shot and shell upon I'll
imprisoned eonfcderates. At interva
4 of II few yards, and ut many poin
within three hundred feet of the cOl
fedcratc works the vigilant unio
sharpshooters were posted and kept Il
Il hot and peppery fire that was d'
structivc and CALLING in the extreme
Three miles up the river COmmodol
Porter had anchored ilOtila of mo
= tar boats which threw three hundre
pound shells. These shells dropped
all parts of the city and had created
perfect reign of terror. Many of thel
!. would explode hundreds of feet in Il
air overhead and scatter their dealt
dealing fragments far and wide. Othel
would plunge deep down in the cart
q, and bursting there would create q
uphcaval that destroyed everything
encompassed. Thus day by day ii
terrible conflict drew It's weary lengt
10 along.
The fateful 18th of June dawne
beautiful and bright. The sun can
% up with II bound, and gave early prom
u Use of II hot and sullry day. In Il
early morning no perceptible dimin'
ton of the average firing was noticed
but towards noon II decided lull W;
observed. BY 1 O'Clock the pop-pop
the sharpshooIer's rifle had almo
ceased, the desultory booming of fie
I pieces and siege guns had died ava
y and the bull dog mortars had discol
tinucd their noisy accompaniments.
/ The far off river CLEANED i'll the Jun
sunshine; the distant hills we
wrapped in Il gauzy vesture of shin
- mering blue. Away up yonder ON IL
T. breast of the majestic Mississippi
ilnaicd Commodore Porler's squadro
of idle gunboats, and beyond these Il
white sided transports were reelected
the placid surface of the s'father
T. waters" There was Il dull languor
;. the atm"sph, r. and il had apparent
=, communicated itself To both armies.
= the time one might have imagined III;
It Peace had spread abroad her whit
) wing, or that S"mnus rrigmrd an