The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1897-03-31
THE MYSTERIOUS
MONITOR.
From the Philadelphia Times

From the Philadelphia Times.
Everyone in the city Of Vickshurg
was undoubtedly nervous. Although
the Confederate forces defending the
Gibraltar of the South" had great
faith in the leadership and wisdom of
the gallant General Pemberton, they
were unquestionably worried as TO the
probable outcome of the siege.
A year before the Federal fleets had
been triumphantly repulsed in their
attempt to capture the city. True, they
passed the batteries on the river front,
but great deal more injury was
wrought upon them than the inflicted.
The jubiliant feeling of victory had
lasted for long time, even until Gen.
eral Grant had surrounded Vicksburg;
but now it had long since died away.
For days and days the Federal army,
like some immense snake, had wound
its blue coils about the fated city and
its environs. Each day new earth
works could be seen al ing the Federal
lines, and each new breastwOrk was
nearer and nearer the Confederate de-
fenses.
General Grant had assumed com
mand early in April, and later in the
month two determined assaults were
made against Pemberton's fortifica-
tions. Both were repulsed with heavy
loss to the Federals, as history demon
strates. There was feeling of eIation
among the men who wore the gray as
long as there was fighting going on, or
even the prospect Of it; but it had been
over a month since the last demonstra-
ton had been made by the Federals.
Now, there was nothing but the horri-
ble waiting and wondering what the
willy General Grant was going to do.
Nothing definite could be ascertain
ed. His lines were so closely guarded
that il was almost an impossibility to
penetrate them, and even when it was
done the spies found no one who knew
anything of the plans of the taciturn
general, who smoked innumerable ci-
gars and kept his own counsel. There
was the knowledge that the earthworks
were being advanced nearer and nearer
the Confederate lines, and that under
the hills there were sappers AMI miners
tunneling away and placing mines, no
IN ba sAd of
some indefinite time. The suspense
and inaction were trying in the ex-
treme. Nearly every Confederate sol
dier in the outer Notifications felt as
though he was sitting on keg of pow
der, to which lighted fuse was at
tached.
In Vicksburg matters were reaching
a very deplorabie state. The residents
were descendants of those sturdy
Georgians and Carolinians who so gall
lantly resisted the power of England
during the Revolution. They did not
include the word surrender in their
vocabulary, and determined to hold
out against the Federals until the pow
er of resistance failed them. Every
day was one long brazen horror. The
Federal mortars up the river dropped
a shell or two into the town every few
minutes. The heat was becoming un-
bearable, for in Mississippi April and
Nav are the two of the hottest months
of the year. Up the river the Federal
batteries cut off all approach; down the
river il w;ls the same, and across the
river was strong garrison of blue. In
land the thousands of soldiers under
Grant prevented ingress or egress. The
coil was complete, and there was no
hone of another Confederate army
coming TO the relief of the beleaguered
city. Supplies were getting scanty in
deed. A month had passed and hotE-
ing had been brought in, while the cit
izens and soldiers were subsisting all
the the time on the accumulated stores
already there. These were almost ex-
hausted. The milch cows had all been
slaughtered, and starvation or capitu-
lation stared the defenders i'm the face.
They chose to struggle with hunger a
while longer. Then they were driven
TO mule meat. One by one the gaunt
army mules were butchered and the
neonIe ate the blue stringy flesh along
with bread made of bran, musty corn
meal and bad -four, rather than sur
render.
For days they had been expecting
some decisive move on the part of the
Federals. 1t was reported that COM
bined attack would be made by land
and water; and very strong fieet had
been gathered at Memphis, and 1t
would attack the city from the river,
LII. tho combined lard forces under