West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1900-03-22
IN THE SOUTHLAND.
Another Interesting Article From
4 Member Of The Argus
staff.
Notes and Comments on yicksburg.
Baton Rouge aud the Country
Generally.
ny MAY FAIRFAX MORGAN.

SNN 10y hN1 isOuioidudi anu mere
we are back to the Great Father
of Waters" again. Why people
persist in speaking of this mighty
body of water in this way, we can
not undertand, and then refer to
the river as "she, /" cher" "it," etc.
1t was a beautiful Sunday morn
ing when we arrived in Vicksbure,
and the "Sunny South" was no fake
this far, as it was warm and delight.
full, like May weather at home. The
second seige of Vicksburg was al
most as vigorous as the first, only it
did not last so long and there were
not quite SO many yankees, and the
city recognized the fact that the
open was mightier than the sword, 3"
and capitulated at once, and the
freedom of the city was ours.
After breakfast we were given
trolley rides to different parts of the
city. They still have one of the old
original caves preserved and kept in
good repair to show visitors how
the people of Vicksburg lived during
those days that 'tried mems souls. :"
and Gen. Grant beseiged the city.
The cave is in the side of hill and
resembles small coal bank. 1t is
wei! proped with heavy posts and
has a hole out through the top to
put a stove pipe through and is
quite large enough for a family to
stay in if necessity demanded it.
During the seige they had hundreds
and thousand of these. In fact the
hills around the city were full of
them like gopher holes on the
prairie, but to-day this one and
the National cemetery about five
miles down the river is all there
is left TO tell that the city was be
seiged for forty days in
1868 by Generals Grant, Sherman
and McClernard, first with 30, 900
troops, which were soon increased
to 10, 900. General Pemberton had
IS, 900 Confederates, and the way
they held out with so many difficult
ties to contend with was something
wonderful like Gen. Cronje. Their
supplies gave out and on July 3,
Gen. Pemberton perceived that
Grant contemplated final assault
and asked for an armistice, and on
July 4, 1868, he surrendered.
The National cemetery here is
where the Union forces were sta
toned and most of the fighting took
place, and Gen. Grant left 10, 600
brave boys who wore the blue, to
sleep their everlasting sleep in this
country where at that time they had
SO many enemies. You can find
soldiers graves marked here from
every State in the Union, and many
of our party had friends and rela.
tiyes near aud dear to them buried
in this place. The cemetery is
nicely kept up by the Government ;
has many beautiful monuments and
has great many trees all through
the grounds. such as magnolias,
pines and oaks. Up on a high hill
is an old house, which was occupied
by Gen. Grant as his headquarters
and over to the left is one that
Sherman occupied. They have
many cannon ball holes through
them and we would not have rested
very comfortable in them at that
time. Both of these historic old
houses are occupied now by i'm
portant members Of the Republican
party in Mississippi (colored fami-
lies. The kodak fends (who, like
the poor, are with us always had a
great time trying to get a picture
Of Gen. Grants headquarters and
an ox-cart load Of Mississippi's
chief product, Cpickaninnies. > They
were here in bountiful abundance
Of ali ages and sizes. Every man
and woman with a kodak gave them
a nickle to get up in the old ox-cart
and let them have "snap- shot"
and such a scrambling time to get
into it, until the old cart was run
ming over with little chaps, who
were all "fast black and warranted
not to fade"
The country around Vicksburg is
very billy and rough and resembling
the hills in our own State 20 some
extent with the exception that they
have no rock at all, as the soil is
stiff red clay. yicksOurg has many
beautiful and modern houses and
some Of the most elegant mansions
we have ever seen we're IN this city.
One old Preston county boy lives
here, Captain Geo, A. Shaw, who
was steamboat captain on the
Mississippi river for several years
and married a'rich widow here at
Nickabnrr. and anlL resIde. In lLia