The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-11-23

tContinued)
 Colonel Steedman in a letter to the
 iter dated July 2nd. 1902. relates the
 lowing incident of the siege of Port
 idson. About the middle of the siege, !, enemy attempted to make q sneak Tough our lines in the night. A picked
 nmand was formed. possibly . thou nd men. They selected the slaughter
 n route. This pen stood on a high bluff. |ep ravines from the neighborhood rum Ing into Sandy Creek. These ravines
 re filled with the offal of many hun
 ed cattle. The attempt was made in a
 nstorm. The men got separated and
 1t while begging and f1oundering in this Fful putrid mess. They came struggling
 rough our thin line. and were captured detail. The greater number scrambled ok to their own lines. Those captured
 re hideous, stinking objects and glad l get a chance to wash up.
 Had this picked command succeeded in
 tting through our lines in good order,
 d been followed up by reinforcement.
 Tt Hudson would have been captured |at night: but good luck and brave men
 ved it. This Is written from memory,
 It is correct in essentials, my headquar-
 b being within few hundred yards of
 spot
 ks the siege progressed sickness in-
 based. We had no protection from a rning sun, our food most unwholesome.
 we were not permitted to take of
 coutrements day or night. Since the
 dale of June we had nothing but corn
 cad and syrup and only a scanty supply
 corn. We had a few peas and these
 re ground with corn for bread, but it
 oduced so much sickness that the sur
 on ordered it's discontinuance. Green
 iscadines were cooked into preserves
 at tasted well, but also caused sickness.
 some reason not fish could be caught |t of the river during the siege. There
 Ire several old mules in our lines in Iedium order and General Gardner had
 sse slaughtered and issued to us. Some | the boys also caught and cooked big
 ts. How do mule and rat taste?" The liter did not get a chance at rats, ough during the siege they were consid- E,d a delicacy. He tried mule meat. Id corn bread shortened with mule |sase. Famished as he was. his stomach |,elled against the latter. The former Ia a flavor somewhat like turkey. but tasted like nothing else he knows ex- |ot a mule.
 Those who used tobacco Gas most did) Hered much from lack of 1t. Many |lds of bark, roots, etc., were substt- ed
 The Surrender of Port Hudson. |All through the siege we cherished hope relief through Generals Joe Johnston | d Logan. The latter with brigade or
 valry did attack Bankss rear in near
 ,vHl thing from the enemy, yet having noth'
 to eat and being nearly out of amm l. l ion, all foresaw our inevitable doom. slt negotiations for surrender came ! rlier than anticipated, and from irce not expected. On the night of l ly 9th a hand grenade, to which was |ached a message from General Grant General Banks stating that Vicksburg d surrendered on the 4th, was thrown a Federal picket into our lines. This I,patch was immediately carried to l lionel Steedman. He carried 1t to Gen hl Gardner at headquarters. The result g a council of war immediately, In f,ich 1t was determined to send flag truce to General Banks next morning Ia ask whether this telegram were gen. he and true. General Banks replied up- his honor that it was true and that 2, of Gnants army corps was already the way to Port Hudson. and that an- her would follow next day. Commis- ners to treat for surrender from both es met under a tent-hy between the es on the morning of the 7th. Colonel |G. w. Steedman, Colonel w. N. Miles l i Colonel M. J. Smith were the Confed- I,te commissioners The Federals de- 4nded an immediate surrender; the Con- slerates by every possible artifice strove postpone the surrender until the morn i. of the 9th, their object being to gain ,e by which Confederates might make I air escape from Port Hudson during night. A heavy rain and thunder .rm luckily came up from the west late the afternoon and thus gained us /, f,ht's delay before formal surrender. ',v 9 a. m. on the morning of the Sth. ite flags were flying all along over Bnparts of friend and foe. Vicksburg gone. Port Hudson must go! How 5i our fate, Groups of Federals and Enfederates were soon seen between the es in conversation, and trading-a |de Is always the first thought of a nkee We had syrup and sugar, they I bacon, crackers. coffee and tobacco, Ia trade ran briskly In these commodi- Is. That evening we were ordered back II camps, IOilOWSu ny DdHhS o y train that issued to us bountiful lions of beef, crackers, etc. What a st! But over 1t all hung the shadow Imprisonment
 |fext morning. July 9th, we were or Ted up in line of battle fronting Gen. | Is Banks and Gardner, and grounded ms. The ceremony of surrender was |er and we were prisoners. General nks addressed us in a brief speech. amending most highly our heroic de- sse of Port Hudson. and closed by say that brave men could always be sted, and that every private and non