The news & observer., 1904-12-25
GEN. STEPHEN LEE TELLS GOOD
STORY OF VICKSBURG
BY General Stephen ID. Lee,
Gninf nf tho Irnitnd Con federate Veterans.

YOU This was just after midnight, L
was so agitated at the prospect of the
capture of my dear old home, Vlcks-
burg. before l could give the alarm,
that I thought that it was almost day
break when you answered.; / was SIM
Dlv frantic: now the fact is and after
called you but about twenty-seven
seconds. You were right there ana
said: 'Golly, old fellow, what's up?
Then it was for you to get frustrated
gave you the fullest information
possible, and they are indellible in my
brain this hour. Great God Phil,
where have you been? l have been
calling ( am afraid half an hour in
stead of half a minute, and the river
is lined with boats almost hundred
has just passed my lookout. Seven
gunboats and fifty-nine transports
chock full of men. GOO speed you
rush across and give the alarm You
said: God bless you, Lee, bye bye. we
may .Ver meet again. You can best
tell the remainder on your end, Tor
after a shot nap, | went again TO the
little telegraph hut and tried the cir
cult, but no battery. And l learned
come time aft .r.tards that the huge
flotilla landed at various points be-
low. viz. Omega. Milikeos Bend and
Youngs Point, and cut down the poles
for mile and chopped the wires into
bits
II rough the Muddy Swamps.
MAJOR Eamhart bidding farewell to
(his wife, two little daughters, myself
and wife), rode rapidly through the
awful muddy swamps to the hills, then
to Delhi and wired the news to Gen
eral Kirby Smith, General John G..
Walker and others. History has the
incident, but the minuttiae interests
but ourselves and families and friends
Next morning l was preparing to shoot
some ducks near the house, when my
wife came to the porch and said:
Look, Lee! quick. OF course, / looked
for ducks or geese, but discovered
brakes and ganders in some sixty blue
coated cavalry approaching from the
north. l learned that two regiments
had landed at Lake Providence and
picketed the country for miles This
leader, Lieutenant Thompson, of
Kansas. jay-hawkers, halted at the
gate called me with army colt six
<.-ooter cooked held menacingly at my
anatomy, while interrogating me.
Question after question piled and an
swered promptly. The interview end
Ell by: Young fellow, you are truth
full, our army is fully posted or
everything for a hundred miles, and
you have answered me correctly; one
lie would have laid you out; now you
are nv prisoner. | want your tele-
graph instruments and all records
and your shotgun with bayonet; ana
don't you try to escape, for death IS
sure We'll, we were all held prls-
oners on the platform from DecembeT
26, 1862, until the 29th of June, 1855,
when Major Earnhart with two squads
of cavalry, headed by General ToIa
Harrison and Colonel w. H., Parsons,
came in from the hills, cleaned out
the guards and took us to Delhi
Colonel Fall tells the balance
christmas Eve. the night of the
bali. was a tempestOus night, and
was in dread of my red light being
extinguished by the high waves. The
Mississippi wasAVery rough; had my
light gone out our batteries Woulu
have annihilated me, but with what IN
formation as / possessed would have
made the attempt in face of certain
death. A half hour after Daniel at
Lake Providence, gave me the news.
it was impaired to General Smith.
No courier could have come 10 miles
i'm half an hour. l was muddy and
woe begone as / passed through the
dancers and they gave me a vide
berth when | stepped in front OF
General Smith, he scanned me critl-
cany and frowned with the exclama-
ton: Wen, sir. what do you want?'
told him eighty-one gunboats ana
transports had passed Lake ProVi-
dence and were still passing. He
/ turned very pale. and in a loud voice
! exclaimed: This ball is at an end;
| the enemy are coming down the river,
all non-combatants must leave the
city He had presence of mind enough
| to thank me and apologize at the
harsh tones In regard to his report.
/ see no mention as to how he got his
! information. | suppose he lost sight
of me in the excitement following.
received a letter some time ago from
James Roach, of Vicksburg reminding
me of how / broke UP the ball that
IneVer to be forgotten night.
/ The details as are given above py
the two participants are essentially
correct. My recollection is distinct as
/ to this ball, and its sudden collapse
| soon after midnight December "a, Ds
! the arrival of the bearer of the inn
portant information The writer on
/ Christmas day moved out of VickS-
! burg with six regiments of infantry
! and two batteries to check General
] Sherman in his landing on the Yazoo
river / 8 miles distant. On December
| 20 was fought the decisive battle OF
| Chickasaw Bayou, which compelled
| General Sherman to turn back his
army and abandon the attack on the
city. The movement on Christmas
day was the result of the telegram
! sent by Daniel near Lake Providence
| and received by Fall at De Soto. La.
and delivered to General Smith ut
the ball in the CITY of Vicksburg.
STEPHEN d. LEE.
Xmas Cakes or all description at
a. n a. I.