The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1905-06-07
WAR STORIES.
Sieges Of the Civil Wan.
A. Z. Chase III Memphis Commercial Appeal.

th 'ndHu; tul lct US r!ck mp i history
and settle the matter. The trouble
il the differences and discrepancies
Of the histories are many and sur
grising.
i>or instance, IIarpcr's I.ncycIopc-
dia uf Cnilei State, History gives a
list # The scgcs of the war as follows:
''Fort iickeus, Fla, 1861; Corinth,
Miss, 1862: Fort Pulaski, Ga, 1852;
Island No. ~, Ky, lSG2; Fort Wag-
ner, 5. c., 1863; Port IIudon, La.
1862 Ni2s ,burg, Miss, 1861; Allan
tn, Ga, 1864; Forts Gaines and Nor
gan, Mobile, Ala, 1867, Fort Fisher,
N. c., 1864 ); Richmond, Va, 1864 3,
and Fort Blakcly and Spanish Fort,
Mobile, Ala. 1863, total Of twelve. >
''Batties and Leaders Of the Civil
War dncs not mention all Of the
above ss segcs, but further makes
mention Of the siege Of Yorktown,
the siege of Lexington, the siege
Of Charleston aud the siege of Peters
burg.
Now, the dictionary defines siege
as "the setting Of an army before or
around fortified place for the rur-
pose Of compelling the garrison to sur
render, or the surrounding or invest
iag Of place by an army, and ap-
pro oaching it by passages and advan-
ced works. to force it to surrender.
Chambers Encyclopedia tells US that
"when the assault Of fortified place
would be too hazardous aud costly,
and it's reduction by blockade too
slow, recourse is had to the regular
siege or systematic attack.
It will be seen from the above def
nitions that strenuous effort to com
pei the surrender Of place always
enters into the idea Of a siege, fur
ther, that the element Of time as
necessary factor is essential, and in a
true siege the isolation Of the place
attacked from all channels of relief is
understood. Remembering these
points, let us examine the list of So
called sieges, rs given above.
Fort Pickcns was certainly besicg-
cd, though tentatively only. 1t was
invested at the very outset of the war
For the purpose of forcing the capitu-
lation Of the small garrison there.
But as the lack of ships made it i'm
possible for The Confcderacy to pre-
vent the reinforcement of this garri-
son by way Of the sea, the land forces
were soon withdrawn and the fort left
In the enemys possession. No seri-
GUS effort was ever made to lombard
it, since its possession was moral
advantage only to either side. 1t,
therefore, may be ruled out of it's
place on the list given.
Fort Sumter, though not mentioned
ahove, is incorrectly placed by some
historians among the besieged places
Of the war. True, it was in modi-
fed state of siege for time previous
60 its bombardment and capture.
However, as it was never wholly cut
of from relief, and as its power of re-
sistance was overcome by an attack
lasting but 36 hours, this attack can
noe be classcd as siege.
The frst movement on Corinth was
o farce. Hearing that Beauregard
was massing the Confederate forces
there. Gen. Halleck,' all aglow with
his newly conferred honors as ranking
commander, decided on moving on
chat point as soon ns he could gather
sufici troops. This was a time
when every federal general was shak-
iag 10 his shoes, with fear Of the
countless myrieds of Confederate SOL
diers concealed behind every knee.
high breastworks that had been thrown
UP in the South. In response to Hal
locks clamorous demand upon the
president fer more men to enable him
10 move ON Cerinth, Mr.. Lincoln re-
piled impatiently: II cast no blame
when l ten you that each of our com.
manders from Richmond to Corinth
believes himself to be confronted by
numbers superior to bis own" On
the 3od of April, having amassed q
fesee OF nearly 100000 men, Halleck
advanced with the pick aud shovel"
plusing every few days to construct
forti6 6cations alcng his way to grade
che rssd, to build bridges, never for
getting after the conclusion of an
elaborate piece of engineering to tele-
graph to President Lincoln that his
army Twas ut the enemy's throat"
Ii was May 90, when he arrived with
In sight Of Corinth. On the following
Gav ezhen he vaa at last ready IN