The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1905-06-07

should have four times the force d
the former, was fairly fulfilled in thi.
case. Plans for attack on this city
were made subject of study on tho
part Of the leading federal generals fol
months before the siege was begun
frultless attempts were made tc
reach It's rear by cutting canal and
by sailing down the Iazoo River,
Doth schemes proving impossible
FINALLY the only common sense plan
occurred to Gen. Grant, aud lie cross.
ed the river above the Vicksburg guns
and went down on the Arkansas side
below them, came back TO the Missis-
slrpl shore and marched northward to
the doc med city.
When he masscd his army on three
sides Of Iicksburg, cutting off from
1t all supplies and rcinforcements,
Grant had such imperfect knowledge
OF the strength Of the city's defenses
that he fancied they could be readily
carried by assault. Nearly his entire
force was brought up, therefore, to
make the storming attack on May %,
an incident to be remembered with
horror, not only because Of the usele ss
murder Of thousands of brave men
but because for some reason of care
Iessncss never explained. the heroes
who Serished in this mad assault lay
Enburied and uncared for from the
time they fell, on May 22, until 6 p.
III. on May %. in full view of tn cir
friends and brothers of the federal
army. A private soldier, writing of
the occurrence, said: "The dead lay
for all this time, deoaying under a
burning sun. The stencil was unbear-
able; the sight was horrible The
rcekiug bodies lay all blackenod and
swollen, and some with arms ex-
tended as if pleading to heaven for
the burial that was denied them by
| man.
There is no doubt that many help
less wounded men that might have
been saved perished through this neg
lect. And, at the last, it was not
their friends that moved first to end
the scene of horror. It was the Con-
tcderate Cen. Pemberton, who sent a
flag of truce to the union lines, ask
| ing for truce of two hours and half
to bury the dead aud care for the
wounded, if any still lived, offering to
do it all himself if necessary. Of
course the truce was granted.
May Is the siege of Vicksburg be-
gan, and lasted ~ days. During this
time shot and shell we're thrown into
the city necessarily, day and night.
1t was terrible experience for the
non-cdmbatauts in the city. Hun
dreds OF caves were dug for shelter Of
women and children; for the steady
ire had made Of the city's buildings
mere heaps OF ruins. There was no
longer the remotest hope that relief
could make its way through the fed
eral lines. Famine began to press
hard upon all. Mines laid by the in
vading army under the defensive
works were exploded, tearing them
to ruins. At last Gen. Pemberton
asked for cessation of hoptilities
July 8, and Oh the following day he
surrendered. And thus ended what
was really the greatest siege in the
history of the American republic.
seturn to the quasi-sieges de-
soribed in the histories. There was
the siege Of Lexington, No., for in
stance, occurring in September, 1861,
which was succession &C sharp fights
only. A garrison Of some 4 900 fed.
erals had fortified hill between Leg
ington and the river, their earthworlss
covering about Is acres. PRICES army
surrounded them Sept. 18 and opened
fire against them. The commander OF
the small garrison thought that if he
could hold out till the goth it was
possible that reinforcements could
reach him. By that day, however,
his ammunition was exhausted and no
aid had come, wherefore he was forced
to capitulate.
The siege of Yorktown was even a
greater farce than the first battle Of
Corinth. 4 division Of the Army of
the Potomac encamped April s, 1862,
before Yorktown, Va, which village
the Confederates had fortified. The
federals began the construction of
parallel redoubts before,the Confed-
crate works. These were the days of
deliberation, when the end of the war
was so near at hand that it was not
worth while to push anything. A