The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-04-26

for many weeks General Grant, the enemy, had unanswered at the outer gates Though he had retired tempor- arily 1t was but to devise and ex- ecute new plans for taking the city. By reducing vicksburg the Union forces would control the Mississippi to the sea. cutting the Confederacy in twain. The importance of holding this position was paramount in the Con- federate cause.
 Christmas is Christmas. whether in war or in peace. Fair women and ever may befail tomorrow. General Martin l.. Smith. temporarily in com naand, was central figure at the ball. Another officer present, unmarried, handsome, chivalrous, daring, was Gen eral Stephen D. Lee. only 29 years of age and a noted leader.
 Shortly after mfdnight--the begin ming of Christmas day--a muddy, be- draggled, uncouth soldier in gray burst suddenly into the ballroom. The in- truder rushed between the waltzing couples, who shrank from his muddy boots. Stalking straight up to Gem eral Smith. he saluted.
 Well, sir, what do you want7' the general inquired somewhat angrily, while the startled dancers paused and the merry music continued
 General, l have to report" said the intruder, that sfxty-six gunboats and transports have passed Lake Provi- dence. and more are still passing!"
 General Smith turned very pale. A moment later he cried in a loud voice:
 This ball is at an endl The enemy is coming down the river, All non- combatants must leave the city"
 Then the commander turned to the bearer of this important news, thanked him for the service and apologiZed for his harsh reception.
 On Christmas day General Lee nov ed out of Vicksburg with six regi- ments of infantry and two batteries to on the Yazoo River. thirteen miles dis tant. General Lee occupied the bluffs and other high ground along line of ten. miles. There. on the three days fol- lowing Christmas, was much, bloody skirmishing. and on the 18th was fought the decisive battle of Chlckasaw Bayou Cor Bluffs. as some authorities cali it) Lee defeated Sherman. who finally assailed his well placed forces, s~d the Northern general abandoned his attempt to get into Vicksburg. Thus the city was saved to the Confed- eracy for more than six months.
 The man in muddy boot and dripping clothes who broke up the ball and brought about the sanguinary con-
 
 Confederate victory, was Philip H. Fall a soldier detailed as a telegraph operator. Lee s. Daniel. another Con. federate telegrapher, had co-operated with him in saving Vicksburg. The details of this Important service, fur nisEfing one of the most romantic sto- ries of the war between the States. have been supplied recently by General Lee himself, the only surviving lieu tenant gRnaral of the SofIth
 Photographers were scarce in the South when the war began. Most of the operators were Northerners and went home. When young Daniel and Fall enlisted at Vicksburg the dis eovery that they could handle the Morse key and code caused them to De detailed for telegraphing. Horace B Tibbotts. rich planter in Louisiana. owned a private telegraph line, run ming from his estatesa few miles south of Lake Providence to De Soto, La, across the Mississippi directly opposite Vicksburg The distance between the stations was sixty-five miles. The up- per station for military purposes. was established in the woods. Daniel was placed there as operator at De Soto Daniel was instructed to keep a strict watch of the river, which by the fall of Memphis had been opened to Federal gunboats down to the vicinity of Vicksburg. He was to re- port to Fall, who kept a skiff in which to row across to Vicksburg. At night a red light in the bow of the skin pro- tected him from being fired upon by the Confederate batteries on the heights of Vicksburg.
 Early in December General Grant had ordered General Sherman to assem- ble at Memphis a large force of men and munitions, proceed on trans ports down the river under convoy of Admiral David D. Porters gunboatss and capture Vicksburg. General Sher- mans plan was to disembark up the Yazoo River, which empties into the Mississippi a few miles above Vicks-