New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-09-10

posite directions at the same time anc
Clung 20 his task, despite the Almost insup'
portable heat in the trenches. the stenches,
the falling water supply. the pestlientiaI
swanlDs and the unhealthful ooze exposed
20 the torrid sun. 10 is difficult 10 portray
i'm words the trials OF the siege The Ike
extended for seven miles. The men were
too few for the task imposed upon them
and sickness reduced the working force. the
disabilities of one-third Of them compelling
the remainder TO perform almost incessani
duty. Before the end Of the siege the ei-
fectives decreased 10 1900, out OF totai
Of approximately 5000. Pride and duty
kept many a man on the active list VINO
might well have been placed on that Of the
sick
The valor and persistence Of the defenders
made the reduction Of the work slow ana
under the pressure of time, General Banks
determined on June Il. 10 deliver another
general assault, once more paralleling Gen
oral Grants action at Nicksburg. Ii came
10 naught. through the failure Of the guides
and the fact that one division directed It's
attack against the strongest point IN the
whole work and was repulsed. The two as
saults cost Banks approximately 400 men.
once more the troops settled down to siege
roperations. BY July the saphead had
reached a point within sixteen feet OF the
priests cap. as the strongest salient OF
the enemy has been called. and storming
marty Of 1000 men had been organized to
cross over the intervening earth into the
epemv's intrenchmeuts. Two mines were
ready 10 be sprung \ message was re-
hot fsAg SIN ~
had fallen Instantly an aid was sent TO
the general Of the trenches with dupi-
Gates I'm "himsy" Of a note from the ad-
ntant general announcing the news.
.rbc weicome information soon reached
tho fleets before port Hudson, quoting a
dispatrh from Tribune correspondent
nrintcd on July 20. "whorcupon salutes
were fred both upon land and water. the
bands OF the different regiments performed
i'm their best style the different patriouc
airs so well known % the American people
The soldiers and sailors we're almost IN
goyarnoble with enthusiasm. JOY resound-
"a oyervwhere throughout the camps. The
pob.Is were startled and anxious as 10 the
cause Of 40 much and such enthusiastic
chaaring on our side. but were destined 20
wal, In terrible suspense as 20 the inter-
pretet ton Of what was going on.
"At length. the Rebels and our troops
being in close proximity 20 each other con-
vers,tions were INDUCED in without dan
cor 70 either side Il was difficult for the
Rebels 10 believe that Nicksburs had sur
rendered Perhaps this difficulty was
s,ra,gt be,.d nv the fact that the surrender
Of port Hudson depended in some measure
unon fh7t of Vicksbug But curiosity IN
/ creased and Al length. toward evening ON
r,o eth instant. resolved upon knowing the
nm, of the rumor which had spread
! THROUGHOUT their lines, an officer raised
,t,ns.lf above the works and called aloud
- ono of the Union officers, asking What
aro Won making all that noise about" The
answer was. Because we have taken
Vlcksburg.
/ "T,e Rebel officer was "a doubling as
,a, becn some OF his soldiers before him.
"a. insisted upon not believing the news
ord ar being asked what testimony ne
,,.,,id accent on the subject so as 20 bt
.o,,.i,c.d Of Us truth. he responded Moth
t,,,, hat a conv Of the dispatch OF SONS
,r,,s,,yortbv authority The Union officer
,ha,, nrocured a copy OF General Grant
o1,c,,I dispatch and passed II over tn
...,,ets 10 him. assuring him. On the
t.oor nj soldier, that the dispatch was
Genuine az he had copied IL with his OWL
lea,d Having read the little document
the Rebel officer said he was satisfied u