Year: 1875




that the old song, so familiar at one
time rs to be on the lips of nearly every
body, and which begins with these
words


"we'll rally round the flag, boys,


Rally once again,


was growing old and stale. In years,
this may be true, but it is to be hoped
that the patriotic fervor which produced
the song in the dark and gloomy days
through which the country passed, will
rever die out in the hearts of those
who carried the flag from the Ohio to
| the Gulf, and from Vicksburg to Rich
mond,-or their descendants. The
words of the song ere old in reality
they are well-worn they were sung by
the boys who could sing no other, were
they to try; they welled Up in the
hearts of thousands of noble sons Oh the
march and in the bivouac; and men
have died with the inspiring words on
their lips. At home, in the parlor, the
sister, proud of the brother who had
gone forth to battle for his country,
sang them to evening callers they
were mingled with the prayers of the
mother for the safety of her first-born
who had gone to the tented field, and
who at the same moment might have
been singing them with his comrades
around the camp-fires in the swamps of
| Georgia among tie deep ravines that
encircle Vicksburg, or the earthworks
around Richmond, the Capital OF the
Confederacy. Yes, tie words may be
old, but the song inspired many yonng
man with higher and holier purpose,
and caused him to leave home and
| friends and march to the rescue of his
imperiled country. after hearing the in
spring strains from the lips of tho girl
he loved


1t was the evening of the Sd of July,
al bayonets-broken only at intervals,
to make room for battery of Twenty
pounder Parrots; of Rodmans, or loud
mouthed apoleons-cncompas the
beleaguered and doomed garrison which
had been driven, weeks before, within
the defences of Nicksburg. Rumors
were rife III the enclrcling camp of Fed
erals, that negotiations were III progress
for the capitulation of this stronghold,
by the rebel general Pemberton, but
this was only rumor. In the mean
time preparations had bees going for
days before looking to celebrating the
4th of July on the morrow in manner
somewhat different from the usual course
in the more peaceful days. The mouth
OF the YaZoo river was literally filled
with steamers, loaded to the guards
with cargoes of solid shot and she'll,
canister and grape, and it was beginning
to be we'll understood in the Federal
lines that at sunrise the next day would
be fired the grandest national salute ev-
er attempted on the face of the globe.
Three hundred and eiglty-four guns
were III position, all compressed Within
line OF but two or three miles in length
and all pointing in the direction of the
doomed city. The commandant of each
battery had orders to fire sixty-tive
rounds from each gun, beginning at sun
rise ard continuing until the last shot
was hurled within the lines Of the strong
hold OF the enemy-the closed gate to
the free passage of the Mississippi be-
tween Cairo and New Orleans. The
reader can, for himself, calculate the
number ofshots that would have been
tired had not the city surrendered prevI-
Gus to the time appointed for beginning
the celebration, and will then admit,
think, that it would have been a Ma
tional salute such as is seldom seen or
heard.


/ While these operations were going
on In the immediate vicinity of Vicks-
burg, the Rebel armies were not idle,
by any means. Under the able leader
ship of Gen. Joe johnson large force
was marching to the relief of the impris-
ioned and starving garrison within the
walls of Vicksburg. He had approach
ed within few miles OF the rear of the
forces that encircled the rebels in their
fortified position Gen. Sherman was
at once detailed by Gen. Grant to ssface
| to tho rear,'' with the forces under his
command, and march ont in the direc-
tion from whence this new rebel army
was approaching. It was 10 o'clock at
night on the evening of the Sd, before
Gen. Sherman's forces were fully ON the
march, and they had scarcely begun to
move, before one of the widest, tiercest
storms that ever beheld burst upon
the earth. Dark clouds entirely shut
out from sight every object upon the
face of the earth. The troops were in
the narrow wagon road leading from
Vicksburg to Jackson, but to move for
ward was simply out of the question
Great forest trees were falling on every
side, the Tightening hissej anl cracked,
and at times would seem to be creeping
in sheets of fame right among the feet
/ of the troops as they stood immovable
in the road, unable to move in any di-
rection whatever, and only capable Of
watching the terrible grandeur of the
storm. An entire company was knock
ed down by stroke of tightening here
and there horse that had broken away
from his rider went dashing through
| the forest, visible only, when flashes OF
Tightening revealed him to the gaze OF
the almost awe-struck troops who stood
motionless and silent in the winding
road through that Mississippi forest.
All at once, between the intervals Of
thunder, there came back from the front
2 strain Of the popular song, that is
0now growing olds9 -