ere frozen
to death in the trenches. The garrison also suffered greatly, but the
siege was pressed with untiring vigor. Seeing the inextricable coils
closing round them, the defenders made an attempt to cut their way out,
but Grant with true military genius saw the crisis and ordered an
advance along the whole line, the gunboats giving all the help they
could.

The situation of the garrison was so dangerous that a council of war was
held that night. Floyd and Pillow were frightened nearly out of their
wits. They rated themselves so high as prizes for the Federals that they
determined to make their escape before the surrender, which was
inevitable, was forced. Buckner was another sort of man. Disgusted with
the cowardice of his associates, he quietly announced that he would stay
by his men to the last. Floyd stole out of the fort with his brigade and
crossed the river in boats, while Pillow followed in a scow, a large
number of the cavalry galloping by the lower road to Nashville.

Grant was ready for the assault at daylight the next morning, when he
received a note from General Buckner proposing an armistice until noon
in order to arrange terms of capitulation. Grant's reply became famous:
"No terms except immediate and unconditional surrender can be accepted;
I propose to move immediately upon your works." Buckner was
disappointed, but he had no choice except to submit. He was greatly
relieved to find that his conqueror was a chivalrous man, who granted
better terms than he expected. The privates were allowed to retain their
personal baggage and the officers their side-arms. The number of
prisoners was 15,000, and the blow was the first really severe one that
the South had received. As may be supposed, the news caused great
rejoicing in the North and was the beginning of Grant's fame as a
military leader--a fame which steadily grew and expanded with the
progress of the war.

Jefferson Davis saw the mistake he had made in intrusting important
interests to political generals. He deprived Floyd of his command, and
that officer dropped back to the level from which he never ought to have
been raised. Pillow had done some good work in the Mexican War, but he
was erratic and unreliable, and he, too, was summarily snuffed out.
Buckner, a West Point graduate, upon being exchanged soon afterward, was
assigned to an important command and proved himself an excellent
soldier.

CHANGE IN THE CONFEDERATE LINE OF DEFENSE.

Th