oker Defeated at Chancellorsville--
Death of "Stonewall" Jackson--General Meade Takes Command of the Army of
the Potomac--Lee Crosses the Potomac--The Battle of Gettysburg--The First
Two Days--The Third Day--Pickett's Charge--A Thrilling Spectacle--The
Harvest of Death--Lee Defeated--General Thomas, "The Rock of Chickamauga"
--"This Position Must Be Held Till Night"--General Grant Defeats Bragg at
Chattanooga--The Decisive Battle of the West.

The Confederates made Vicksburg a position of marvelous strength. General
William Tecumseh Sherman, who had proved his eminent talent as a
commander under Grant at Shiloh, assaulted the bluffs north of the town
on December 29, 1862, and was repulsed. General Grant, with the
perseverance which he afterward exhibited at Richmond, fought battle
after battle until he had Vicksburg completely invested. Commodore David
D. Porter, with a formidable fleet, bombarded the stronghold from the
river, while Grant's kept up a cannonade day and night from the land
side. General John C. Pemberton had about 15,000 effective men out of
30,000 within the lines of the beleaguered city. Every day the situation
grew more intolerable for the besieged. Rats were on sale in the
market-places with mule-meat. The people lived in cellars and caves,
children were born in caves, and it is interesting to read in a diary of
that fearful time that "the churches are a great resort for those that
have no caves. People fancy that they are not shelled so much, and they
are substantial and the pews good to sleep in." A woman wished to go
through the lines to her friends, and on July 1 an officer with a flag of
truce carried the request. He came back with the statement: "General
Grant says no human being shall pass out of Vicksburg; but the lady may
feel sure danger will soon be over. Vicksburg will surrender on the
fourth." A Confederate general present when this message was received,
said: "Vicksburg will not surrender." But Grant was right. On July 4
silence descended upon Vicksburg. The simoon of shot and shell was over,
and men and women and children crawled from their caves into the light of
day. The river vessels poured in an abundance of provisions, and plenty
succeeded starvation. General Pemberton surrendered 27,000 men as
prisoners of war.

* * *

General Hooker, notwithstanding his undoubted courage, proved no more
fortunate than his predecessors in command of t