poor fellows. "General," said he, "what shall I do? Some of my poor men are getting wounded a second time." "Don't come to me," said General Grant, mildly, but earnestly; "I have this battle to fight; that is your business. I can't attend to your wounded, nor think of them now. Don't interrupt me!" waving his hand; "I have this fighting to attend to."

Providential incidents had their important part in the successes of our arms. Among them was this striking one: A young fellow named Douglas, formerly an Illinoisan, who had lived South, and there joined the rebel ranks, was sent to Johnston by Pemberton, presuming he would seize a horse outside the walls, and ride through the pickets to Canton. But, tired of the service of Jeff. Davis, he walked to the guard, and delivered himself up prisoner of war. General Grant got the message intended for Johnston. The substance of it was:

"I have fifteen thousand men at Vicksburg, and rations for thirty days-one meal a day. Come to my aid with thirty thousand men. Attack Grant in the rear. If you cannot do it within ten days, you had better retreat. Ammunition is almost exhausted, particularly percussion caps."

A cloud passed over the "Confederacy" with the incredible, astounding fact, that General Grant had completely outwitted the traitors-gone across their soil, and set himself down coolly to watch the boasted Sebastopol, making a fearful prison of his enemy's fortress. How

fearful it soon became, you can guess from the thousands of horses and mules turned out of it because they could not be fed. General Grant secured and used many of them.

Singular scenes occur across the lines of the hostile armies. Just after Vicksburg was invested, a sharpshooter, from the works, politely asked of one in ours: "Can you give a fellow a drink of coffee, if he goes there?"

"Well, comrades," says reb., "shall I go?"
"Yes; go ahead."

The rifleman did go, and, for the first time in a year, drank a cup of coffee.

He lingered, and was evidently in no haste to return. "Come back!" shouted his friends.

"Think not; this coffee won't let me. Good-by!" And the soldier of Vicksburg remained where he found "enough and to spare," while his disloyal brethren of a common heritage were "in want."

CHAPTER XVI.

The captured Courier-Grant and the Letters-The Sappers and MinersHow they do their strange Work-All is ready-The Explosion-The Advance-The Flag of Truce-The Message, and General Grant's Answer-The Capitulation-The Fourth of July in Vicksburg-The Glad Tidings-The Loss and Gain The President and General Grant-Scenes after the Fall of the Fortress-Bill of Fare-The Dead-Hurrah!

HE days wear away. Ball and shell rush through the air at intervals, day and night. The gunboats "boom" away in front, and the batteries of the army in the rear. General

Grant had sent troops to watch Joe Johnston, who, it was reported, was near the Big Black River, and advancing with a large force.

It is night. And see that rebel soldier creeping in the darkness stealthily from the solid ramparts, and through the lines of Union pickets. He now feels safe. But there come some wide-awake "Yankee boys," and his career as courier is over. The messenger's secreted letters are demanded, and handed over. They are addressed to home friends, and express discouragement, with the hope that Johnston would come to their relief. Some of them, who may have been Christian men in spite of the