twenty-four hours. About five
yesterday afternoon, Mr. J., H.'s assistant, who, having no wife to keep
him in, dodges about at every change and brings us the news, came to H.
and said:

"Mr. L., you must both come to our cave to-night. I hear that to-night the
shelling is to surpass anything yet. An assault will be made in front and
rear. You know we have a double cave; there is room for you in mine, and
mother and sister will make a place for Mrs. L. Come right up; the ball
will open about seven."

We got ready, shut up the house, told Martha to go to the church again if
she preferred it to the cellar, and walked up to Mr. J.'s. When supper was
eaten, all secure, and the ladies in their cave night toilet, it was just
six, and we crossed the street to the cave opposite. As I crossed a mighty
shell flew screaming over my head. It was the last thrown into Vicksburg.
We lay on our pallets waiting for the expected roar, but no sound came
except the chatter from the neighboring caves, and at last we dropped
asleep. I woke at dawn stiff. A draught from the funnel-shaped opening had
been blowing on me all night. Every one was expressing surprise at the
quiet. We started for home and met the editor of the "Daily Citizen." H.
said:

"This is strangely quiet, Mr. L."

"Ah, sir," shaking his head gloomily, "I'm afraid the last shell has been
thrown into Vicksburg."

"Why do you fear so?"

"It is surrender. At six last evening a man went down to the river and
blew a truce signal; the shelling stopped at once."

When I entered the kitchen a soldier was there waiting for the bowl of
scrapings. (They took turns for it.)

"Good-morning, madam," he said; "we won't bother you much longer. We can't
thank you enough for letting us come, for getting this soup boiled has
helped some of us to keep alive, but now all this is over."

"Is it true about the surrender?"

"Yes; we have had no official notice, but they are paroling out at the
lines now, and the men in Vicksburg will never forgive Pemberton. An old
granny! A child would have known better than to shut men up in this cursed
trap to starve to death like useless vermin." His eyes flashed with an
insane fire as he spoke. "Haven't I seen my friends carted out three or
four in a box, that had died of starvation! Nothing else, madam! Starved
to death because we had a fool for a general."

"Don't you think you're rather hard on Pemberton? He thought it his duty
to wait for Johns