Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 1.djvu/722

 676 ; Grant's advance by Holly Springs, which was defeated by the raids of Van Dorn and Forrest; Sherman's movement by way of Chickasaw Bayou, which was defeated by Gen. S. D. Lee; and the several flanking movements which were foiled by the Confederates after Grant himself had appeared with an immense army before Vicksburg. Finally the batteries of Vicksburg were run by the Federal fleet, and Grant made a landing in Mississippi and advanced upon Vicksburg from the south. Pemberton at once made dispositions to fight in the defensive at Edward's Ferry, guarding his communications, but being overruled, acted on the offensive and was defeated at Champion's Hill, and routed at the Big Black Bridge. He then occupied Vicksburg with all the forces at his command, repulsed the assaults of May 18th and 22nd, and stubbornly defended his lines, under a continuous bombardment, until ammunition failed and the men from lack of food and exhaustive service were no longer able to repulse an assault. At a council of war July 2nd, it was decided to surrender, and the capitulation was completed July 4, 1863. After his exchange he resigned his commission as lieutenant-general, May 18, 1864, and was ordered to report to Gen. Robert Ransom for assignment to command of artillery defenses of Richmond, where he served with the rank of lieutenant-colonel, until the close of the war. He then retired to a farm in Virginia, removed thence to Pennsylvania in 1876, and died at Penllyn, July 13, 1881.

Lieutenant-General Richard Stoddart Ewell was born at Georgetown, D. C., February 8, 1817. He was graduated at West Point in 1840, and with promotion to a lieutenancy of dragoons served on the frontier until 1846. He went into the Mexican war as first-lieutenant of Mason's Dragoons, participated in the fighting from Vera Cruz to Chapultepec and received the brevet of captain for gallantry at Contreras and Churubusco. In 1849