promptly reinforced by General Meade, and by the afternoon of the 2d of July the army of the Potomac was securely posted on the heights known as Cemetery Ridge. The Confederate army took position on the opposite hills known as Seminary Ridge. Between the two armies lay the battle-field on which the engagement of the 1st of July was fought. Heavy skirmishing prevailed throughout the day on the 2d, the advantage being with the Confederates. On the 3d of July General Lee made a general attack upon the Federal position on Cemetery Ridge, which, very strong by nature, had been rendered impregnable by intrenchments. His attack was made with determination, and was a splendid exhibition of American courage, which won for his troops the generous admiration of their adversaries; but it was unsuccessful. The grand charge of the Confederates was made in the afternoon, and was repulsed with terrible slaughter. Still Lee's position was so strong, and the morale of his army so unimpaired, that General Meade deemed it best to remain satisfied with

his victory, and not to risk its fruits by an attack upon the Confederate lines. The victory was decisive. It put an end to the Confederate invasion. On the night of the 4th of July General Lee withdrew from Seminary Ridge and retreated to the Potomac, which he crossed on the 13th and 14th without serious opposition from the Federal army. On the 15th Lee moved back to Winchester. The Federal loss at Gettysburg was

MAJ.-GEN. J. F. REYNOLDS. twenty-three thousand, and that of the Confederates about the same.

On the 17th and 18th of July General Meade crossed the Potomac below Harper's Ferry, and moving east of the Blue Ridge, endeavored to place his army between Lee and Richmond. The Confederate commander by rapid marches reached Culpepper Court-house in advance of him, however, and about the 1st of August occupied the line of the Rappahannock. The remainder of the year witnessed but one important operation by the armies in Virginia. In October General Lee made a sudden forward movement for the purpose of throwing his army between Meade and Washington, but the latter eluded him and reached Centreville in safety Lee then withdrew to the Rapidan, and the army of the Potomac took position on the north side of that stream. Both armies passed the winter there.

In the west and southwest success crowned the Federal arms. At the opening of the year the army of General Grant lay on the Mississippi above Vicksburg, assisted by the fleet of gunboats under Admiral Porter.

The first three months of the year were passed by the Federal army in a series of movements along the Yazoo river, the result of which was to convince General Grant that Vicksburg could not be taken from that quarter. He therefore determined upon a new and more daring plan of operations. He decided to march his army across the Louisiana shore from Milliken's bend, above Vicksburg, to New Carthage, below that city, and to run his gunboats and transports by the batteries. Should the boats succeed in passing he meant to cross his command to the Mississippi shore, and attack Vicksburg from the rear By investing the city from the land side his flanks would rest upon and be covered by the Mississippi, and he could re-establish communication between his right wing and his base of supplies at Milliken's bend. The plan was daring in the highest degree, and required the greatest skill and resolution in its execution.

In order to retain their hold upon the Mississippi the Confederates had fortified Vicksburg with great care. Port Hudson, about two hundred and forty miles lower down the river, had also been fortified, but not so strongly as Vicksburg. As long as the Confederates held these points they were able to keep a considerable extent of the river open to themselves and closed to the Union gunboats. Thus they were enabled to cross in safety the enormous herds of beef cattle which they drew from the rich pastures of Texas for their armies east of the Mississippi. A strong force held the works at Port Hudson. Vicksburg was occupied by a large garrison, and was under the command of Lieutenant-General John C. Pemberton, who, with an army of about thirty thousand men, independent of the garrison of Vicksburg, held the country in the rear of that city. Appreciating the importance of defeating the Federal army in this quarter the Confederate government, in the spring of 1863, sent General Joseph E. Johnston to take command of all the forces in Mississippi. It failed to supply him with a proper force of troops, and General Pemberton treated his orders with open defiance.

Grant having completed his preparations moved his army from Milliken's bend to a point on the Louisiana shore, opposite Grand Gulf. On the night of the 16th of April a division of gunboats and transports ran by the Vicksburg batteries, suffering severely from the heavy fire to which they were exposed for a distance of eight miles. On the night of the 22d a second division passed the batteries with similar loss. Once

below Vicksburg, however, the boats were safe. They then proceeded to Grant's position on the river below On the 29th of April the gunboats attacked the batteries at Grand Gulf, but were repulsed. The troops were then marched to a point opposite Bruinsburg, Mississippi, and the gunboats and transports were run by the Grand Gulf batteries. On the 1st of May the Federal army was ferried across to the Mississippi shore, and at once began its march into the interior Near Port Gibson a part of Pemberton's army was encountered and defeated on the same day This success compelled the evacuation of Grand Gulf by the Confederates. Grant now boldly threw his army between Johnston's forces at Jackson and Pemberton's army, intending to hold the former in check, and drive the latter within the defences of Vicksburg. On the 14th of May he

attacked Johnston at Jackson, the capital of Mississippi, and forced him to retreat northward towards Canton. Then turning upon Pemberton he attacked him at Champion Hills, or Baker's creek, on the 16th, and inflicted a severe defeat upon him. Pemberton withdrew towards the Big Black river, and the next day met a second defeat there. He now retreated within the defences of Vicksburg, which place was promptly invested by Grant's army On the 19th of May Grant attempted to carry the Confederate position by assault, but was repulsed with heavy loss. The assault was repeated with a like result on the 22d. There remained then nothing but a regular siege. This was pressed with vigor, and the city was subjected to a terrible bombardment, which caused great suffering to the people. While the siege was carried on Johnston's army was held back, and prevented from undertaking any movement for the

relief of Vicksburg. At length, reduced to despair by the steady approach of the Union trenches, Pemberton surrendered the city and his army to General Grant on the 4th of July By this surrender thirty thousand prisoners, two hundred and fifty cannon, and sixty thousand stand of arms, together with a large quantity of military stores, fell into the hands of the Union forces. It was justly esteemed the greatest victory of the war

While the siege of Vicksburg was in progress General Banks ascended the Mississippi from New Orleans and laid siege to Port Hudson. Upon hearing of the fall of Vicksburg, the Confederate commander surrendered the post and his army of sixty-two hundred and thirty-three men to General Banks, on the 8th of July

These victories wrested from the Confederates their last hold upon the Mississippi. They created the most intense rejoicing in the Northern and Western States, and a corresponding depression in the south. Being simultaneous with the defeat of the southern army at Gettysburg, they were regarded as decisive of the war: as indeed they were. From this time we shall trace the declining fortunes of the southern confederacy and the gradual but steady re-establishment of the authority of the Union over the Southern States.

After the battle of Murfreesboro', or Stone river, the army of General Rosecrans remained quietly in winter quarters at Nashville and Murfreesboro' Bragg's army passed the winter at Chattanooga. Towards the last of June Rosecrans moved forward from Nashville, and advancing slowly threatened Bragg's communications with Richmond. The Confederate commander had no wish to emulate the example of Pemberton at Vicksburg, and at once evacuated Chattanooga, on the 8th of September, and retired towards Dalton, Georgia. This movement, which was interpreted by Rosecrans as a retreat, was designed to secure the union with Bragg's army of Longstreet's corps, which had been detached from Lee's army and sent to join Bragg. This junction was effected on the 18th, and other reinforcements arrived from Mississippi. Thus strengthened Bragg suddenly wheeled upon Rosecrans, and on the 19th of September attacked him at Chickamauga. The battle was severe, but indecisive, and was renewed the next day Towards noon, on the 20th, Rosecrans having greatly weakened the other parts of his line to help the left, which was hard pressed, Longstreet made a furious dash at the weakened part, and in an irresistible attack swept the Federal right and centre from the field. Rosecrans endeavored to stop the retreat, but was borne along in the dense crowd of fugitives. Only the left wing, under the command of General George H. Thomas, remained firm. Had that given way the