burg has surrendered! Vicksburg is ours!'' The echoes rolled from shore to shore-smote against the earth-banks-vibrated within the stone walls, where stood the heavyhearted garrison. That evening the rebel commander sent a message of inquiry to learn if the news was true; and next morning, the 8th of July, Banks and his wearied, exultant men marched into the city." "Butler, Banks, Foote, Farragut, and Grant-I shall remember them if ever I sail on the Mississippi," cried Roger. "What will Jeff Davis and his planters do now, do you think-go into collapse ? If Donelson was the backbone of the Confederacy, as Horace said, the river must be the jugular vein-do you call it ?—or some other vital part. We'll soon have the stars and stripes floating over 'em all, won't we? and the little black picaninnies going to district schools, like the rest of us. Hooray!" And to let his enthusiasm subside, Roger turned a summersault or two, despite the danger of breaking his neck on the doorsteps. "Of course we took ever so many spoils with the place, for the rebels couldn't remove anything, I suppose?" said Frank. "All that was left of their treasure fell into our hands-small arms, vessels, cotton, cattle, seventy-three guns, and, if I rightly remember, ten thousand six hundred men, or thereabouts-nearly a third of whom were officers. But to regain the place, three thousand brave men had fallen before it; and while our general was detained there, Dick Taylor had come forth again in the South, and taken Brashear City. Other rebel bodies had also spread havoc in the State. They all, however, made good their retreat as soon as we were at liberty for pursuit. But the wind is rising," added the father; "and, bless me! it's bed-time for us all." "Is it really?" said the mother. "Summer evenings are too short for the story of |