Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 7.djvu/643

158 seven officers. Grant showing no disposition to recede from his demand for unconditional surrender, Pemberton declared he would not accept it. Then Bowen and Montgomery and Federal Generals McPherson and Smith went to one side, with the acquiescence of their superiors, to agree on a recommendation, which was that the Confederate troops should march out with the honors of war, with their arms, colors and field batteries, the Federals to take the fortifications, siege guns and public property remaining. This was promptly rejected by Grant, and the conference broke up, Grant promising to send in a statement of the terms he would give. This, which Pemberton received at 10 o'clock that night, was to the effect that one Federal division would march in as a guard and take possession in the morning; as soon as all the garrison were paroled, they could march out, the officers taking side-arms, but the rank and file leaving all their arms.

Pemberton’s council, waiting in that mournful night, accepted these terms in the main, but proposed as an amendment that they should evacuate the works at 10 a.m. marching out with colors and arms, and stacking them in front of the works, after which Grant should take possession. Grant replied substantially that, if Pemberton's desire was to march the men out at 10 o'clock and stack arms and then march back to remain until paroled, he had no objection. So it was settled, and Vicksburg was surrendered July 4, 1863.

This ended the memorable siege of Vicksburg. The Confederate troops, though few in number, had successfully repelled the efforts to take the city from the front by the navy. The effort to take it by descent through the Coldwater and Sunflower rivers and bayous failed. The gallant defense made at Fort Pemberton and all along the line by Generals W. W. Loring, Stephen D. Lee, Ferguson and Wirt Adams, has been recited in these pages. The attempt by General Sherman in his