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 158 Southern Historical Society Papers.

weakened by time and trouble that I find I am not able to give you definitely the information you desire.

To your first inquiry : " Names of the medical officers in charge of the Confederate sick and wounded during the siege of Vicksburg, name also of Medical Director? "

I would say that Dr. Winn, of Holmesville, Avoyelles parish, was my regimental surgeon. Dr. Pierce was his assistant. Dr. Raoul Percy was also on duty ; as was Dr. Walker in charge of the First Louisiana Heavy Artillery (Fuller's command). As well as I recol- lect, Dr. Balfour was Medical Director, and Dr. Burchel, if I mistake not, was in charge of the hospital for the sick and wounded. Of course there were many other members of the medical profession who participated in the siege, but I do not recollect their names.

2. Number of Confederates killed and wounded during the siege of Vicksburg ?

Ans. I do not know the exact number, but I can approximate. I understood at headquarters at the commencement of the siege, that we had seventeen thousand men of all arms of the service ; there was about eleven thousand paroled. Some time before the surren- der, General Pemberton called his general officers together to ascer- tain if it were possible to cut our way out. This was found to be utterly impracticable. There were but eleven thousand men of all arms of the service fit for duty. And these were not in a condition to sustain continued exertions. We had no horses for either cavalry or artillery. Of course I cannot say positively the number of men paroled, but I heard it frequently stated that it was eleven thousand, leaving six thousand unaccounted for. In my opinion the great majority of these were killed or wounded.

3. Number of Confederate troops (officers and men sick and wounded) surrendered at Vicksburg ?

Ans. About eleven thousand.

4. What was the condition, physical and moral, of the Confede- rate troops at the time of surrender; could the struggle have been protracted much longer?

Ans. The Confederate troops suffered greatly for want of proper provisions, for some time before the end of the siege. A small cup of cornmeal or rice was a day's rations, and the men, from forty- eight days' of service in open trenches, exposed to torrid sun and all weather, unable to move from their positions, without being exposed to a storm of shot and shell, were necessarily much worn