The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-08-21

vi tACoC lOuC lCtuIucNI 6ACcNb Lu6 S6IRea1ut dIQ
possibly one man. The work entered by him,
from its position, could give us no practical
advantage unless others to the right and left of
it were carried and held at the same time. =
About12 M, Ireceiyed dispatch from Nc
Clernapd that he was hard pressed at several
points, in reply to which ordered him to re-
inforce the points hard pressed from such
troops as he had that were not engaged.
then rode round to Sherman and had just
reached there, when received second dis
patch from McClernand, stating positively
and unequivOcally that he was in possession
OF and held two of the enemy's forts; that the
American flag then waved over them !; and
asking me to have Sherman and Mcpherson
make diversion in his favor. This dispatch |
showed to Sherman, who Immediately ordered
renewal of the assault on his front. I also
sent an answer to McClernand directing him
to order up Macarthur to his assistance, and
started immediately to the position had just
left on McPherson's line to convey him the in
formation from McClernand by the last dis
patch, that he might make the diversion re-
quested. Before reaching Mcpherson met q
messenger with third dispatch from McCler-
nand, OF which the following is copy: ad,
9w raa Sd HEADQUARTERS 18TH Army CoRps
In the FIELD NEAR VIoKsBURG, MISS
% GENERAL: We have gained the eneny,s intrenc6.
ments at several points, bnt are brought to stand
have sent word to Macarthur to reinforce me if he
can would 1t not be well to concentrate the whole
or part of his command on this point? . a.it
b., ,t.,s,,. ~ JOHN A. MoCLERNAND,
-" M Major General Commanding.
Major General U. s. GRANT lQG0 I'D %
I. al have received your dispatch. Ny troops
for % ana cannot withdraw any t %o ss
The position occupied by me during most
of the time of the assault gave me "a better op-
pOrtunity of seeing what was going on in
front Of the 18th Army Corps than I believed
it possible for the commander of it to have I
could not see his possession of forts nor ne
cessity for achievements as represented in
his dispatches, up to the time left it, which
was between IL NJ. and p. M, and expressed
doubts OF their correctness, which doubts the
facts subsequently, but too late, confirmed
At the time, could not disregard his reitera-
ted statements, for they might possibly be true;
the enemys stronghold should be allowed to
escape through fault Of mine, ordered Quinn
by's division, which was all of McPherson's
corps then present, but four brigades, to re-
port to McClernand. and notified him of the
order. / showed his dispatches tor McP herson,
as had to Sherman, to satisfy him of the ne
cessity of an active diversion on their part to
hold as much force in their fronts as was pos
sible. The diversion was promptly and vigor-
Ously made and resulted in the increase of our
mortality list fully fifty per cent, without adj
vancing our position or giving us other adyan-
tages. t'' d
About $3.50 p. NJ, 1 received McClernand's
fourth dispatch, as follows: a914yf'a 34sat
= 5Li Jis u HEApouARrERs 18TH ARMY CoRps)
ist q 3 N lgif1A VIZ, May ", 1903. Il sil g.
GENERAL: l have received your dispatch in regard
to General Quimby's division and Gener Il Near
thurs division As soon as they arrive will press
the enemy with all uossible speed, and doubt not
will force my way through. have lost no ground
My are ia two of the enemys forts but they are
commanded by rife-pts in TIE rear. Several pris-
oners have been taken, who intimate that the rear
is strong At this moment am hard pressed.
t lt ff'- JOHN A. MoCLERNAND, lt
7iva Major General Commanding.
Major General U. s. Grant, Department of he
Tennessee. P'+ ~ f-tlhNF"' hAt
q The assault of this day proved the quality
success, and with heavy loss, there was no
murmuriIg or complaining, no falling back,
nor evidences of decentralization.
THE s1EGE. ,s,.,.,,., !.
After the failure of the 22d, 1 determined
upon regular siege. The troops now being
fully awake to the necessity of this, worked
diligently and cheerfully They progressed
rapidly and satisfactorily until the Sd Of July,
when all was about ready for final assault. 4
There was a great scarcity of engineer Off ]
GERS in the beginning, but :, under n the skillial
engineer corps, Lieut. Colonel Wilson, of my
staff and Captain @. B. Comstock, of the en-
gineer corps, who joined this command during
the siege, such practical experience was gain
ed as would enable any division of this army
hereafter to conduct siege with considerable
skill, in the absence of regular engineer Of
ficers. ~ 5o0A 8saaAar 1.-g
s. .yvbia 81 THE OAPTTULATION. Ia ,Et{a 4
On the afternoon of the Sd of July, letter
was received from Lieutenant General Pember-
ton, commanding the Confederate forces at
Vicksburg, proposing an armistice and the APP
pointment of Commissioners to arrange terms
for the capitulation of the place. The cores
pondence. copies of which / herewith trans
nit, resulted in the surrender OF the city and
garrison of Vicksburg at / o'clock A. NJ, July
4, 1868, on the following terms: The entire
garrison officers and men, were to be paroled,
not to take up arms against the United States
until, exchanged by the proper authorities
officers and men each to be furnished with
parole signed by myself; officers to be allowed
their side arms and private baggage, and the
field, staff and cavalry officers one horse each
the rank and file to be allowed all their cloth
ing, but no other property rations from their
own stores sufficient to last them beyond our
lines; the necessary cooking utensils for pre-
pairing their food; and thirty wagons to trans
port such articles as could not well be
carried. These terms Regarded as more favor
able to the Government than an unconditional
surrender 1t saved us the transportation of
them North, which at that time would have
been very difficult owing to the limited amount
of river transportation on hand, and the ex-
pense of subsisting them. 1t left our army
free to- operate against Johnston. who was
threatening us from the direction of jackson;
and our river transportation to be used for the
movement of troops to any point the EFFICIENCY
of the service might require.
deem it proper to state here, in order that
the correspondence may be fully understood
that after my answer to General Pemberton's
letter of the morning of the 3D., we had per-
sonal interview on the subject of the capitula-
ton. The particulars and incidents Of the
siege will be contained in the reports of diyi-