Bridgeton pioneer., 1885-09-17

Generals Sherman and Mcpherson,
saying that their respective commands
had complained to them of fulsome
congratulatory order, published by
General McClernand to the Thirteenth
Corps, which did great injustice to the
other troops engaged in the campaign.
This order had been sent North and
published, and now papers containing
it had reached our camps. The order
had not been heard of by me, and GER
tainly not by troops outside of McCler-
nand's command, until brought in this
way l wrote at once to McClernand,
directing him to send me a copy of
| this order. He did so, and | immedi-
ately relieved him of the command of
the Thirteenth Army Corps and Or
dered him back to Springfield, Ill.
| Publication of his order in the press
was in violation of War Department
orders and also of mine.
''On the 22d of June, positive infor-
nation was received that Johnston had
crossed the Big Black river for the pur-
pose of attacking our rear, to raise the
seige and release Pemberton. The
correspondence between Johnston and
Pemberton shows that all expectation
of holding Vicksburg had by this time
passed from Johnston's mind. | i'm
mediately ordered Sherman to the
command of all the forces from Haines'
Bluff to the Big Black river These
amounted now to about half the troops
about Vicksburg. Besides these, Her
ron's and A. J. Smiths divisions were
ordered to hold themselves in readi-
ness to reinforce Sherman. Haines'
Bluff had been strongly fortified on the
land side, and on all commanding
points from there to the Big Black at
the railroad crossing batteries had
been constructed. The work of con-
Meeting by rifle pits, where this was
not already done, was an easy task for
the troops that were to defend them.
Johnston evidently took in the stu
alton, and wisely, | think, abstained
from making an assault on us, because
it would simply have inflicted loss on
both sides without accomplishing any
result We were strong enough to
have taken the offensive against him,
but did not feel disposed to take any
risk of losing our hold upon Pember-
tons army, while | would have re-
joiced at the opportunity of defending
ourselves against an attack by John
ston X *
AT 3 o'clock Pemberton appeared
at the point suggested in my verbal
message, accompanied by the same
officers who had borne his letter of the
morning. Generals Ord, Mcpherson,
Logan, A. j. Smith, and several officers
of my staff accompanied me. Our
place of meeting was on hillside with
in a few hundred feet of the rebel lines.
Near by stood stunted oak tree,
which was made historical by the event.
1t was but short time before the last
vestige of its body, roots and limbs had
disappeared, the fragments being taken
as trophies. Since then the same tree,
like the true cross has furnished
many cords of wood in the shape of
trophies
"Pemberton and | had served in the
same division in a part of the Mexican
war. | knew him very well, therefore,
and greeted him as an old acquaint-
ance. He soon asked what terms l
proposed to give his army if it surren-
dered. My answer was: The same as
proposed in my reply to your letter.
Pemberton then said, rather snap
pishly: The conference might as we'll
end, and turned abruptly as if toleave.
| said: Very WE'LL General Bowan.
saw, was very anxious that the sur
render should be consummated His
manner and remarks while Pemberton
and | were talking showed this. He
now proposed that he and one of our
Generals should have a conference.
had no objection to this, as nothing
could be made binding upon me that
they might propose. Smith and Bowan
accordingly had conference, during
which Pemberton and | were in con-
versation, moving a short distance
away toward the enemy's lines. After
while Bowan suggested that the Con-
federate Army should be allowed to
march out with the honors of war, car
rying the small arms and field artillery.
This was at once and unceremoniouslv
rejected. The interview then ended, [
agreeing, however, to send letter Civ
ing final terms by 10 o'clock that night.
During the siege there had been a
good deal of friendly sparring between
the soldiers of the two armies on picket
and where the lines were close together.
All rebels were known as 'Johnnies,'
all Union troops as 'Yanks' Often
Johnny would call, We'll, Yank, when