The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-07-18
Questions Answered.

j. r., BoLToN.-The attorneys you
mention were disbarred from practice
before the pension bureau for time.
They have been restored to practice but
not to the confidence of many soldiers
who have employed them. You will
do better to employ the attorney in
your own county who first made your
application than to send to strange at
torneys residing in Washington, d. G.
. w. T., ST. JoHNsBURY.-You had
better have nothing to do with the
Washington claim agent who offers to
make an application for you for the
pension due you from the date of your
husbands death to the time you APP
piled for the pension if you will send
him 81 in advance. The pension due
widows under the recent act of con-
gress will be paid in due time without
any formal application. The money
they pay for the services of an attor-
ney is thrown away.
d. S., BURLINGTON.-You are mis-
taken. General Grant did not capture
Port Hudson and dictate terms of sur
render under an oak tree. Grant and
Pemberton held the parley that resulted
in the surrender of Vicksburg under a
historic oak tree. 1t was a stunted oak.
| Grant in his Memoirs writes of this tree {:
" 1t was but short time before the last
vestige of its body, root and limb, had
disappeared as trophies. Since then
the same tree has furnished as many
cords of wood, taken as trophies, as the
true Cross" July 3, 1868, Pember-
ton sent note to Grant regretting the
effusion of blood" and asked for the
appointment of commissioners to ar
range for the capitulation of Vicksburg
Grant replied in a brief note, in which
occurred these words, since become his
torc: "The effusion of blood you pro-
pose stopping can be ended any time
you choose by the unconditional sur
render of the city and garrison" White
flags soon appeared above the confed-
crate works, firing ceased and Grant and
Pemberton met. Pemberton asked
Grant what terms of surrender he would
allow. Grant answered, "The same as
those proposed in my reply to your
Recommendations surrender"
" Never" exclaimed Pemberton, /" so
long as | have a man left The con-
ference might as well end" Grant re-
piled, Very well; my army has never
been in better condition to continue
the siege" The confederate general,
Bowen, was anxious the surrender
should take place. He made a pro-
posal that the garrison be allowed to
march out with the honors of war.
Grant rejected it and returned to his
Headquarters and Pemberton to his.
Grants final letter to Pemberton, sent
after midnight, said: "Should no notiti-
cation be received of your acceptance
of my terms by nine O'Clock A. NJ. |
shall regard them as having been re-
jected, and shall act accordingly"
Pemberton accepted, with the proviso
that his men be allowed to march out
in battle array, with colors flying, and
stack their arms in front of the confed-
crate lines at ten O'Clock July 4.
Grant saw no objection to this bit of
military display, and agreed to it, with
the stipulation that after stacking arms
the confederates must return inside
their lines and remain as prisoners of
war till properly paroled. July Z, 1868,
news reached General Banks at Port
Hudson that Vicksburg had fallen. The
news quickly spread among the Union
troops. Cheer on cheer rent the air
that penetrated the confederates' lines.
What's that fuss about?" confeder-
ate pickets asked those on the Union
side. Vicksburg has gone up"
shouted the Union pickets in reply.
General Gardner sent to General Banks
to know whether it was true or not that
Vicksburg had surrendered, and on be-
ing informed that it was made aforma
surrender to Banks July 0, 1868.