The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1905-12-07

| I'm your letter this morning you
state that you have no ether terms
than unconditional surrender
He answered promptly. I have no
ITO this i rejoined:
| Then. sir. 1t is unnecessary that
You and l should hold any further con-.
versation; we will go to fighting again
at once: and I added: L can assure
you, sir, you will bury many more of
your men before you will enter Vicks
burg
Gen. Grant did not, as Badeau rep
resents reply, Very WE'LL nor did he
! turn Off He did not change his posi-
| ton, nor did he utter a word. The
movement to withdraw. SO far as there
Wos any movement, was on my part
| and was accompanied by the remark
| that il he (Gen. Gran) supposed that
was suffering for provisions he was
| mistaken. that l had enough to last me
for an indefinite period, and that Port
| Hudson was better supplied than
Vicksburg. Gen. Bowen made no sug-
gestion whatever in regard to a con-
sultation between any parties during
this interview, as he is represented to
have done by Badeau; but Gen. Grant
did at this time propose that he and I
should step aside. and on my asserting,
he added that if I had no objections
he would take with him Gems. McPher-
son and A. J. Smith. 1 replied. GER
| tainly, and that Gen. Bowen and Col.
montgomery would accompany me.
Gen. Grant then suggested that these
gentlemen withdraw and see whether,
at some satisfactory arrangement. 1t
will be readily understood that 1 Of
fered no objection to this course, as 1t
was. in fact. a withdrawal by Gen.
Grant from the position he had so un-
qualifiedly assumed to w.t. uncondi-
l 4. 11y,nSf
ted, as had desired it should, the dis
cussion of the question of terms to a
commission, although that commission
was now necessarily an impromtu one.
Pending the interchange Of views
by the officers named. Gen. Grant and
/ remained apart from them, convers-
ing only upon topics that had no rela-
ton to the important subject that
brought us together The terms which
this commission agreed to propose
were in the main those that were af-
terward proffered by Gen. Grant and
this discussion I stated to him that as
he declined to appoint commissioners
when invited to do so by me, it was
now his part to propose the terms. He
agreed to this, and said I should hear
from him by 10 p. m. When about to
part I notified Gen. Grant that / held
myself in no manner pledged to any
agreement but should consult my Di-
vision and Brigade Commanders. He
replied that / must understand him in
the like manner. and that he, too,
should consult his Corps Commanders.
With this our interview ended"
Gen. Grants Rejoinder.
The above letter of Gen. Pemberton
was dated June IL, 1875, and when 1T
| came to Gen. Grants notice in 1884 he
| wrote letter in response, which is in
part as follows:
"All there is of Importance in the
matter of the surrender Of Vicksburg
is contained in the correspondence be-
| tween Gen. Pemberton and myself.
The fact is, Gen. Pemberton, being a
Northern man commanding q South
ern army, was not at the same liberty
to surrender an army that man OF
Southern birth would be. In advers-
suspicion, and felt 1t. Bowen was a
Southern man all over. and knew the
garrison of Vicksburg had to surren-
der or be captured, and knew 1t was
best to stop further effusiOn of blood
by surrendering. He did all he could
to bring about that result.
"Pemberton is mistaken In several
points. 1t was Bowen that proposed
that he and A. J. Smith should talk
over the matter of the surrender and
submit their views. Neither Pember-
ton nor I objected, but we were not
Ing such terms as they might propose.
In short time those officers returned.
Bowen acted as spokesman; what he
said was substantially this: The Con-
fcderate army was to be permitted to
march out with the honors Of war, car
rying with them their arms, colors, and
field batteries. The National troops
were then to march In and occupy the
city, and retain the siege guns, SMALL
arms not in the hands Of the men. all
public property remaining. I rejected
the terms at once. I did agree, how
ever, before we separated, to write to
Pemberton what terms I would give.
The correspondence is public and
speaks for itself. I held no council Of
war; hostilities having ceased, officers
and men soon became acquainted with
the reason why. Curiosity led officers
OF rank-most Of the general officers
to visit my headquarters with the hope
of getting some news. I talked with
them very freely about the meeting be-
tween Pemberton and myself, our cor
respondence, ETC., but In no sense was
1T council Of war. / was very glad
to give the garrison of Vicksburg the
terms I did. There was cartel in ex-
istence at that time which required
either party to exchange or parole all
| prisoners either at Vicksburg or at q
point on the James River within 10
days after captures or as soon there
used all the transportation we had for
a month. The men had behaved so
well that I did not want to humiliate
| them. l believed that consideration
for their feelings would make them
| less dangerous foes during the contin-
| after the war was over"
| Pemberton promptly accepted
| Grants final terms.
| (To be continued.)