Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1913-07-15
PRINTED ON WALL PAPER
Veteran of Civil War Suggests Reprint
of Qneer Vicksburg Paper

Correspondence of Brooklyn Eagle)
Fifty years ago the writer of this
was member of Company G. Ninety
seventh Illinois infantry volunteers,
was with Gen. Grants army in the rear
of Vicksburg and was in the rife pits
On July 3, near the place where Gen,
Grant met the Confederate general,
Pemberton, to discuss the conditions
upon which Vicksburg and its gar
rison were to be surrendered. The &C
tual surreder ACQUIRED about 10
o'clock on the morning Of July 4, 1863,
and soon after the Confederates had
marched out of their works and stack
ed their guns, permission was given to
part of the army to go into the city
and this we di, with our haversacks
well filled with hard bread, which was
freely distributed, as long as it lasted,
to those against whom we had been
aiming our bullets for 40 days.
One reason for this unseeminglV
haste in entering the city was because
the division of the army to which |
belonged was ordered to join Gen
ISherman's command and march against
the Confederate general, Joe. E. john
sons forces, who were in our immed-
late rear, and the start was to be made
early on the morning of July ., and
unless we were permitted to enter the
CITY on the 4th we might never see IN
side the Notifications that we had
struggled so long to capture.
In our ramble through the city OF
Vicksburg We found little printing
office equipped with a Franklin hand
power printing press, and on it was
four column form dated July 2, 1865
One other and myself in our little par
tv had had some experience in print
ing offices. before we entered the army
and as there was little pile OF wall
paper in the corner of the room that
had been wet down (dampened SO
that it would take the ink, We decided
that we would make few pennies and
at the same time supply those VINO
wanted it with a souvenir in the shape
of a newspaper published on wall
naner Some one wrote a short para
graph, dating it July a. and while II
was being set up the others got Things
in readiness so as to insert the ne"
paragraph. The ink was not OF the
,best but we succeeded in distributing
it on a stone, with hand roller from
which it was transferred to the face OF
the type. l did the presswork' ana
while the result was not such DIS
would be entitled to first prize IN a
contest vet we succeeded in using up
the wall paper and found ready sale
for the edition, of perhaps zoo or ooo
comics. I sent one copy to my mother
which is now in my possession.
From the time Gen. Grants forces
first invested the city of Vicksburg I'M
til it's surrender, there were something
near 10000 Union soldiers who partlc-
mated either in its reduction or IN ue-
Tending our rear from attack by the
forces under the command of the Con-
federate general Joe E. Johnson ana
On tho Confederate side, including the
80. 900 that were surrendered anu
those composing Gen. Johnson COM
mand whe we're engaged in trying TO
raise the siege, there were, perhaps
all told. about $4,000, and it has oc-
Cured to me that on this semi-centen-
NAL of that occasion a production Oh
This paper would be priced. not only OE
those who participated in that strug-
g,o but also gv their descendants ami
bv MANY others who might WISH u
possess a copy as a curiosity ana tha'
quite a sum might be realized by us
sale.
The authority does not wish person
ally to profit by this reproduction pu'
desires that every dollar which can DC
realized over and above the actual eX-
penses incurred shall be equally dlVlo'
cd among the needy veterans or Uhe
lcivil war, one-half to be turned over
TO II. s. Grant Post No. S27, OF New
York to be spent by it in its charitable
work and the other half to go to some
lconfederate association, to be spent IN
a like manner.