Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 7.
Frank Moore, Ed.

Saturday morning, June 27.--No firing was heard this morning from the mortars, and only an occasional Parrott shell. But little sharp-shooting was heard on the lines. There was no effort made during the day to annoy the city further than the riflemen on the opposite shore of the river.

Sunday, June 28.--This was the anniversary of the great bombardment one year ago, and, contrary to expectation, every thing opened silently. A few Parrott shells were thrown into the city early in the morning, and several persons attending worship in the Catholic church were badly mangled. Later in the day the firing ceased altogether. Along the lines there appeared to be but little doing with small arms. The day was unusually dull and quiet, and only an occasional shell disturbed the worshippers in the different churches.

Monday, June 29.--This was another as bright and beautiful a day as ever gladdened the heart of man. The sun shone out in all its brilliancy and splendor, and the absence of firing of any kind gave the beautiful morning the resemblance of times of peace, in a secluded rural district, where the noise and horrors of a bombarded city are unknown. The day became very warm and quiet, and only a moderate number of shells were thrown. In the night the mortars played with more activity, and considerable firing was discovered on the extreme right.

Tuesday, June 30.--This morning opened more lively, and firing was heard along the whole line; but it soon settled down into quietness, and in the middle of the day the firing ceased altogether. The night was also passed without the usual disturbance of bomb-shells. The difficulty of getting provisions becomes greater than ever. This day we heard of the first mule meat being eaten. Some of the officers, disgusted with the salt junk, proposed to slaughter some of the fat mules as an experiment; as, if the siege lasted, we must soon come to that diet. The soup from it was quite rich in taste and appearance. Some of the ladies ate of it without knowing the difference.

Wednesday morning, July 1--was as serene as if Vicksburgh had never known what war was. The day opened out with a very hot sun, and no firing was heard on the lines, nor shells from the mortars. The gunboats below were engaged for several hours in shelling the woods, but toward noon ceased firing, and an unusual and almost oppressive silence prevailed. In the middle of the day some active artillery practice was heard on the river, but was of short duration. At night a number of mortar-shells were thrown.

Thursday, July 2.--On the morning of this day there was quite a stir in the lines of the enemy, and a number of bad shells were thrown in from the rear, while the mortars and Parrott guns from opposite the river were also very active, and for an hour or two the shelling was quite furious. Later in the day it settled down into the usual state of quietude, and remained so until night, when the mortars and Parrotts again opened with great fury, and kept up the annoyance until next morning.

Friday morning, July 3.--This day opened with promise of intolerable heat. Early in the morning there was a little firing on the land side. About eight o'clock it ceased, and the report spread through town of a flag of truce being sent out. Some construed it to mean a surrender of the city. Others that the Federal were demanding the surrender. Some supposed that the women and children, of which we had great numbers, were to be sent out, as there was considerable expectation of a bloody battle on the next day. The navy mortars kept up an increased fire upon the town, but in the rear all was quiet. Rumors kept flying about the town to various ends. At four o'clock the mortars ceased, and, for what proved to be a lasting spell, we were once more permitted to breathe without fear. Some degree of disquietude was felt by the citizens and army in regard to the flag of truce that had been passed on this day, and it leaked out that a surrender was in contemplation.

Saturday, July 4.--It became known that the surrender had been made, and that the alleged cause was starvation. The people were divided on this matter — some insisting on an abundance of supplies, while others maintained that they were exhausted. The result will prove that our provisions are exhausted, our men weak in body but undaunted in spirit; whosoever may be chargeable for this calamity, it cannot be laid to the brave and suffering garrison.

Among the casualties during the siege were three women and three children and four men. Among the troops the casualties were greater. Most of these were sick or wounded, and in the hospitals. A number were severely injured, and numerous limbs were lost. Some most remarkable and ludicrous escapes were made. One man had his head blown off while in the act of picking up his child. One man had a shell to explode close by him, and lifted him some distance in the air. Many strange escapes and incidents are spoken of — so many that they have not been specially noticed.

One shall fell and exploded between two officers as they were riding together on the street, and lifted both horses and riders into the air without hurting either man or beast. One woman had just risen from her chair when a shell came through the roof, took her seat and shattered the house without injuring the lady; and a hundred others of similar cases. A little girl, the daughter of Mr. Jones, was sitting at the entrance of a cave, when a Parrott shell entered the portal and took her head right off. Surely this is terrible warfare which dooms the innocent lambs to inhuman slaughter.