This text is part of:
Table of Contents:
[65]
mean time, progressed with vigor.
By the disposition of Grant's forces, and the activity of the gunboats on the river, Vicksburg was completely cut off from supplies and reenforcements.
The Union army slowly but surely advanced, siege guns were mounted, and the rebel fortifications and the city were continually shelled.
The approaches at last reached the enemy's lines; one or two important rebel works were mined, assaulted, and captured, and the rebels, reduced to quarter rations, harassed and worn out by fatigues, at last, in despair, were obliged to yield.
On the 3d of July, Pemberton, the rebel commander, proposed an armistice and the appointment of commissioners to arrange for capitulation, in order “to save the further effusion of blood.”
Grant declined to appoint commissioners, and informed Pemberton that he could stop the further effusion of blood “by an unconditional surrender of the city and garrison,” and that he could offer no other terms.
An interview subsequently took place between the two commanders in front of the lines.
When they met, Pemberton inquired, somewhat abruptly, what terms would be allowed him.
“The terms named in my letter of this morning,” replied Grant.
“If that is all,” declared Pemberton, haughtily, “then his conference may as well terminate, and hostilities be resumed at once.”
“Very well,” said Grant, quietly; and he turned away, knowing that the enemy would soon be at his mercy.
But Bowen, Pemberton's subordinate, proposed that
Boston: Samuel Walker and Company. 1868.
Tufts University provided support for entering this text.
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.
An XML version of this text is available for download, with the additional restriction that you offer Perseus any modifications you make. Perseus provides credit for all accepted changes, storing new additions in a versioning system.