CHAPTER XVI. THE OCCUPATION OF VICKSBURG.-ORDER OF MARCH. The Occupation of the City.-The Value of the Possession.-Incidents.-The Appearance of the Conquered.-The Dead.-Rebel Bill of Fare.--Grant and his Cigar.-Port Hudson hears the Tidings of Victory.-Correspondence between the hostile Commanders.-The Surrender of the Fortress.-General Grant's Report of the great Achievement.—The President's Congratulations.—One of his Anecdotes. THE Fourth of July, 1863! forever memorable in the history of the United States and of its armies. On this day the glad tidings of victory at Gettysburg, in Pennsylvania, was sounded throughout the land, and on this day the victorious "Army of Tennessee" took possession of the boasted stronghold of the rebels-"the Gibraltar of the Mississippi"-Vicksburg. It was about one o'clock, P. M., before matters had assumed such a stage of completion as would admit of the entrance of the city by our troops. A slight further detention was also occasioned, awaiting the pioneer corps, thrown out in advance, to open a passage through the breast works and across the ditches and rifle-pits of the enemy. After this was finished no further obstructions presented themselves, and the column moved forward. The order of march was by a seniority of brigade commanders, with an exception in the case of the Forty-fifth Illinois Infantry, Colonel J. A. Maltby, which was specially ordered to lead the column, in consequence of heroic conduct during the siege and operations in the campaign against Vicksburg. The order of formation, in the march into the city, was as follows: Major-General U. S. Grant and staff. Major-General J. B. McPherson and staff. Brigadier-General M. D. Leggett, First Brigade, Third Division, led by the Forty-fifth Illinois Infantry. VICTORIOUS ENTRY OF THE TROOPS. 313 Brigadier-General Z. C. G. Ransom, First Brigade, Seventh Division, temporarily assigned to Logan. Brigadier-General John Stevenson, Second Brigade, Third Division; and with each brigade its batteries, baggage train, &c. The division of General John E. Smith, though part of the Seventeenth Army Corps, which was designated by General Grant to occupy the city, was held outside of the works as a kind of outer line of guards to prevent the escape of prisoners. After passing through several inner lines of the riflepits and breastworks, the column of occupation penetrated the suburbs of the city, and marched through its principal streets to the Court-House. As might be expected, from the long schooling the city had received under the influence of the secession conspirators, no demonstrations of satisfaction at our arrival were made along the line of march; but, on the contrary, houses were closed, the citizens within doors, and the city was wrapped in gloom. It seems as if the population anticipated their next step would be into the grave. Upon arriving at the Court-House, the troops were drawn up in line facing the building. This done, the ceremony of possession was completed by the display of the flags of the Forty-fifth Illinois Infantry, and of the head-quarters of the Seventeenth Corps, from the dome of the Court-House. Upon the appearance of the flags the troops cheered vociferously, making the city ring to its very suburbs with shouts of the votaries of liberty. It was an occasion which few ever have the opportunity of witnessing, and one which will secure a life-long remembrance in the minds of all present. In consideration of the active part taken by the Seventeenth Corps in the campaign which consummated in the capture of Vicksburg, that command was designated by General Grant to take possession of the city. General Logan's division occupied within the works, while General John E. Smith held the Union works without. General McArthur continued with General Sherman's army in its operations against Johnston. In view of General Grant's plans, Major-General McPherson was appointed to the command of the new district about to be formed, and having Vicksburg for its center. Major-General Logan commanded the city and its envi rons. The Provost-Marshal's Department was placed in charge of Lieutenant-Colonel James Wilson, provost-marshal of the corps-provost-guard, Forty-fifth Illinois Infantry. A number of subordinate officers had to be created to carry out the laborious and endless details which naturally occur in the administration of a city in population as large as the present. However, as initiatory measures, the above answered every purpose, and the workings of the plans were harmonious and effective. There were no disgraceful scenes of rapine, violence, or insult to note, nor had any thing occurred to compromise as a mass the soldiers of the Government. There were a few instances of battering down store doors to examine the contents of the establishments, but this was soon stopped, upon the inauguration of the provost-guard. One rather unaccountable fact was, the trouble the guard experienced in keeping down the rebel soldiery. The people feared the thieving proclivities of their own men even more than ours. It was not long, however, before the efficient guard patrolling the city had picked up all vagrant individuals, compelled them to disgorge, and then quietly consigned them to the peaceable retirement of the guard-house, to await their trial before his worship, the provost-marshal. The aforesaid establishment is already quite populous with miscreant secesh, and a slight sprinkling of our own unfortunates. While they are amongst us they must expect to be obliged to conduct themselves like soldiers, and obey the newly inaugurated authority now ruling and insuring order and security to the inhabitants and property within the city. The quiet which now prevails everywhere is astonishing, and reflects great credit upon the abilities and judgment of those at the head of affairs. After the surrender of the city was officially known to the transportation officers in charge of steamboats at Chickasaw Bayou, there was a general, mixed, and laughable THE ARRIVAL OF THE FLEET. 315 stampede of boats out of the Yazoo and down the Missis sippi for the levee of Vicksburg. The John H. Groesbeck, being the office-boat of the chief of transportation, appropriated the advance of the Yazoo River batch. The transports, however, were not the first to arrive before the city, for the Neptune, of the Mississippi was on the alert, and impatiently awaited the course of events, under full steam. No sooner was the flag thrown to the breeze from the Court-House than the admiral's glass caught sight of its beautiful folds, and in due time his vessel steamed down to the city, followed by all the gunboats in the neighborhood, and took possession of a few feet of river front. In less than four hours after the city had capitulated, the levees were lined with steamers as far as the eye could reach. At least seventy-five had arrived up to that time, and more were coming in hourly. All the boats from below, as well as those from above, were there to swell the number. The city had the appearance of a great inland commercial metropolis. The levees were almost instantaneously covered with a busy, moving crowd of humanity, pushing hither and thither, as if they were old residents, and the city had not experienced the interregnum of intercourse with the outer world, which had been her fate for nearly two years. Many of the boats had already commenced to discharge their cargoes, which, of course, occasioned a lively activity on shore, while teams and men were busily engaged in hauling the different stores to their respective destinations. It may be said that Vicksburg is once more a living city. Reclaimed from her late oppressors, she is free to share with her sister cities the numerous opportunities which have been restored to them by the reinstated authority of our great, and glorious, and ever to be perpetuated Republic. The value of the reduction of Vicksburg was not only great in a moral, political, and strategical point of view; but it possessed still further importance by inflicting a severe loss upon the rebels, in both men and material. The following is a rough estimate of the number of officers, soldiers, and ordnance, which fell into the hands of the United States authorities with the city of Vicksburg : One lieutenant-general, John C. Pemberton, late commandant of the army for the defense of Vicksburg. Nineteen major and brigadier-generals, as follows: Major-General Bowen, Major-General Martin L. Smith, and Major-General Forney; Brigadier-Generals Barton, Cochran, Lee, Vaughn, Reynolds, Baldwin, Harris, Taylor, Cummings, Stevenson, of Georgia, Hebart, Wall, of Texas, commanding Texan Legion, Moore, Schoep, Buford, and Cockerell. Over four thousand field, line, and staff officers. About twenty-three thousand effective men, non-commissioned officers and privates, and over six thousand men in hospital. Ninety siege-guns. One hundred and twenty-eight field-pieces. Thirty-five thousand (approximately) muskets and rifles, principally Enfield, and in excellent order. Powder and shell, for ordnance of different calibre, in abundance. A large quantity of miscellaneous matter, such as wagons, a few animals, armorers' tools, machinery, &c. Among the military establishments taken possession of, were the arsenal, well supplied with unused rifles, and the foundry, with all conveniences for casting shot, shell, and cannon, and capable of doing a great deal of other work of a similar character, such as casting. The troops taken prisoners were mainly composed of Mississippians, called "the State troops," Georgians, Alabamians, Louisianians, Missourians, and regulars. General Grant, in his official report, sums up the Union losses, during the series of battles of the Vicksburg campaign, as follows: |