USA > Iowa > History of the Fifteenth Regiment, Iowa Veteran Volunteer Infantry, from October, 1861, to August, 1865, when disbanded at the end of the war > Part 23
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The same conditions will be allowed to all sick and wounded officers and soldiers as fast as they become able to travel.
The paroles for these latter must be signed, however, whilst offi- cers are present authorized to sign the roll of prisoners.
I am, General, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
U. S. GRANT, Major General.
LIEUT. GENL. J. C. PEMBERTON,
Commanding Confederate forces, Vicksburg, Miss.
Headquarters, Vicksburg, July 3, 1863.
GENERAL :- I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of this date, proposing terms of capitulation for this garrison and post.
In the main your terms are accepted; but in justice both to the honor and spirit my troops manifested in the defense of Vicksburg, I have to submit the following amendments, which, if acceded to by you, will perfect the agreement between us.
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At 10 o'clock A. M. to-morrow, I propose to evacuate the works in and around Vicksburg, and to surrender the city and garrison under my command by marching out with my colors and arms, stacking them in front of my present lines, after which you will take possession .
Officers to retain their side-arms and personal property, and the rights and property of citizens to be respected .
I am, General, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
J. C. PEMBERTON, Lieutenant General. MAJOR GENL. U. S. GRANT, Commanding U. S. forces.
Headquarters Department of the Tennessee, Before Vicksburg, July 4, 1863. 5
GENERAL :- I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of 3d July. The amendment proposed by you cannot be acceded to in full. It will be necessary to furnish every officer and man with a parole signed by himself, which, with the completion of the roll of prisoners, will necessarily take some time. Again, I can make no stipulations with regard to the treat- ment of citizens and their private property.
While I do not propose to cause them any undue annoyance or loss, I cannot consent to leave myself under any restraint by stipu- lations.
The property which officers will be allowed to take with them will be as stated in my proposition of last evening; that is, officers will be allowed their private baggage and side-arms, and mounted officers one horse each.
If you mean by your proposition for each brigade to march to the front of the lines now occupied by it, and stack arms at 10 o'clock A. M., and then return to the inside and there remain as prisoners until properly paroled, I will make no objection to it.
Should no notification be received of your acceptance of my terms by 9 o'clock in the morning, I shall regard them as having
20
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been rejected, and shall act accordingly. Should these terms be accepted, white flags should be displayed along your lines to pre- vent such of my troops as may not have been notified from firing upon your men.
I am, General, very respectfully, your obedient servant, U. S. GRANT, Major General.
LIEUT. GENL. J. C. PEMBERTON,
Commanding Confederate forces, Vicksburg, Mississippi.
Headquarters, Vicksburg, July 4th, 1863.
GENERAL :- I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of this day, and in reply to, say that the terms proposed by you are accepted.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant, J. C. PEMBERTON, Lieutenant General .
MAJOR GENERAL U. S. GRANT, Commanding U. S. Forces.
SPECIAL ORDERS, NO. 20.
- Headquarters Seventeenth Army Corps, Department of the Tennessee, Vicksburg, Miss., July 4, 1863. S
Soldiers of the Seventeenth Army Corps: Again I rejoice with you over your brilliant achievements and your unparalleled success .
Hardly had your flag floated to the breeze on the capitol of Mis- sissippi, when springing to the call of our Noble Commander, you rushed upon the defiant columns of the enemy at " Champion Hills," and drove him in confusion and dismay across the " Big Black" to his defences within the stronghold of Vicksburg.
Your assaulting columns which moved promptly upon his works on the 22d of May, and which stood for hours undaunted, under a withering fire, were unsuccessful only because no men could take the position by storm. With tireless energy, with sleepless vigi- lance, by night and by day, with battery and with rifle pit, with trench and mine, you made your sure approaches, until overcome
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by fatigue, and driven to despair in the attempt to oppose your irresistible progress, the whole garrison of over thirty thousand men with all their arms and munitions of war, have on this, the anniversary of our National Independence surrendered to the in- vincible troops of the Army of the Tennessee.
The achievements of this hour will give a new meaning to this memorable day, and " Vicksburg " will brighten the glow in the patriot's heart, which kindles at the mention of " Bunker Hill" and " Yorktown."
This is indeed an auspicious day for you,-the God of Battles is with you. The dawn of a conquered peace is breaking upon you- the plaudits of an admiring world will hail you wherever you may go, and it will be an ennobling heritage surpassing all riches to have been of the 17th Army Corps on the 4th of July, 1863.
JAS. B. McPHERSON, Major-General.
After the surrender of Vicksburg and of the rebel forces there- in, General W. T. Sherman, having received additional re-enforce- ments, set out on an expedition against Johnston, towards Jackson .
General Sherman in his report says: "General McArthur's Division of McPherson's Corps, having been ordered up from Black river at my request, one brigade was posted at Champion Hills, the other two, under the General, reached Jackson on the morning of the 14th. I then only waited the arrival of the am- munition train to open a furious cannonade on the town from all points of our line, when I learned that the enemy's cavalry had gone up Pearl River on the east side twelve miles, to Grant's Mills and crossed over to the west bank. This force was over 3,000 strong, being General Jackson's entire division. Suspecting his purpose to be an attack on our trains, and apprehensive for the safety of our ammunition, I ordered back to Clinton, during the night of the 14th, General Matthies' brigade to re-enforce a regiment, already stationed there, and by means of the telegraph, which had been constructed to my camp, put all parties along the road on their
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guard. One brigade of the enemy's cavalry approached Clinton on the morning of the 15th, and was handsomely repulsed by General Mathies. The other brigade made its appearance at Bolton, and succeeded in capturing eight wagons, belonging to a pioneer company of the 13th Corps, with 83 men, partly stragglers and partly composing this company, but did not attempt to attack the principal train, which was close by, well guarded by Cham- ber's Brigade."
The 3d brigade, having the ammunition and subistence trains, in their charge, brought them safely up to Clinton, amid serious demonstrations of the enemy's cavalry.
Johnston's army having, on the morning of the 16th, evacuated Jackson before it could be encircled by our forces, during the sub- sequent days, it was pursued east in the direction of Meridian. General Sherman says: " It may seem superfluous to call attention to the fact that the great mass of troops thus called on for action were on the 4th day of July in the trenches before Vicksburg, where for near two months they had been toiling in a hot sun in close and stifling rifle-pits, and without stopping to indulge for a moment in the natural joy at the great success which had crowned their labors, they were required again to march in heat and dust for fifty miles, with little or no water save in muddy creeks, in cisterns already exhausted and in the surface ponds which the enemy in his retreat had tainted with dead cattle and hogs; that we crossed Black river by bridges of our own construction, and then had to deal with an army which had, under a leader of great re- nown, been formed specially to raise the siege of Vicksburg, far superior to us in cavalry, and but little inferior in either infantry or artillery; that we drove him fifty miles and left him in full retreat; that we have destroyed those great arteries of travel in the state which alone could enable him to assemble troops and molest our possession of the Mississippi river; and that we have so exhausted the land that no army can exist during this season without hauling
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in wagons all his supplies. This seems to me a fit supplement to the reconquest of the Mississippi river itself, and makes that per- fect which otherwise would have been imperfect."
The object of the expedition being attained by destroying in a most thorough manner all the railroad connections of Jackson, east, north, south and west, with all the buildings and storehouses of the enemy, rendering that post of no earthly avail to the enemy henceforth, the regiment remaining in camp at Clinton until the 20th when it and the 16th Iowa moved to Bolton's Cross Roads, camping there until the 22d, when the whole division was ordered to return to Big Black River bridge; reached Baker's creek on the 22d, then moved to Bovina station, two miles west of Black river, and arrived at the railroad bridge on Black river on the 25th, where Colonel Chambers, commanded the Post until July 27th, when, being relieved by General Thayer's brigade, we marched to Vicksburg and went into camp north of the city between Sher- man's old line on the extreme right of the Union army while be- sieging the town, and the old rebel fortifications, it being three- quarters of a mile from the Mississippi river .
Major-General U. S. Grant, in his report of the operations of the Army of the Tennessee, dated Vicksburg, Miss., July 6th, 1863, says :
" At the same time that I ordered the occupation of New Car- thage, preparations were made for running transports by the Vicks- burg batteries with Admiral Porter's gun-boat fleet. On the night of the 16th of April Admiral Porter's fleet, and the transports Silver Wave, Forest Queen and Henry Clay, ran the Vicksburg batteries. The boilers of the transports were protected as well as possible with hay and cotton. More or less commissary stores were put on each. All three of these boats were struck more or less frequently while passing the enemy's batteries, and the Henry Clay, by the explosion of a shell, or by other means, was set on fire and entirely consumed.
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"The other two boats were somewhat injured, but not seriously disabled. No one on board of either was hurt. As these boats succeeded in getting by so well, I ordered six more to be pre- pared in like manner for running the batteries. These latter, viz : Tigress, Anglo Saxon, Cheeseman, Empire City, Horizonia, and Moderator, left Milliken's Bend on the night of the 22d of April, and five of them got by, but in a somewhat damaged condition. The Tigress received a shot in her hull below the water line, and sunk on the Louisiana shore soon after passing the last of the bat- teries. The crews of these steamers, with the exception of that of the Forest Queen, Captain D. Conway, and the Silver Wave, Cap- tain McMillan, were composed of volunteers from the army .
"Upon the call for volunteers for this dangerous enterprise, officers and men presented themselves by hundreds, anxious to undertake the trip. It is a striking feature, so far as my observa- tion goes, of the present volunteer army of the United States, that there is nothing which men are called upon to do, mechanical or professional, that accomplished adepts cannot be found for the duty required in almost every regiment. The result of this campaign has been the defeat of the enemy in five battles out- side of Vicksburg. The occupation of Jackson, the capital of the state of Mississippi, and the capture of Vicksburg and its garrison and munitions of war, a loss to the enemy of thirty-seven thousand (37,000) prisoners, among whom were fifteen general officers, at least ten thousand killed and wounded; and among the killed were Generals Tracy, Tighlman and Green, and hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of stragglers, who can never be collected and reorgan- ized.
"Arms and munitions of war for an army of sixty thousand men have fallen into our hands, besides a large amount of other public property, consisting of railroads, locomotives, cars, steamboats, cot- ton, &c., and much was destroyed to prevent our capturing it. *
For the brilliant achievements recounted in this report,
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the Army of the Tennessee, their comrades of the 9th corps, Her- ron's division of the Army of the Frontier, and the navy co-op- erating with them, deserve the highest honors their country can award."
General W. T. Sherman said: " As to the great importance of the capture of Vicksburg, it made the destruction of the rebellion certain. General Grant had cut the great rebellion in twain, but it needed a few more campaigns to demonstrate to the rebels, and to the world, that the fatal blow had been given at Vicksburg."
President Lincoln writes: "The Great river, which had been fretting and fuming under the iron chain of the rebels, now "went unvexed to the sea."
On July 16th the steamer Imperial arrived at New Orleans from St. Louis, the first boat which had gone over that route for more than two years, and on the 28th she returned to St. Louis, amid the welcoming shouts of thousands. Every shout was a tribute to him who had opened the river and sent its waters forever " unvexed to the sea."
Henry Copper, A. M., writes: " Vicksburg was the key of the war."
General A. Hickenlooper, (our last brigade commander), says: " In the fall of the 'Gibralter of the South,' and the severance of the confederacy in twain, the capture of 31,600 men and 246 can_ non; more men and material of war than Grant had in his army when he crossed the Mississippi river, up to that time the largest capture of men and material ever made in war.
TO THE SOLDIERS OF IOWA, IN THE ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE.
Executive Office, Iowa City, Iowa, July 11, 1863.
You have just passed through one of the most memorable cam- paigns of history, and are now rewarded for all your toil, privation and suffering by beholding the foul emblem of treason trailed in the
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dust, to give place to the glorious banner of Liberty over the City of Vicksburg.
The eyes of the world have been upon you, and your brave and worthy comrades from other states, in admiration of your fortitude, patience and indomitable bravery, watching the progress of your work, as one of those great events which shape the destiny of a nation.
You, yourselves, have probably been unaware of the momentous results consequent upon your failure or success. Despots, the world over, have earnestly desired the former, while the good, the generous and the nobly brave have prayed Almighty God to give you the victory .
But while the world has been thus observant of you, all lovers of liberty in Iowa have beheld, with an intensity of gaze unknown to others, the deeds of her valiant sons.
Many thousands of her citizens are bound to you by kindred ties, while every one has felt that the name and standing of this state were in your hands, that he was honored in your honor and shared in your glory.
The brightest hope of all is realized. You have not only fully maintained the lofty reputation of your country and your state, but have added greatly thereto, and shown to the world that whoever insults the flag of our beloved country must meet the bravest of the brave.
The State of Iowa is proud of your achievements, and renders you her homage and gratitude, and with exultant heart claims you as her sons.
Her tears flow for the brave men fallen, and her sympathies are warm for the sick, wounded and suffering .
You have made it a high privilege to be a citizen of Iowa, to share your renown; and it will be a proud remembrance to you while life shall last, and a rich legacy to your children, that you were members of the Army of the Tennessee.
SAMUEL J. KIRKWOOD, Governor.
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Iowa Veteran Volunteer Infantry.
REPORT OF COLONEL WM. W. BELKNAP.
Headquarters 15th Iowa Infantry Volunteers,
Camp near Vicksburg, Miss . , August 7th, 1863. 5 Lieut. O. D. Kinsman, A. A. A. General 3d Brigade, 6th Division, 17th Army Corps:
SIR :- In accordance with Special Orders No. 7, Headquarters 3d Brigade, I submit the following report as to the operations of the 15th Regiment Iowa Infantry Volunteers, from the commencement of the siege of Vicksburg to July 4, 1863:
On April 26th the regiment moved from Milliken's Bend to Holmes' Plantation, La., the march being an exceedingly disagree- able one. On May 13th we arrived at " Hard Times" Landing, thence proceeded across the river and encamped at Grand Gulf- remaining there until the night of May 19th, when we were ordered to proceed immediately to Young's Point, which we reached at about 12 M. on May 20th. Marching across the point the regiment embarked on the Crescent City, and arrived at Haines' Bluff on the 21st; remaining there until 3 o'clock P. M., when we returned to Young's Point, and marching to a point nearly opposite Warren- ton, embarked for that place; upon reaching which, line of march was taken up for the rebel lines, and at about 10 o'clock A. M. on the 22d we arrived in front of the rebel works, some distance to the left of the position occupied by the 13th Army Corps. Here we were severely shelled by the enemy without loss on our part, and that night moved toward the position occupied by the larger por- tion of Major General McPherson's Corps, and on the 23d were ordered to resume the old position on the left. After picketing here in an exposed position for several days, on the 26th the 15th was relieved by a regiment of General Lauman's Division, and was marched to General McPherson's headquarters, from which, on the morning of the 27th, it moved as a part of the expedition of Gen- eral Blair, which was ordered to scour the country in the direction of Yazoo City .
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Mechanicsville was reached at noon on the 29th, where we were deployed in line of battle to meet the enemy, who opposed our pro- gress. The enemy retreating, the regiment bivouacked about one and a half miles beyond the town, and at 7 o'clock A. M. on the 30th, we moved towards Haines' Bluff; arriving there on the night of the 31st, after a wearisome and extremely severe march. On the 4th of June we were moved to a point near Major General McPherson's headquarters, where we remained until the 23d, fur- nishing heavy details for fatigue parties, to dig rifle-pits and erect fortifications, and every evening sending a detachment of sharp- shooters to the front, who frequently engaged portions of the ene- my with much effect.
On the 23d we were moved twelve miles to the rear, and on the 27th to Fox's Plantation. This regiment, immediately on its arri- val, being sent on a scout to Messenger's Ferry, and being stationed near the Ferry and Black river, in view of Johnston's army at the time of the surrender of Vicksburg on the 4th of July.
The men of the regiment have endured the hardships of these severe marches, and the trials of the campaign without a murmur. Whether at work in the trenches or acting as sharpshooters, they have evinced an alacrity, zeal and courage which deserve full com- mendation; and in every movement I have had the full co-operation of every officer of the command.
I am, very respectfully, Your obedient servant,
WM. W. BELKNAP, Col. Commanding 15th Iowa Infantry.
The oak tree under which Generals Grant and Pemberton held their interview, has long since disappeared, its trunk having been cut up into walking sticks and other relics. On the spot where it stood is a monument, a pyramid twenty feet high, surmounted with a fifteen-inch globe. On the principal side is a large American eagle, with wide-spread wings, which cover implements of defense.
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Iowa Veteran Volunteer Infantry.
In one claw he holds the laurel, in the other an American shield, and in its beak a pennant inscribed, " E Pluribus Unum." The eagle sustains on its wings the Goddess of Liberty. On one side of the monument is inscribed: . " To the memory of the surrender of Vicksburg by Lieutenant-General J. C. Pemberton to Major- General U. S. Grant, U. S. A., on the 4th of July, 1863."
REPORT OF COLONEL WILLIAM HALL, COMMAND- ING 3D BRIGADE.
Headquarters 3d Brig., 6th Div., 17th Army Corps, Vicksburg, Miss., August 21, 1863. 5
Lieut. Col. Wm. T. Clark, Assistant Adjutant-General :
SIR :- In accordance with Special Orders No. 159, Aug. 4, 1863, from Headquarters 17th Army Corps, I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of the 3d brigade, 6th Divi- sion, from the commencement of the siege of Vicksburg to the date of its fall July 4, 1863:
The 3d brigade, composed of the 11th, 13th, 15th and 16th Iowa Volunteers, and being then, as now, under my command, was at the time of the investment of Vicksburg, stationed at Grand Gulf, as the temporary garrison of that post, where it performed much efficient service in forwarding supplies to the army then investing Vicksburg. While in command of that post I caused an import- ant bridge over the Big Black river to be destroyed, in order to pre- vent any sudden incursion of the enemy from that point. This duty was executed by the 11th Iowa under Lieutenant-Colonel Abercrombie, assisted by the gunboat, Louisville. * * * In compliance with orders received from Brigadier-General Mc- Arthur, commanding 6th Division, at 10 o'clock P. M. on the 19th of May I embarked my command on transports, at midnight of the same day, and proceeded at once up the river.
*See Col. Belknap's report.
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* * * On the 22d I moved forward, and about 9 A. M. discovered the enemy's pickets on the extreme right of their de- fenses. Five companies of the 16th Iowa, under Captain Smith, were detached to drive them in, which was successfully aecom- plished, the companies remaining in front of the enemy's batteries and being engaged with their skirmishers during the entire day . At the same time I sent the remaining five companies of the 16th under Major Purcell, to the right to cover the entire front of my advance, and proceeded along the direct road from Warrenton to Vicksburg, which runs nearly parallel with the rebel line of de- fenses.
About 11 A. M., I took up my position within range of four rebel batteries on the right of the enemy's works. Here I re- mained during the day under fire from the batteries, with com- panies constantly engaged along the lines with the enemy's sharp- shooters. These I succeeded in driving to the protection of their works, my skirmishers getting within forty yards of the batteries. [See Colonel Belknap's report. ] Early on the morning of the 27th, the brigade being assigned a position in the Black river Expeditionary Corps, under command of Major-General F. P. Blair, the line of march was taken up and I joined the expe-
dition at Benton Cross Roads. On the morning of the 29th, arriving at Mechanicsville, (my brigade being in the advance,) I found a detachment of the 4th Iowa Cavalry, which had just been engaged by the enemy and driven into town. Passing through the town, I ordered the 11th, 13th and 15th Iowa in line of bat- tle, and with skirmishes thrown out on the front and flanks, ad- vanced up the hill held by the enemy, who after a few shots fell back. The entire brigade pursued them for two miles beyond Mechanicsville, the enemy making repeated stands, but always giving way as soon as a regiment was thrown into line to attack them. Having followed them for two miles they made a more decided stand than they had before done, and brought up a battery
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to their assistance. A section of artillery, Company C, Ist Mis- souri Light Artillery, which accompanied my command, at once opened on them, and caused them to retreat very rapidly. We pursued no farther, but bivouacked on the field that night.
At 7 A. M., on the 30th, the march back to the main army was commenced. and taking the Yazoo Valley road, I reached Snyders Bluffs late in the evening of the 31st, after an extremely fatigue- ing and severe march. [See Colonel Belknap's report. ] * *
On June 27th, the command moved to Fox's Plantation, where the brigade was employed in doing heavy picket duty on four roads leading across Big Black river; remained there until the evening of July 3d, then moved to Messenger's Ford, the 16th Iowa being posted on the immediate bank of the river and the other three on a hill a half mile back, in support of the 10th Ohio Battery, then attached to this command. Early on the morning of the 4th of July, a detachment consisting of Company G, 11th Illinois cavalry, (General McArthur's body guard ) and four companies of the 16th Iowa, crossed Black river for the purpose of clearing the road to " Cowan's House," some two miles from the river. They encountered the enemy's skirmishers, whom they drove before them to the point designated, and held the position until about noon, when the enemy appeared in force with artillery, cavalry and infantry and opening fire on the detachment, compelled them to fall back to the river, and in the afternoon to recross it.
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