CHAPTER XXIV.
Visit to Chickasaw Landing—Surrender of Vicksburg—Visit to the city—The paroled Major—The Yankee trick—Returns to Vicksburg—Made detective—Is sent to Yazoo City—Attends a guerrilla organization—Makes them a speech—Returns to Vicksburg.
On the 3d day of July, I again went to General Grant to see if he had found out where I could get some cartridges for my rifle. He told me that the Paymaster-General (I have forgotten his name) had a rifle of the same kind and some cartridges, and that he made his head-quarters on board the steamer J. D. Perry, at Chickasaw Landing.
The General gave me a line to the Paymaster, and I went over to the Landing. When I arrived there, the steamers had nearly all gone down to Young's Point, and with them the J. D. Perry. It was nearly night, and too late to return to camp, so I remained there all night, with a Sergeant from my own regiment, who was on detached duty there, in charge of the camp and garrison equipage belonging to the regiment.
When I arose on the morning of July 4th, I found that all the steamers had left. A few hours later the dispatch-boat Diligent came up, and brought the news that Vicksburg had surrendered.
That accounted for the absence of the steamers. A flag of truce had been sent into our lines on the afternoon of the 3d, before I left, but I had not heard that it was to arrange for the surrender of the place.
When the dispatch-boat returned, I went on it to Vicksburg. There the whole fleet of transports and gun-boats, including the Marine Brigade, was moored, decorated with all their streamers and colors, and from the Court-house dome proudly floated the glorious emblem of our country. It was a grand and sublime spectacle. The levee and streets of the city were thronged with thousands of weather- and war-worn heroes, that had heroically suffered and fought for the capture of the place.
It was a proud day for them, and their countenances beamed with such expressions of satisfaction and delight as only heroes can wear.
The magnitude of their victory was proportionate to the day on which it was achieved, and such a celebration of our national anniversary was never before had, and probably never will be again.