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 treatment 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 stipulations. 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 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 a.m., I shall regard them as having been rejected, and shall act accordingly.
Should these terms be accepted, white flags should be displayed along your lines to prevent 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.
General Pemberton to General Grant.
Headquarter, Vicksburg,
July 4, 1863.
To
Major-General U. S. Grant,
Commanding United States Forces before Vicksburg.
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.