Vicksburg Surrenders Letter

Over the next couple of months until the my book comes out, I am going to be posting bits and pieces of letters from members of the 11th Wisconsin that did not make it into my book. Some portions or other letters by the same author did, but there were also some decent letters that did not make it.

This tidbit is from William Cope of I Company. William was from Madison, Wisconsin, and enlisted on Oct. 3 , 1861. [Crossed posted at 11th Wisconsin Blog.]

William Cope
July 6th, 1863

[after a night of "sharp firing"]…They came in with a flag of truce to see if we let them serender… but Gen. Grant was not thare so they had to wait til the fourth of July then they came over and made a bargin and Grant gave them till 1 oclock to serender and after that time he would open on them so about 9 oclock the wite flag went up in every fort such a huza thar was on the hole line you seldom here and then they came out and stacked arms the men that we took was thirty and one thousand of stand of arms thirty five thousand… 250 guns all in good order and redy for use wen the rebs serenderd they was living on mule meat and not enough of that our boys cared over lots of crackers to them I tell you they eat them [as] they tasted good…