Grant rejoined, declining to fetter himself by any stipulations in regard to citizens; limiting Confederate officers to their private baggage, side-arms, and one horse each to mounted officers, and giving him till nine o'clock to consider the matter.
On these terms the surrender took place early on July 4th. By three o'clock our troops had taken possession of the city and all public stores, the gunboats and transports had landed at the levee, and the troops charged with keeping order had gone into their camps. The Confederates were retained as prisoners for six or eight days, till their paroles could be made out and properly delivered, during which time they drew their subsistence from the National stores.
Grant's losses during the entire campaign were 943 killed, 7095 wounded, and 537 missing; total, 8575, Of whom 4236 were killed or wounded before Vicksburg. The Confederates surrendered 21,000 effective men, and 6000 wounded in hospital, besides more than 120 guns of all calibres, with many thousand small-arms.
As soon as it was known that Vicksburg would surrender, Grant reinforced Sherman, and sent him to drive off Johnston. The march was begun promptly, and pushed with celerity to Jackson, whither Johnston fled. He was dislodged from there, however, in a short time, and continued his retreat toward Meridian. Sherman did not follow him further, on account of the exceedingly hot weather and the great scarcity of water in the country east of Pearl River. Grant, therefore, permitted Sherman to return to the Black River, and to go into camp with his own corps, sending the rest of his forces to their respective corps.
Immediately after the fall of Vicksburg, Grant sent Herron's division to reinforce Banks at Port Hudson, which surrendered on July 8th; thus gaining ten thousand more prisoners and fifty guns. These were also fruits of the great campaign which Grant had just finished, and should be credited to him almost as much as to Banks.
Ransom was sent to Natchez to break up the business of bringing cattle from Texas for the support of the Confederate army. That active officer did his duty admirably, capturing about five thousand head, two thousand of which were sent to Banks, and the others issued to the Army of the Tennessee.
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
– Romans 12:2