July 2025’s Cover Photo: The Vicksburg Surrender Monument

On July 3, 1863, a large oak tree on the Vicksburg battlefield bore witness to the meeting of Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Confederate Gen. John C. Pemberton as the two officers met to discuss terms of surrender. Unaccepting of unconditional surrender, Pemberton retired back to his quarters to await a promise of final terms at 10 p.m. that evening from Grant. As promised, Grant sent new terms that offered parole to the defenders of Vicksburg. Aware of the gravity of the situation, Pemberton and his staff agreed that the terms were the best that could be had and made the decision to surrender from his quiet, Crawford Street headquarters.

On July 4, white flags waved once again over the Confederate works. The Confederate defenders, who had held out so long against Union attackers, stacked arms and furled their flags as Federal troops took possession of the city of Vicksburg. The fall of Vicksburg, coupled with the Confederate defeat at Gettysburg, marked a major turning point in the American Civil War.

The oak tree which marked the spot of the meeting between Grant and Pemberton is no longer in existence. Realizing the importance of the location, soldiers and visitors quickly chipped away at the tree for valuable souvenirs. Later in 1864, a marble obelisk, the first monument on the Vicksburg battlefield was commemorated in its spot.  Again, veterans of the battle and visitors chipped away at the marble marker for souvenirs. The marble marker was replaced in 1867 by an up-turned cannon, which is pictured here in 1900. This replacement marker stands on the spot today. The original marble marker can be visited in the Vicksburg National Battlefield Park’s Visitors Center. There, it can be displayed under the watchful eye of park staff. If you examine the marker closely on your next visit, see if you can spot the broken end of a pocketknife on the left side of the marker which was lost by a veteran who desperately tried to obtain a souvenir.