Saturday, July 4, 1863

After a siege of 46 days, Vicksburg surrendered this morning.  At the agreed upon time of 10 o'clock, the various Confederate units moved outside and stacked their arms.  Logan's division was the first to enter the city, and before noon the Flag of the United States flew over the Vicksburg courthouse.  

The work of paroling the prisoners was completed as quickly as possible.  The total amount of surrendered people and goods:

31,220 Prisoners captured in Vicksburg
5,000 Citizen Prisoners
1,500 Women and Children
18,000 Prisoners fit for duty
13,220 Sick and wounded Prisoners
188 Siege Guns
150 Field Pieces
300 Rounds of ammunition per gun
35,000 Stands of small arms (good)
30,000 Shot Guns, Squirrel Rifles, etc.
4,000 Tents
1,500 Mules
1,000 Horses
200 Freight Cars
30 Locomotives

The losses of the Union army during the siege, including the assaults on May 19 and 22:  

763 killed
3,746 wounded
162 missing

 The Confederate reports of casualties are incomplete.  Returns showed the losses from May 1 to July 3, as 1,260 killed, 3,572 wounded and 4,227 captured, though the whole number was probably close to 12,000.

The fall of Vicksburg opened the Mississippi River to the Union Armies, and cut the Confederacy in half.  Combined with Lee's defeat at Gettysburg today, July 4, 1863 marked the turning point in the fortunes of the Confederacy.