All necessary steps were at once taken to render such an attempt abortive.  Our pickets were doubled; Admiral Porter was notified, so that the river might be more closely watched; material was collected on the west bank of the river to be set on fire and light up the river if the attempt was made; and batteries were established along the levee crossing the peninsula on the Louisiana side.  Had the attempt been made the garrison of Vicksburg would have been drowned, or made prisoners on the Louisiana side.  General Richard Taylor was expected on the west bank to co-operate in this movement, I believe, but he did not come, nor could he have done so with a force sufficient to be of service.  The Mississippi was now in our possession from its source to its mouth, except in the immediate front of Vicksburg and of Port Hudson.  We had nearly exhausted the country, along a line drawn from Lake Providence to opposite Bruinsburg.  The roads west were not of a character to draw supplies over for any considerable force.

By the 1st of July our approaches had reached the enemy’s ditch at a number of places.  At ten points we could move under cover to within from five to one hundred yards of the enemy.  Orders were given to make all preparations for assault on the 6th of July.  The debouches were ordered widened to afford easy egress, while the approaches were also to be widened to admit the troops to pass through four abreast.  Plank, and bags filled with cotton packed in tightly, were ordered prepared, to enable the troops to cross the ditches.

On the night of the 1st of July Johnston was between Brownsville and the Big Black, and wrote Pemberton from there that about the 7th of the month an attempt would be made to create a diversion to enable him to cut his way out.  Pemberton was a prisoner before this message reached him.

On July 1st Pemberton, seeing no hope of outside relief, addressed the following letter to each of his four division commanders: 

“Unless the siege of Vicksburg is raised, or supplies are thrown in, it will become necessary very shortly to evacuate the place.  I see no prospect of the former, and there are many great, if not insuperable obstacles in the way of the latter.  You are, therefore, requested to inform me with as little delay as possible, as to the condition of your troops and their ability to make the marches and undergo the fatigues necessary to accomplish a successful evacuation.”

Two of his generals suggested surrender, and the other two practically did the same.  They expressed the opinion that an attempt to evacuate would fail.  Pemberton had previously got a message to Johnston suggesting that he should try to negotiate with me for a release of the garrison with their arms.  Johnston replied that it would be a confession of weakness for him to do so; but he authorized Pemberton to use his name in making such an arrangement.

On the 3d about ten o’clock A.M. white flags appeared on a portion of the rebel works.  Hostilities along that part of the line ceased at once.  Soon two persons were seen coming towards our lines bearing a white flag.  They proved to be General Bowen, a division commander, and Colonel Montgomery, aide-de-camp to Pemberton, bearing the following letter to me: