done with the Confederate uniform he sported before the
Yankees came. His son says they are all Union men over there, and will
"lemonate" (illuminate) to-night. A starving seamstress opposite has
stuck six tallow candles in her window; better put them in her stomach!

And I won't believe Vicksburg has surrendered! Port Hudson I am sure
has fallen. Alas, for all hopes of serving the brave creatures! the
rumor is that they have been released on parole. Happily for them; but
if it _must_ go, what a blessed privilege it would have been to aid or
comfort them!

Wednesday, July 15th.

It is but too true; both have fallen. All Port Hudson privates have
been paroled, and the officers sent here for exchange. Aye! Aye! I know
some privates I would rather see than the officers! As yet, only ten
that we know have arrived. All are confined in the Custom-House. Last
evening crowds surrounded the place. We did something dreadful, Ada
Peirce, Miriam, and I. We went down to the confectionery; and unable to
resist the temptation, made a detour by the Custom-House in hope of
seeing one of our poor dear half-starved mule and rat fed defenders.
The crowd had passed away then; but what was our horror when we emerged
from the river side of the building and turned into Canal, to find the
whole front of the pavement lined with Yankees! Our folly struck us so
forcibly that we were almost paralyzed with fear. However, that did not
prevent us from endeavoring to hurry past, though I felt as though
walking in a nightmare. Ada was brave enough to look up at a window
where several of our prisoners were standing, and kept urging us to do
likewise. "Look! He knows you, Sarah! He has called another to see you!
They both recognize you! Oh, look, please, and tell me who they are!
They are watching you still!" she would exclaim. But if my own dear
brother stood there, I could not have raised my eyes; we only hurried
on faster, with a hundred Yankees eyes fixed on our flying steps.

My friend Colonel Steadman was one of the commissioners for arranging
the terms of the capitulation, I see. He has not yet arrived.

* * * * *

Dreadful news has come of the defeat of Lee at Gettysburg. Think I
believe it all? He may have been defeated; but not one of these reports
of total overthrow and rout do I credit. Yankees jubilant, Southerners
dismal. Brother, with principles o