Footnote to Texas' Civil War History

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Short story: An encrypted Confederate message sent in a bottle at the siege of Vicksburg (but never received or opened) was opened and decrypted recently by the Museum of the Confederacy in Virginia. The message is thought to have been sent by Maj. Gen. John G. Walker, of the Texas Division, and was addressed to the commander of the Confederate forces in Vicksburg, Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton, who was besieged by Ulysses Grant. The message was dated the same day that Pemberton surrendered Vicksburg to Grant, so it is thought the messenger simply took the message home with him when he saw Vicksburg was under Union control.