Encrypted message to John Pemberton, 1863-07-04

• title = Encrypted message to John Clifford Pemberton, 4th July 1863
• author = John Grimes Walker
• year = 1863
• notes = This note, probably from General John Grimes Walker, to General John Clifford Pemberton, was sent on the day Pemberton surrendered Vicksburg. It was encrypted with the Vigenère cipher, and was sent in a glass vial along with a lead bullet: the intention may have been to weight it down in case it had to be thrown into the river.

Ciphertext

SEAN WIEUIIUZH DTG CNP LBTemplate:SICXGK OZ BJQB FEQT Template:SIC XZBW JJOY TK FHR TPZWK PTemplate:SICU RYSQ VOTemplate:SICPZXGG OEPH Template:SICK Template:SICASFKIPW PLVO JTemplate:SICZ HMN NVAEUD XYF DTemplate:SICRJ BOVPA SF MLV FYYRDE LVPL MFYSIN XY FQEO NPK M OBPC FYXJFHOHT AS ETOV B OCAJTemplate:SICSVQU M ZTZV TPTemplate:SICY DATemplate:SIC FQTI Template:SICTTJ J DOGOAIA FLWHTXTI QTemplate:SICTR SEA LVLFLXFO.

Key

The key is "MANCHESTERBLUFF", repeated until the end of the message.

Cleartext

GENL PEMBERTON YOU CAN EXPECT NO HELP FROM THIS SIDE OF THE RIVER LET GENL JOHNSTON KNOW IF POSSIBLE WHEN YOU CAN ATTACK THE SAME POINT ON THE ENEMYS LINE INFORM ME ALSO AND I WILL ENDEAVOUR TO MAKE A DIVERSION I HAVE SENT SOME CAPS I SUBJOIN DESPATCH FROM GEN JOHNSTON.

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