e Banks. It
will inspire me.'"

The Union victories at Vicksburg and Gettysburg caused great rejoicing
at the North, and gave added zest to the celebration of the national
patriotic holiday. President Lincoln, mindful of the "almost
inestimable services," as he termed them, of General Grant, and as it
was his wont to do in such circumstances, made haste to acknowledge his
own and the country's indebtedness to the man who had accomplished a
great deed. He addressed to the conqueror of Vicksburg the following
letter:

EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, D.C.
July 13, 1863.

MAJOR-GENERAL GRANT.

MY DEAR GENERAL:--I do not remember that you and I ever met
personally. I write this now as a grateful acknowledgment for the
almost inestimable services you have done the country. I write to
say a word further. When you first reached the vicinity of
Vicksburg, I thought you should do what you finally did--march the
troops across the neck, run the batteries with the transports, and
thus go below; and I never had any faith, except a general hope
that you knew better than I, that the Yazoo Pass expedition, and
the like, could succeed. When you got below, and took Port Gibson,
Grand Gulf, and vicinity, I thought you should go down the river,
and join General Banks, and when you turned northward, east of the
Big Black, I feared it was a mistake. I now wish to make the
personal acknowledgment that you were right and I was wrong.

Yours truly, A. LINCOLN.

An officer who was the first from Grant's army to reach Washington after
the surrender of Vicksburg, has recorded the circumstances of his
interview with the President. "Mr. Lincoln received me very cordially,"
says this officer, "and drawing a chair near to himself and motioning me
to be seated said, 'Now I want to hear all about Vicksburg.' I gave him
all the information I could, though he appeared to be remarkably well
posted himself. He put to me a great many questions in detail touching
the siege, the losses, the morale of the army, its sanitary condition,
the hospital service, and General Grant. Said he: 'I guess I was right
in standing by Grant, although there was great pressure made after
Pittsburg Landing to have him removed. I thought I saw enough in Grant
to convince me that he was one on whom the country could depend. That
'unconditional surrender' message to Buckner at Donelson suited