William A. Crafts, Life of Ulysses S. Grant: His Boyhood, Campaigns, and Services, Military and Civil.

[37] and allowed honorable terms to the prisoners, as Buckner himself voluntarily declared to his own soldiers. But in doing this he yielded no results of his brilliant victory. A most important rebel position was taken, with more guns than Grant had in his own forces, and fifteen thousand prisoners; while twenty-five hundred of the enemy were killed and wounded, and the three or four thousand fugitives who went with Floyd were completely demoralized.

The country needed such a victory to dispel the clouds of anxiety, and doubt, and impatience, which hung over the military horizon; and the army needed it to inspire hope and enthusiasm, which were well nigh extinguished by long delays and petty defeats. In itself, and in its important results, it had a glorious effect, and General Grant now first became known to the whole country, and received its gratitude. His prompt reply to Buckner gave to his initials the popular name of unconditional surrender Grant; and through his whole career he has maintained his title to that name, always exacting unconditional surrender from the enemies of his country.