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

[67] as a consequence of the capture of Vicksburg, and the long-desired and important object of this campaign was attained: the Father of Waters rolled “unvexed to the sea.” The joyful news was flashed by telegraph through the country, and, added to the victory at Gettysburg, made that birthday of the country triply glorious and happy for the loyal people. The popular gratitude to Grant was freely expressed, and he was now recognized, by people, government, and soldiers, as, beyond all question, an able general, who, by brilliant movements, as well as indomitable energy, had secured victory unsurpassed in magnitude and importance by any hitherto achieved. President Lincoln, who had watched the progress of the operations against Vicksburg with the deepest interest, in a letter characterized by the honest frankness which was one of his prominent traits, wrote to 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 service you have done the country. I wish to say one 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 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 thought ”