Comte de Paris, History of the Civil War in America. Vol. 3.
Henry Coppee , LL.D., Ed.

In the mean while, the North was anxiously waiting for the result of the great conflict. Uneasiness and excitement were perceptible everywhere; terror prevailed in all those places believed to be within the reach of the invaders. Rumor and fear exaggerated their number, and the remembrance of their success caused them to be deemed invincible. In those localities where devotion to the Union or the anti-slavery sentiment predominated all able-bodied men were arming and enlisting. But there were many districts whose secret sympathies were in favor of the Secessionists: people only waited for Lee's victories to openly announce them. Fortunately for the Federal government, the most turbulent individuals had joined the Southern army at the beginning of the war; leaders were wanting to entice the rest. But this was not the case in the large cities of the East, which contained all the elements for a terrible insurrection. This insurrection was expected to break out in New York, despite Lee's defeat: one may judge from this what it would have been if Lee had achieved a victory. On the 4th of July, the day when America celebrates the anniversary of her independence, a proclamation of President Lincoln, written in that simple and noble style of which at times he seemed to possess the secret, announced to the people of the North that the invasion of the free States had been stopped. Three days later it was learned that at the same hour Pemberton had capitulated with his army and the citadel of Vicksburg. Joy was the more keenly felt because the danger had been so great. The war was about to enter into a new phase.

The South, however, on learning her disasters, did not allow herself to become discouraged. She had gone too far to stop, and still believed in her ability to tire out her adversaries. The latter, it is true, were very far as yet from having achieved that decisive success which alone could put an end to the war to their advantage, while the inhabitants of the North, who, in the plenitude of their joy, already believed Lee's army ready to lay down its arms, were harboring great illusions. This compact army, resolute and formidable despite its losses, was destined to hold in check for a long time yet the conquerors of Gettysburg.