It is with heart felt joy that I embrace this time to let you know of the fall of Vicksburg yesterday on the anniversary of our national existence. The Great Giberalter of the south had to secumb to lincolns hireling and vandals It seems to me a remarkable fitness of things that the the fourth of July should be the day that one would have suupposedd they would have done everything in their power to have evaded the necessity of a surrender; but he who rules the destinies of all nations ruled that that day his pleasure and that day it should be. There is something sublime in the thought in the future those of General Grants army that survive the war can celebrate our National Independence in a double sense and I must confess that I can appreciate the downfall of Vicks. with as much pleasure as ever I did the 4th it seems like joy unspeakable full of Glory you will know the amount gained by this the greatest victory of the war from other sources more in detail than I can give; there were more incidents connected with the siege and surrender that will remain fresh in the memory of these engaged in this campaign to their latest breath. Early in the morning General Grant entered the city with his staff and a small Reg. as a body guard. The rebels came out and surrendered to A.A.S. armies Slacked arms to of their account and hung them on the stacks saluted and retired of the infantry had gone through with the ceremony. The officers came forward saluted General Grant and gaveup their swords. There were about (27,000) twenty seven thousand prisioners 70 Regts 9 Generals 70 Cols. 70 Majors and about as many Lt. Cols. line officers in proportion all arms and all their canon to what amount I have not yet learned but one of the most significant features of the surrender was at at the completion when General Grant had the STARS & STRIPES raised the Georgia and Alabama prisioners gave their hearty cheers and commenced shaking hands with our boys and said they were Damnd glad it was over that had given up rebel Johnstons coming up to their assistance the officers wanted to hold out longer but the mean would not hear again. It seems though providence was on ourside for when the preliminaries of the ssurrender were being settled. General Johnston's force attacked our right rear if it had not come when it did the siege might have lasted sometime. Sherman engaged Johnson and compelled him to retreat and I think likely Jackson is ours by this time. We were under marching order for the purpose of reinforcing Sherman if necessary we could here heavy boom of the canon all day and could tell it was receding from Vicksburg. There is various reports about Johnson our last night was that he was Shermans prisioner with 4,000 other prisioners, these rumors are not reliable there is no doubt in my mind that Sherman has been to many for him or we would not have been relieved from the order march. I cannot tell what is in store for us Mary I think it is getting to hot to do much more and I think we will stationed till cooler weather