Vicksburg Miss July 5th 1863 ________ 

                                Dear Wife 

I Sit down this morning to write you 

a Small Epistle to let you Know that I 

am as well as usual and I believe 

the rest of the boys are well ; I wish 

this may find you in the best of health 

and Spirits; the Wether continues quite 

warm, and is getting dry; I Saw Levi 

Noble yesterday he Said that Jabe was 

getting quite Smart again; I Supose you 

will wish to Know how I Enjoyed the 

4th yesterday; to which I can say that 

I never enjoyed a fourth So well in my 

life: for yesterday we took possession of  

Vicksburg and all the Rebel works with 

between twenty and Thirty Thousand 

Prisoners  I wrote to you on the 3rd that 

the Rebels had come in to Grants Head 

quarters with a flag of Truce; I was pretty 

certain that the Rebels was about 

Surrendering then but I did not wish 
to say mutch [crossed out] [a] encouraging about it 

untill I was Sure; the Capture of 

Vicksburg is by far the largest 

and most important victory of 

the war; At about Eleven Oclock 

yesterday forenoon the Rebels come 

out Side of their fortifications 

and Stacked their Arms and then 

Retired behind their works again 

and about twelve oclock Our Army 

Corps under McPherson Marched 

forward with the Brass Band 

playing Dixie and took possession of 

the Center while the Other two Army 

Corps under Sherman and Mc 

Clernand took possession of the 

right and left; and thus on the 4th 

of July the long sought Rebel strong 

hold fell into the hands of the yankees 

amid loud and prolonged cheering 

and the firing of Blank carterages 

from the yankee cannon; I have not 

time to write many peticulars to day 

I will write more here after 
      The capture of Vicksburg will 

Relieve the minds and Bodies of 

many Soldiers of much care; and their  

folks of a great deal of Suspense 

and anxiety concerning them 

Our Ears have been Saluted nearly 

every day for ,48, days with the Discharging 

of fire arms in Battle and during that 

time we had more or less men killed 

and wounded every day; and Since 

night before last the Stillness that 

prevails So far as fighting is concerned 

Seems almost Strange; I do not know 

the Exact number of prisoners [crossed out] [but] we 

took here but our officers Say there is 

28,000 including the Sick and wounded 

during the Siege the Rebels lost a great 

deal heavier than we; which the marks 

of our Rifles and Cannon inside of 

their works abundantly Show 

Their Provisions were about all 

Exhausted and they had been on 

Short rations for Sometime they 

Seemed to be in quite a hurry for Grant 
to Issue them Something to eat 

There is some talk that as Soon 

as Grant gets things Straightened 

around there will be a few furloughs 

granted from each Reg,t for a 

limited number of men to go home 

; if So; and I can get a furlough 

perhaps I may come home the latter 

part of Summer or next fall; I Re,cd 

a letter from Sarah McLain yesterday 

I will send it to you; This letter 

will not be news to you; for [illegible] you 

will hear of the Surrender of Vicksburg 

long before you get this letter 

   I will close for this time I will 

write again soon 

                                 your 

     I Remain Truly, ^ Ob,t, Husband 

        Write as often as often as 

   Convenient So Good Bye 

                              T.J Davis 

L M, Davis