Had I insisted upon an unconditional surrender there would have been over thirty thousand men to transport to Cairo, very much to the inconvenience of the army on the Mississippi.

Thence the prisoners would have had to be transported by rail to Washington or Baltimore; thence again by steamer to Aiken's--all at very great expense.

At Aiken's they would have had to be paroled, because the Confederates did not have Union prisoners to give in exchange.

Then again Pemberton's army was largely composed of men whose homes were in the South-west; I knew many of them were tired of the war and would get home just as soon as they could.

A large number of them had voluntarily come into our lines during the siege, and requested to be sent north where they could get employment until the war was over and they could go to their homes.
Late at night I received the following reply to my last letter: "I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of this date, proposing terms of capitulation for this garrison and post.
In the main your terms are accepted; but, in justice both to the honor and spirit of my troops manifested in the defence of Vicksburg, I have to submit the following amendments, which, if acceded to by you, will perfect the agreement between us.