The tri-weekly news. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1865-1876, 1865-05-18


Card from Gen. j. E. Johnston,
Welay before ourreaders the following
letter from Gen. JOSEPH +. JOHNSTON
stating the causes which induced him to
make terms of surrender with Gen. Sber
man. We believe Gen. Johnston's con
duct and his refusal to continne the war
after all hope Of success was vain, is
generally approved; but if any one has a
doubt on this point the reasons set forth
by Gen. Johnstonwill clearly show that
he acted correctly and wisely ro
.as CHARLoTTE, n. c., May 6, 1865.
Having made convention with Mai.
Gen. Sherman to terminate hostilities in
North and South Carolina, Georgia and
Florida, it seems to me proper. to put
before tho people ofthose States the con.
dition of military affairs which rendered
that measure absolutely necessary.
On the 18th Of April, the day of the
convention, by the returns of three
Lieutenant-Gencral of the Army of
Tennessee (thatunder my command) the
number of infantry and artillery present
and absent was 70,5lO-the total pre-,
sent lS,57S-- the effective total, or fight.
iis force, "A l?99 On tha 9Th of Anril
the date of the last return l can find, tho
effective total of the cavalry was 5,44O.
But between the 7th and 26th April 1t
was greatly reduced by events in Vir.
Binia aud apprehcnsions OF surrender.
In South Carolina we had Young's
Division Of cavalry, less than one thou
sand, besides Reserves and State troops
together much inferior to the Federal
torce1n that State. In Florida we were
as weak. In Georgia our inadequate
force had been captured at. Macon. In
Lieut.Gen. Taylor's department there
were no means of opposing the formid
able army under Gen. Candy which had
taken Mobile, nor the cavalry under Gen.
Wilson which had captured every other
place of Importance west of Augusta.
The latter had been stopped at Macon by
the armistice, as we had been at Greens.
boro, but its distance from Augusta be.
ingless than half Of ours, that plate was
in its power. Aw @#A fgsa
To carry on, the war, therefore, we had
to depend on the Army. of tennessee
alone. The United States could have
brought against it twelve or fifteen times
its number in the armies Of Gen. Grant.
Sherman and Candy, With such odds
against us, without the means of pro.
curing ammunition or repairing arms,
without money or credit to provide food,
it W J impossible to continue the war
except as robbers. The consequence of
prolonging the struggle would only have
been the destruction or dispersion of our
brayest men, and great suffering of wo.
men and children by the desolation and
ruin inevitable from the. marching of
100000 men through The country.
Having failed in an attempt to obtain
terms giving security to citizens as we'll
as soldiers, 1 had to choose between
wantonly bringing the evils Of war upon
those j had been chosen to defend, and
averting those calamities with the confes.
sion that hopes were dead which every
thinking southern man had already, lost.
1 therefore stipulated with Gen. Sher-
man for the security of the brave and
true men committed 10 me on terms which
also terminated hostilities in all the coun.
try over which my command extended
and announced tito your Governors by
telegraph as follows: q ,'s s,fs,,t' =
'gThe disaster in Virginia, the capture
by the enemy of all our workshops for
the preparation Of ammunition and re.
pairing Of arms, the impossibirty of re-
cruiting our little army, opposed to more
than ten times its number, or Of supply.
ing IN nexcept by robbing our own citizens
destroyed all hope of successful war. /
have therefore made q military con yention
with Maj. Gen. Sherman to terminate
hostilities in North and South Caroline
Geergia sSia Florida ioiidta. made made shi sl,iis CON.
yentioh TO spare the blood of this gallant
little army, to prevent further suffering
OF our people by the tdeyastationan min
inevitable from the marches Of invading