, 1865-05-23

Interesting Statement Of the 70
.sition Of Davis and tho Con
federate Government. .
unpopH1arity Of 5eG Eeu1s.

The following letter WAS written hy q gen
tlsman who occupied the position Of fftaafe'
Secretary to one Of the most influential mem
Icrs of jeff Davis Cabinet throughout the
rebellion. It comes, therefore, from one we'll:
qualified to set fol th the actual condition Of
affairs in the rebel capital during the latter
days of the rebellion. It gives an Interior
view Ct the movements and sentiments OF
the rebel Government such as 1t has not been
possible to obtain hitherto: Il. D.,F.
R1cu.osD, Monday. llay H. 1soo.
Sherman on the AoFse.
Tie following letter, representative ofGcn.
Sherman's good natured camp cllractcris-
tics, is interesting rs d sketch Of oue Of the
many episodes Of the war: -
ATLANTA, Ga, Sept 1c, 1851;
Rev. -, Confederate Army:
DEAR s14--Touf letter Of Sept. 14th, Is re-
title to .shorsr" with hIleference for the ID ws
Of war. That mysterious code, of which We
fa}l. 50 much but KNOW 80 little, Is tcMarka-
b1y silent on tho ''horse." Ha IL beast so
tempting to the soldier, to him Of the will
cavalry, the isncy artillery, Or ths pasieRt In
fant1y, that find more difficulty IN recover
ing worthless, Spawned beast, t9an In p.y,,
inE MI. lion Of t.Sreenpacks = so fear tfst
nust rcluce youf claim 10 one Ct finance,
ind refer ytu to the great board; Of cluiu1s in
Washington, that may reach your case by the
time your gfand-child becomes great grand.
Pfiyatcly, 4 tlInlz It is shabby taine in tic
scamp Of Lie S1st Missouri w:.o tooS your
horse; and the Colonel or his Brf9adlef eh.:u.d
hare Festo. cd him. But I cannot undertake
10 nuke good the sins Of otn,sston Ut my or:u
Coloncls and Dtigadlers. mu:h less those Of u
former generation. "Wheu this cruel war is
oyty,' ard pence elce ntorc gives, you par
ISL, 1 will promise, If near you, to procure
cut OF one Of Uncle SANS corEafs a beast
that will replace the Guc taken from you 80
Hrops1nl]y but now It Is impossible. Wu
have q big journey beforc us, and need oil We
have, and, / tear, mere too : 30 l3ok out when
the Ianks are atout and hide yous beasts, for
nv expe.l luucc is th-t NIL soldiers ars. very
rprelgss III u search ios title. know thai
Gen. llardse wilt eoulirm this, NY advice.
Will sts2s 1Sssssst, s,itE. 59Fs Miy; ,Ta3y General,
Tic amount Of specie tAken hence by the
Confederate Government hAs hcen greatly
cyer, afed. it did not much exceed half
milli Of dollars bnt q 1arge pr3portIon--
say l,alt--was in silver, and hence Tie bulk
NJ utd 5irc tho ilra Of u sreatrr yaluc. The
Riclm. nd tanks took away tnelr specie. aud
! lions Of collars. It Is Gu error 10 suppose
| ttnt alr. Davis look away this Or my other
| anount with The idea OF providing for him.
! sett 10 Europe. The balances Of The Con-
! f.Ae1atc Government ID foreign countries,
! constantly kept up to procure supplies,
are subject 10 the checks OF Mr. Dly3s
| aud bis Cahsnet. anu arc ample to meet
I their wants If they get abroad. Besides, it is
weii known that when Mt. Davis left hero he,
| Of all inlu In the world, had tue least i1ea
| that the Contccttacy was about to tumble.
TIE coin wos to pruvide :fnbds for war in
Arne1ica-to buy food and munitions ct wnr.
| Tie thought, in bis foaly, that he conla give
| up the capita1 md the gr,a. Statcof Virgin
! IL, and with the Cotton States, keep up the
cent. st III IL the North should b: E..a1i.d uut.
At the bcss inning OF 1hu WAT, the seyen Cot
| ton States Thought that By their staple they
could eueIce Chsis.endom. the North tncln-
dcd and Of this Jolly Of standing alone their
! leafl.4s had uot tern entirely cured. 31r.
| Dak:s hailed at Dauvi1c, with the intention
| nf locating his government there. IT,. staycd
just one wetk- On hearing Of Les's cap1suta-
til II, and that ttero Was M organized body
OF troops between him aud Grant. he Get ont
for Charlotte, \. e., intending to flK h!s
tion, he seemed nttvr'y unable to ..raspthe sit.
| uatlln. He still Thought himself able to
I make wa Or pcace, as be pleased and It IS
reported That he cTen hcst.a:ca At accepting
tho terms granted by Sherm1n, and subse-
! s,ue,tiy SIT asid,. hy President .sohcsan. Al.
bora, be letl for Charlotte, where he p.o:eed.
ed 10 locate his capital, open up government
tllc1F. confer prcInoticns, appoint Generals,
t.r. Nothing could exceed hts insatuatlnn,
Tie wasted time which, for Ills esc,pe, Wae
invaluao1eo IN keeping up ths forms q gpy'
! Of government hnd bank hpet{e had nsrcalJ
started tor the s,uth. OF h's own SAFETY Nj
\ Uayis scented to take little thensht. HI
fancicd himself ut tlc had Of a p p,verfn
: PEOPLE, able to msrshsl ar1ni:s apd ctf:r bat
;!e to thr Ncrth- He did no. rralize that ii!
fSrtunes wrtc desperate. -,
In thu mldsr OF all tits delustou came ths
intelligence that the negotiations were at q
end au. then Mr.. Davis anil his Cabinet sci
out for Gtorgia. Their Subsequent move
knoen in ls.chmoad Upon the great naas
Of the sauthegness, thu crash Of their Con
1tdcracy had tallcn rs suddenly and uns1
. | pcte0ly a. IN avalanche. They were conf
dent the st.uc:lc would last another year
aul many lop3i f3t 1ual snces S.. It Is hat
, to realize tic iataination Vi tic Eoniedefat
Administration Confederate paoer WIS No
worth ttro cents to the dollar, and was kep
up 10 this hgnre solely by tho sale OF G svsss
l | mert epccIe, which Sir. Trenholm put In th
market at sixty for one. The Conlcdeas
nrmies had vast ID awsy by Losses aud ttr,.
Cling. Joe Johnston had some Il, 90 mer
Ies 50 ,GQo, an1 in all there were no: as nan
sippl River. kAb5 Smith aud liasr.
dss lasglt, perhaps, 1svs. together 40
toleratly clothed, but tie e9uipne1
OF the arMy was tnfeStof. The n0rst
If The saya1rT ard artillery were inftrlo
Gnd the former were go greatly reduced
nun,bt rs that they were utterly insufficient
! protect the Confederate communication
t How Mr. Davis could SHUT hiseYrs tu ali TIL
: Is perfectly marvellous; but he did, and w4e
! people epoke to him Of negotiation.
q doubted and ar5alg1ed their patriotism. Ge
!; Lee had, heyend I'll, the most gloomy for
9 bodings.- As carly US the 9th Of March, ]
d wro-a c letter to Mr. Davis, stating that
o could neither 1o!d Ills liues nor withdraw
;. .snsy with tue er1atl number ut troops ut b
| comiuuud. And yet 1t Is s!id that In spec.
+ ri Charlotte, Mr.. Davis spoke Of h!s loaoill
i to understand Why q force Of H. co iii
a should surrender. in ,Ge Camp3e11 constant
!. pessed upon the attention OF tic govern,ne
q The fact that the war could not be carried u
j. | ID The vain hope that, unable to dispute q
II statement, they WuusL draw the necessary
Il fe,cuct, and censent to negotiations on t
tasts OF reconstruction. But Lc reckon
il. without his Lost
f. -
Ft$t.A