The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-06-09
SHERMAN'St. S. REPORT lEII''( Il /.
Official Report ofthe Closing
Movements of His
','oqs' Grand Campaign. on q
The Pursuit of Johnson---The
!, Conference and The '.aSs q
:s7t eyed DIV Results. ,lais7tg nIgisoa
Stanton and ,Halleek, Shown, Up

Below we give, the material points of the
Generals report. .silig0dips lsFo.!eI 81
General Sherman's report Isl dated at City
Point Virginia, May o., and is addressed to-
General Rawlings, Chief of Staff Washington
The General states that his last official report
brought the history of the events connected
with bis army down to the LIST of April, at
which time all his forces were in North Caro-
lima, busily engaged in repairing the wear and
tear Of; the campaign and replenihing stores.
BE had previously notified General Grant that
the 10th of April would be the earliest possible
moment at which be could hope to have the
army in readiness for new, forward move
msnt. By diligent use Of the railroads, allwasi
ready on the 10th of April, and in the, mean
time Stoneman's cavalry bad struck the rail-
road about Greensboro, destroying the line to
Salisbury, with the ,bridges, culverta, depots
and all kinds of rebel supplies; and extending
the breach down to the Catawba bridge, This
was fatal to the armies, Of Lee and Johnston,
who depended ON thatroad for supplies ard as
their ultimate line Of retreat. Wilson's caval-
trous effect, upon the enemye communion
tons In Alabama. va,f sd! ,tiloa % s,rni =;
.oiofe, Cd, CHANGE or PLAE.foaIR - sod
General Sherman adds: Ri diogd 70 iqsr
Lieut.. General Grant in immediate command
of the armies about Richmond, had taken the
initiative in that magnificent campaign, which
In lass than ten days completed the evacuation
of Richmond and resulted in the destruction
and surrender Of the entire rebel army of Vir-
ginia under command Of Gen. Lee. The news
Of the battles about Petersburg reached me at
Goldsborough, aon the 9Th Of April. Up to
that time my purpose was to move rapidly
northward, feigning on Raleigh, and striking
straight for Burkesville, thereby interposing be-
tween Johnston and Lee. But the suspicious
events In Virginia had changed the whole mil.
itary problem, and In the expressive language
Of Lieut.. General Grant, the Confederate ar
mics of Lee and Johnston became the strategic
care of the former, and my task was to destroy
or capture the latter. ,l-,. .,s..l,i,,,rs
Johnston at the time, April 6, had his army
well In hand about Smithfeld. / estimated his
infantry and artillery at thirty-five thousand
Gas 0O0l his cavalry from six to ten thousand
(6,000 to IL, 00O; he was superior to me in cav
airy, so that held Gen. Fitzpatrick In reserve
at Mount Olive with orders to recruit his
horses, and be ready to make q sudden and
rapid march on the 10th of April
At daybreak on the day appointed, all the
heads of columns were In motion straight
against the enemy. Johnston had rapidly re.
treated across the Neuse River, and having his
railroad to tighten up his trains. could retreat
faster than we could pursue. Rains had also
set 10, making the resort to corduroy absolutely
necessary to pass even ambulances. The en-
envy had burned the bridge at Smithfeld, and
IS soon a. possible Major General Slocum got
his pontoons aud crossed over division Of the
14th corps. s.ri,ra t,t ,e, so-, mon ,1r,isz
News now arrived of the surrender of Lee;
Sherman dropped his trains and marched rap,
idly In pursuit of Johnston; and by the 10TH
the position was as follows: ,,,a
Major General Slocum had the 1lth, corps,
Brevet Major General Davis, commanding.
near Martha's Vineyard, with pontoon bridge
laid across Cape Fear River at Avons Ferry
with the 20th corps, Major General Mower,
commanding In support; and Major General
Howard had the 18th and 18th corps stretched
out on the roads towards Pittsborough,, While
General Fitzpatrick held Durham Statjon and
Capitol Hill University. Johnstons army was
borough to- Greensborough, he. himself at
Greenborough." st ~
Two days afterward Sherman received john
stons proposal for conference, and the report
proceeds to describe itlY ear s'namrsS1og ..
THE FIRST INTERyiEw WITH, JOHNSTON 9a
agreed to meet Gen. Johnston in person
ct point intermediate between our pickets on
me lIth, at noon, provided the position Of the
sroops remained st0tu qso. was both will
ing ana anxious to consume few days, as il
woala enable Col. Wright, to finish our rail-
soad 70 Raleigh. Two bridges had to be built
anu WE'VE miles of new road made. We had
~ ITn except by taking mp the branch from
So .; 10 Weldon. Instead Of losing
y Ime gained in every way, for every hour
OF delay possible was required to reco1struct
sne railroad 70 our rear and improve the con. !
oiuon OF our wagon road to The front an Dc.
De forced TO make the race of near tv a'I nm
dred miles to head off or catch Johnstor thar
retreating toward Charlotte. '-1sA.
At noon of the day appointed 7
Johnston for the first time in nv life s,,hn,h
we had been exchanging shots continnau suoasu
May, 1868. Our interview was franz LA si my,
dierlike, and he gave me to understanSI . So
further war on the part of the ConSaJda.suas s
troops was folly : that the " cause was,fs.
and that every Life sacrificed after the snrrsT,
der of Lees army was the highest possih.
crime. He admitted the terms conceded so
General Lee were magnanimous and an he
could ask but he did want some general con.
cession, that would enaele him to a.lay the
natural fears and anxieties Of his followers and