The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1866-02-21
Kirby Smiths pad FaiIll, .

ana permitting al lEt!scFlmAdLe Iuluer OF
the public property" t
# this relates to lhe bursting up" Of the Con i
cderate army the ueighborhood Of Shreveport it is
certainly uews to US. As every one who was here '
knows, Gen. Smith left for Houston sometime before
the surrender Of the department. with the intention Of
establishing his headquarters at that place We have
no personal knowledge Of what Gen Smiths real j
intentions were when he left here further than what
big general orders promulgated and they were to G
preserve the organisations intact that in case we
bad to surrender could get better terms But we
% know, from personal observation, that it was not
the intention Of any portion of his army, in this
locality, 70 continue the unequal conflict any longer
nd matter what Gen. Smiths intentions we're. Gems
Grant and Sherman, in the capture of Lee and John
ston, done to dsband tue trans Mississippi army
than all the Confederate generals on Gods green
earth. So far the breaking up of the force sta
toned in this neghborhood was concerned, Gen.
Smith had no more to do with it than We did We
honestly believe, had he and his medical adviser de-
ayed their departure forty eight hours longer they
woud have been ligbtencd Of what little funds they
had with them, before they reached Houston. As it
was, they made escape. Heads Of tile diff
ferent departments with their traits in endeaYoring
I'd follow their chief either turned back or rob-
bid Of their charge The head Of of the depart
ucnt8 made three efforts and was three times brought
back. Staff officers were robbed Of their mules and
aln5ulanees, and put foot to get to Houston the
bfgt way they could Disorganisation was the order
Of the day, and tie men paid no more attention to
Especial orders than if they were 50 much waste
piper So much for the disbanding of the army;
NOW for the plumber. This was done By the soldiers
in most cases, without the consent of the officers
who used every effort in their power to prevent it.
We are sorry to be compelled to make any exceptions
bit such there undoubtedly were, Of which it is not
ohr province to speak now. Some of the departments
paid off the detailed men with the stock on hand, at
the time of removing headquarters, and this was
Recognised, where there was plenty Of red tape, as
legitimate by the federal officers who afterwards ex-
ornined into the matter So much for the plundering
We have said this much for the purpose Of intro
dtcing portion of letter written by Col. Bolton
formerly Of Gen. Smiths staff to the New York
= News, this subject. We have a personal acquan-
tahoe with Col BeIton and recognise ii hin correct
and honorable gentleman who had every facility for
adquiIing correct information tile subject matter
C@l. Bolton, after quoting Gen. Grants remarks in
relation to the bad faith exhibited by kirby Smith,
"a gs:
Now for facts. Kirby Smith did not disband most
Of his army. Kirby Smith did not permit an ndis-
eliminate plumber Of public property. Kirby Smith
i, exhibited " bad faith" On the contrary, Gen.
ohith was not present at his headquarters at the
oiealdng up of his army, issued orders relation
7 Thereto and at the time had control over the
e mhttcr.
! About the 10Th Of May Gen. Smith issued an order
directing the removal OF the department headquarters
frPm Shreveport La, to Houston Texas which last
named place had for weeks been ia process Of
Notification, under the immediate direction of major
# CEN Magruder Gen. Smith leaving at once in an
ambulance with lis medical attendant directed Bis
staff to follow with the headquarer train as soon il
q could be prepared Demonstration which had com
4 mPnccd with the citizens Immediately upon the
! ndunccment OF Lees surrender, now spread to the
ARMY. Soldiers deserted by companies and by regi-
m4nts. Courers left their posts telegraph lines
c brpken down, communication with distant commands
# was no longer possible The troops we're not dis
banded, but the gallant army Of tie trans Mississippi
mbtcd away despite the efforts Of its leaders under
a thb blighting influence Of dcmoralsation
n
The events which TRANSFERRED at Shreveport upon the
e breaking up Of the army, and which were repeated
# With but little variation, at all the ports such
might have been expected the failure Of any great
revolutionary movement. Anarchy prevailed.
e Owing to the difficulty Of communicating with the
cia Mississippi from whence ali the funds we're de-
riHed the army had not been paid for many month
y AIbn who had hundreds due Them found themselves
St without dollar even of Confederate money then
g berome useless. They claimed division Of public
q prbpcrty simple justice. It was in vain that
Shreveport declared eltrenchcd camp and
q ndrsla Law proclaimed within its limits. There were
no means of enforcing IT, The Missouri troops almost
sldne remained with their colors from Of
f pa riotism but because, poor fellows they had
homes to 60 to. Upon them deyolved the police OF
th4 town. They too few to restrain the turbu
d lent mob. The public stables auG stores plum
b deIed.
Lieut. Gen Buckner, who, in addition to his duties
is commander Of tie consolidated districts Of west
% Louisiana and Arkansas also charged with those
of chief Of staff having found irimpossble to carry
4 out the instructions of the commanding general,
conteFmanded the order for the removal of the head
y qudrtes to Houston elegraphed Gen Smith that be
would arrange for the surrender of the department
q uDdn terms similar to those granted Gen. Lee, and
4 eftShreveport at for this purpose The terms
weHe finally agreed upon, and the articles signed at
Baton Rouge on the 26th OF May. Thus was Kirby
= Smith separated from his staff
TO the other charge Of Gen. Grant, that some of
d the leaders, with their arms who had surrendered in
pegson had taken refuge in Mexico, Col Bolton dis
d poses Of as follows;
The terms Of the surrender were first aruounced 10
Gen. E. Kirby Smith, at Galveston. lis approval of
hese terms qualified by tile provso that Confed-
crate officers desiring to leave the country be
, permitted to do SOL this indorsed his sigma
# ture. 1t was then that MAJOR Gen Ma9ruder com
I meLced his journey to Mexico in the exercise of a
7 rghk justly claimed by all recusant leaders under he
conditions Of the surrender Of the department That
50 fw abandoned the country not because Of their
faith in the magnanmity Of tie conquerors. Indeed,
manE ether brave hearts, frightened by the so-caled
an nesty proclamation" would have yielded to the
Il impulse which prompted expatration, but lack Of
meahs prevented Gen. Smith himself notwhstand-
Ing the base SANDERS ndustriousy circulated to
his peeuations in cotton, indebted to the gene
ositF of friends for the light purse with which be
croscd the Rio Grande. He had caused to be turned
It over to the federal commander the only public funds
at biz disposal being several thousand dollars in gold
uhexpended balance Of secret service money. This
particular instance Of bad faith" does not appear to
have been mentioned ID the reports the depart
ment It is to be hoped the United States treasurer
has a record of the transaction.
= S. 2. Griffin Co., one of the lurgest houses in
the city, have just commenced receiving, from New
York full and complete assortment of hardware,
Z seeced by that expert s. w s. CUP, expressly for