Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1866-03-08

the existence or truce was OmclaIiy pro-
mulgated
Upon the morning of the 26th of April,
we were ordered to Nation Ford, and then
to cross the Cstawba river. After resting
nearly twenty four hours on the bank of
the river, We received orders to move, by
way of Yorkville and Unionville, to Cokes.
bury-Duke's brigade and Vaughn to move
BY Chesterville, Uniouville, and Laurens,
ville-Ferguson to move by lower route.
High water, burned bridges, &C., made us
change our route, and We reached Cokes.
bury after Duke, Vaughn and Ferguson had
passed through; from thence we moved to
Abbevile, where all we're concentrated by
noon of May 2. In the meantime rumors
had reached US of Johnstou's surrender;
Gen Bragg had disbauded the Second and
Third South Carolina cavalry; news of Will
sons cavalry moving towards Augusta aud
Lexington, Ga Stoueman crossing the
Savannah and moving to Athens, and At
lauta being occupied, thus closing the entire
line of retreat to Taylor and Forrest; of
the defeat of Forrest at Selma; of Foster
moving towards Augusta from the coast,
and of the utter decentralization of that part
of Johnston's 8 army that has not surrendered
had become rife through the commands.
The men appreciated the utter hopeiessness
of the contest-the almost equal hopeless.
ness of reaching the Mississippi River and
crossing it, or of General Smith making any
resistance.
At Abbeville. late in the afternoon of
May 2, consultation was held-the last
military consultation in which the Confed.
crate Government participated. 1t was
historic scene. Mr.. Davis presided with
Gen. Bragg, who had become by the sur.
render of Lee, Johnston, Beauregard and
Cooper, the senior General Of the Confed-
aey on his right hand, and General Breok.
iuridge, Secretary of War, and Major Gen.
eral, on the other side of him. Next came
Brigadier General G.. w. Ferguson, gal
lapt and enterprising South Caroliuiau,
West. Pointer, pet of Beauregard, and
favorite of Davis; next Gen. George G.
Dibrell, plain, practical, sensible, middle
aged Tennessee clerk and merchant, who
was beloved by his men, and had justly
won his spurs by long, hard, skilful, devo
ted service next, on little sofa, sat tive
young men-Brigadier General Basil w.
Duke and Colonel William G. P. Breckin.
ridge, we'll known among the troops from
Kentucky in the Confederate army, and
then, near General Bragg sat Gen. Vaughn
of East Tennessee, brave officer and an
earnest man.
Each officer was called upon to state the
condition of his command. Gen. Ferguson
sanguins himself, gave too glowing ac.
count of his men, as the sequel showed, but
still bad he could count upon one hundred
men fighting as well as ever-upon all for
other duties and skirmish Gen. Dibrell
could not count on any fighting men in bis
brigade, except to save Mr.. Davis and Cen
Breckenridge, and every hour was weaken
ing his hold upon them, and have heard
that he declared, almost with tears, be
would not risk another life among his noble
men except for that purpose that the cause
of the Confederacy was lost, and his duty
now was to take care of his men. General
Duke thought one hundred and fifty of his
men would follow him anywhere, and that
he did not believe the cause lost if all felt
as he did and would inspirit their men
Col. Breckiuridge announced his own de-
termination not to surrender until ordered
by Mr.. Davis or the Secretary of War, but
that very few of his men shared that feel.
ing, and he would not urge them to go any
further Gen. Vaughn and his command
would accept whatever terms Gen Johnston
had which we're then not known to US -
Mr.. Davis said it was then useless to keep
men under arps who would not fight; Grim
inal to risk the lives of men who would
fight, to the bravery of those who would
not. Therefore, the command must be
wiunowed. That he could have been at
Shreveport by that day, bnt was not willing
to leave the men who were still in the field.
That he supposed that General Johnston
had surrendered that oil the army left in
that department were the commands repre-
sented in that meeting-that of them not
more than four hundred could be depended
on any further That he would attempt to
go to General Taylor, and if that army went
to pieces, he would cross the river, and if
the cause should be finally lost, he would
feel that he had done all his duty as he best
could That, called to his place without
his Intervention, be would continue to dis.
charge its duties as long as possible. That
this contest might have resulted disastrous
ly, but the cause was not lost; the blood
shed during four years was not shed in vain,
and under other auspices and ADLER leaders,
would yet succeed.
After considerable discussion it was a.
greed that MIR. Davis, with small escort,
should 90 imme ediately to Washington, Ca,
and then on such route as seemed best; that
Gen Breckenridge should take command
of the cavalry there, and move that night
across the Savannah River at Vienna, where
there was pontoon bridge. This was car
ried out, and at daylight we crossed the
river. That day was spent in paying the
men actually present per captta-Genera!
Breckenridge and the hunblest private
sharing alike; each receiving about $50 IN
coin.