Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-12-11
The Truth OF History.

"AHo . OplrlG. alCer adVefC1ng to The
great dissatisfaction created at the NORTH
When the terms accorded to General John
ston by General Sherman were announced
and to the injustice done to General Sher,
man IN that matter, proceeds as follows:
1t now falls to our lot to show that the
responsible author of the Sherman j ohm
ston agreement Uds not General Sherman
6M President Lincola. The facts which we
are about to Irelate were brought to oul
knowledge during this last summer, and
were committed to paper at the time
There were obvious reasons why they
should be withheld until after the election
but there is no objection now to their
being laid before the public, and we are
especially glad to have an opportunity of
doing SO, because this journal, among
others, was unjust to Sherman at the time
of the surrender.
On the 9th Of March, 1865, two Or
three days before the final movement upon
Richmond, General Sherman, fresh from
his march to the sea, arrived at City Point
| for the purpose Of comforting with the
| President and the general-in- chief. f1r.
Lincoln was then On board the gunboat
| Queen, and on that day al interview took
pl zee on the boat between the President,
| Gen. Grant, Gen. Sherman and Admiral
| David D. Porter. From one Of the parties
of this interview, q gentleman connected
with he Spirit of the Times obtained a
verbal narrative Of what took riace. There
| was no pledge Of secrecy, and We feel that We
violate no obligation III making public the
substance of It.
"Mr. Lincoln" said the narrator, had
come down to City Point with the most
liberal views towards the rebels, and was
willing that they should capitulate on al
most any terms. His heart was tenderness
throughout. and as long as the enemy laid
down their arms, he did not care how it
was done. After hearing from herman
description of his position. he proposed
that the same terms should be offered to
Johnston that would have been given to
Lee. To this Gen. Sherman strenuously
objected, declaring that he had Johnston
cooped up where be could not get away,
and that he would be compelled to surren-
der at all hazards, whatever terms we pro-
posed. [ never saw him more energetic
in my life than while he was arguing this
point :; but Mr.. Lincoln leaned towards
milder measures, fearing that the Confed-
crate General would escape South by the
railroads, and have to be chased again
Sherman declared this to be impossible
1 have Johnston, said he, where he can
not move without breaking up his army,
which, once disbanded, can never be got
together again. The Southern railroads
are all broken up. / have destroyed them
so that they cannot be used for a long
time
"General Grant asked: What is to pre-
vent their laying the rails again ?
Why, said Sherman, my bummers
don't do things by halves Every rail has
been placed over hot fire, AID twisted as
crooked as rams horn. They never can
be used again till they have been through
a rolling mill.
1.-The President, however, was very de-
cided about the matter, aud insisted that
Johnston should be induced Immediately
to surrender by granting him most liberal
terms. Grant, too, was anxious that John
ston should not try to get into Richmond,
where he might give Us great deal of
trouble and Sherman was compelled to
yield, though he did it very unwillingly.
The terms of capitulation which afterwards
made such a disturbance, were, in fact,
subsequently arranged by Mr.. Lincoln him.
self, and if he had lived he never would
have allowed Sherman to bear the reepOn-
sibility Of them"
This narrative is conclusive. Mr.. Lin
coin, it is now clear, virtually dictated the
terms to Johnston, Just as he did the terms
to Lee and had it not been for his kind
ness of heart, we have no doubt that Grant
would have exacted unconditional sur
render" in the one case, and Sherman
have been equally peremptory i'll the 9th
er. Had the President not been assassina-
ted before Johnstons capit,>- ation, it is
probable that the celebrated memorandum
would have been acceptable to majority
of the Northern people. It is certain at all
events, that Sherman would not have been
to blame for it. The patience with which
he has borne undeserved obloquy SO long
will be appreciated by his countrymen, and
they will not fail to honor the elevated SEN
timent through which, when single word
would have indicated him, he RETAINED
from speaking it.