Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-12-23

heavy fire be opened upon it. and that the
men of his corps be stripped to the waist
to distinguish them from the enemy, and
under cover of the artillery fire force their
way into the town, and bayonet all who
we're not similarly attired. His corps was
on the right and Longstreet's on the left.
The men of the latter corps were not to be
stripped, nor to participate IN the attack,
but were to protect the artillery and pre-
vent the enemy from escaping up the river
and crossing at the fords, which doubtless
| they would have attempted had an attack
been made, for there was only one pontoon
at the town, which would not have afforded
egress for one-ffth of the multitude, and
the bridges at Deep Run would have been
secured, and all communication with them
and the town cut off at the first dash made
by our troops. 1t has been asserted by
officers high in authority that the sugges-
ton above mentioned was made and adopt
ed, and that jackson especially stipulated
that his troops should not be allowed to
fire, but should only use the bayonet. 1t
is well authenticated fact that an attack
upon the town was contemplated by our
chief and in furtherance of the plan the
artillery was placed upon the nights in
front of the breastworks behind which
they had fought during the days battle,
with instructions TO await signal and
then to open fire upon the town, and to
continue the fire until further orders, or
until the yells of our troops would show
that they were in town-in position to
be endangered by our fire. The infantry
of the First Corps were posted to defend
the artillery lit was afterward told by men
of the Second Corps that they had received
orders to strip to the waists.) but the sig
nal for the bombardment was never given,
and orders came to retire within the breast
works, as the proposed attack had been
given up by Gen. Lee, who feared that
the numerous inhabitants remaining with
the town would suffer alike with the
enemy.
| JoHNSToNS SURRENDER TO SHERMAN.
| The Spirit of the Times has the follow
ing story about the celebrated Johnston
| Sherman Convention, which shows, if it is
true, that the author of that agreement was
not Gen Sherman, but President Lincoln:
On the 9th of March, 1865, two or
three days before the final movement upon
| Richmond, Gen Sherman, fresh from his
march to the sea, arrived at City Point,
| for the purpose of comforting with the
| President and the General-in- Mr..
| Lincoln was then on board the gun5oat
| Queen, and on that day an interview
took place on the boat between the
President, Gen. Grant, Gen. Sherman,
and Admiral David D. Porter From
one of the parties to this interview
gentleman connected with The Spirit of
the Times obtained a verbal narrative of
what took place. There was no pledge of
secrecy. and we feel that we violate no
obligation in making public the substance
of it Mr.. Lincoln" said the narrator,
d" had come down to City Point with the
most liberal views toward the Rebels,
and was willing that they should capti-
ulate almost on 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 Sherman a 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 StrenouSly objected, declaring
that he had Johnston cooped up where
he could not get away, and that he
would be compelled to surrender at all
hazards, whatever terms we proposed. [
never saw him more energetic in my life
than while he was arguing this point but
Mr. Lincoln leaned toward milder meas
ures, fearing that the Confederate General
would escape South by the railroads and
have TO be chased again. Sherman de-
clared this to be impossible. L have
Johnston, said he, where he cannot move
without breaking up his army, which,
once disbanded, can never be got together
again The Southern railroads are all
broken up. I have destroyed them so
that they cannot be used for long time
"Gen. Grant asked: What is to pre-
vent their laying the rails again?
a. Why said Sherman, my bummers
don't do things by halves. Every rail has
been placed over hot fire and twisted as
crooked as rams horn They never can
be used again till they have been through
a rolling-mill ?
% The President, however, was very de-
cided about the matter, and insisted that
Johnston should be induced Immediately to
surrender by granting him most liberal
terms. Grant, too, was anxious that
Johnston should not try to get into
Richmond, where he might give us a
great deal of trouble and Sherman was
compelled to yield, though he did it
very unwillingly. The terms of capitula-
tion which afterward made such distur-
bance tcere an fact substantially arranged
by Mr.. Lincoln himself. and if he had
lived he never would have allowed Sher-