The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1869-04-22

him after a railroad conversation
with Admiral Porter, who was
present at that interview as repre-.
sented in the picture, and who
made u note of the conversation
Immediately after we separated.
He would bc more likely to have
preserved the exact words used on
the occasion, than ! who made no
notes, then or since. / cannot
now even pretend to recall more
than the subjects touched upon by
the several parties, and the impress,
sion left on my mind after we
parted. Tho interview was in
March, neail ly month before tho
dnal catastrophe; and it was my
part Of the plan of operations to
move my army, reinforced by
SchofeId, then at Goldsboro, N.
O., to Burkesville, Va, when Lee
would have been forced to surren.
der in Richmond. The truo move
left 10 him was hasty abandon.
ment of Richmond, join his force
to Johns.on's, and strike me in the
open country. The only question
was: could | sustain this joint at.
tack until Gen. Grant came up in
pursuit. | was confident | could
but at the very moment of our
conversation, Gen. Grant was NOV.
ing Gen. Sheridan's heavy force
OF cavalry to his extreme left, to
p:event this very contingency.
Mr.. Lincoln, in hearing us speak
of the final bloody battle, which |
then thought would fall on me
near Raleigh. did exclaim more
than once, that blood enough had
already been shed, and ho hoped |
thnt the war would end without
any more. We spoke ofwbat was
to be done with Davis. other par. |
" leaders, tho Rebel army; and he |
lett me under the impression that
all ho asked of US was, to d;ssipa,e
these armies, and get the soldiers
back TO their homes anyhow, the
qnicker the better, leaving him
free to apply the remedy, and the
restoration of Civil Lawng lie
(Mr Llncoln) surely loft upon my
mind the impression warranted by |
Admiral Porler's account, that he
had long thought OF his course of
action when the Rebel armies wore
out OF his way, and that he want.
cd 10 get civil governments reor,
ganized at the South, the quicker
the better, and strictly conforming
with our general system.
l had becn absent 80 long that
presumed, OF course, that Con.
grcss had enacted all the laws no.
cessary to meet the event Of peace,
80 long expected, and tho near APP !
proach of which must then have
bcen seen BY the most obluse aud
all | aimed TO do was to remit the
Rebel army surrcndering TO mo
TO the conditions of the laws of tho
country as they then existed. Al
the time of Johnston's surrender
at Durham, | drew up tho terms
with my own hand. Breckenridge
had nothing at oil TO do with them, |
more than to discuss their effect,
and he knew they only applied to
the military; and he forthwith pro-
ceeded to make his escape from
tho country, q course that be.
love Mr., Lincoln wished that Mr.. |
Davis should have succeeded in
eifocting, as we'll as all the other
leading Southern politicians, a.
gainst whom public Indignation
always turned with u feeling far
more intense than against Gouer.
ais lee, Johnston and other pure>
ly military men. sa .a .e.
repeat that, according to my
momory, Mr.. Lincoln did not ex
prossly name any specific terms of
surrender, but no was in that
kindly and gentle franc OF mind
that would have induced him to |
approve fully what | did, except.
ing probably ho would have inter.
lined some, notifications, such as
recognizing his several proclama>
tlons antecodont, as well as the
laws Of Congress, which would
have boon perfectly right and nc.
oeptable to mo ond to all parties.
dislike to open this or any 9th.
or old question, and do il for the
reason seated, viz, lost | DO con.
sttued as throwing off on Mr.. Lin.
coin what his friends think should |
DO properly borne by mo alonc,
lin tho original terms / had, as
| certainly meant, included tho
pl locla nations of tho President
they would have covered the sla.
very question and all the real
State questions which caused the
war; and had not Mr.. Lncoln been
assassinated at that vory moment, |
| believe Those "torms" would |
have taken tho usual course Of ap.
proval, modification, or absolute |
disapproval, and been returned 20
me, like hundreds of other official |
acls, without the newspaper clam
or aud unpleasant controversies 30
unkindly and nnpleasantly thrust
upon mo at the time. ,Yq
%. am truly youis, |
W L, SHERMAN, General.
WdShng gton, u, c.. Apr. IL. go.