Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-03-08
NEW CARPET STORE
AND OILCLoTHS.
UNWRITTEN HISTORY OF OUR
CIVIL WAR.

A Chance for Peace After SharpRburg
What Occurred I'm Both Camps.
From the Macon (Ga.) Telegraph and Messenger.
Your issue of the It'll instant contains
an extract from the Richmond Dispatch,
in which correspondent of that paper
gives an outline of "strange story in con-
nection with the battle at Sharps5urg.
The facts of this story have been in my
possession for several years past, and as the
matter has finally got into print, furnish
you the following details as they came to
my knowledge. Aside from its being a re-
markable coincidence, it is not unimport-
ant as piece of the history of an eVentful
period:
had frequently heard that on the day
succeeding the battle of Sharpsburg in 1852
communications passed between Gen. Lee
and Gen. Mcclellan, the object of which
was to secure truce for ninety days with
a view to the final cessation of hostilities;
that they nearly had an interview upon the
subject, and that Gen. Howell Cobb, at that
time an OH ,er in Lees army, was very act
i've in the effort to secure this result. 1t had
been for long time my intention to ques-
ton Gen. Cobb about the matter, but had
never done so before June, sos, when upon
the cars between Cincinnati and New York
formed the acquaintance Of lawyer from
the former place, named Key. l am not
certain, in my recollection, about his name,
bat it was either Key, or some name very
similar lit. He was prominent man in
Ohio, and had been since the war several
times Democratic candidate for judge
of the Supreme Court Of the State.
In conversation with him he informed me
that he was, during the year 1861 and 1852,
the confidential staff officer of Mcclellan. l
embraced the opportunity to inquire of him
concerning the truth Of this rumOr which l
had heard. He replied that no communica-
ton had passed between Lee and Mcclellan
upon the subject of truce, for he certainly
would have known it if there had. He
stated, however, that on the day after the
battle of Sharpsburg very strong effort
was made by q number Of prominent Off
GERS of the Federal army to induce Gen.
Mcclellan to address to Gen. Lee a prOpo-
sition to declare a truce preparatory to a
peace, which they urged the people wanted,
and would have if offered an opportunity TO
secure it. Gen. Mcclellan himself sympa-
thized with the object, but said
that while under other circumstances he
would favor the movement and as
slst in forwarding it, he knew that it woul
be useless for him to attempt it, for tn
reason that he was then, and had been for
eight months previous, the subject of the
most unwarrantable prosecutions a. the
hands of the Administration; that if he
should declare the truce it would be repu
dated by President Lincoln, who would
take advantage of his action to ruin him
officially and disgrace him before the peo-
,lo ATrri ,f, mt oIlaI fnaf tho
of Mr.. Lincoln's dislike of Gen. Mcclellan
were two: Even at that early day, Mr..
Lincoln had his eSe upon the second term,
and very soon after he placed Mcclellan in
command Of the Army of the Potomac he
discovered that McClellan's popularity
would make him dangerous rival in the
affections of the people. Again, Mcclellan
refused to conduct the war otherwise than
in civilized manner, as be understood it.
His campaigns were directed upon the
armed fOe-not against non-combatants,
and not for purposes of pillage and plumber.
He refused to carry the torch as the COM
panion of the sword, and would not wage
war against the property of the country.
Daring the last few days Gen. Cobb spent
In Macon, just previous to his death, with
out relating to him what l had been told
Ny AuCOlCudI GgdAl OA4CCAg L LOOh ONNesctOAA
to ask him about the Sharsburg truce. He
also stated that no communication passed
between the two generals upon the subject
of the truce, but that there was an effort
made in the Confederate army to open such
a negotiation. The following is brief
statement Of the facts which he related to
me in detail. On the day after the battle
Gen. Howell Cobb, Gen. T. r. K. Cobb,
and several other prominent officers of the
Confederate army, had conversation con-
corning the war, its character, probable du-
ration, result, etc.
The conclusion at which they arrived
was that, from the evidence of earnest
determination which each section had
given during the eighteen months of
the war, they were convinced that
unless ended by diplomacy, its only
termination could be found in the utter
ruin and exhaustion of one section or the
other. They then agreed that that very
day was the time to bring about a settle
ment. The last battle had terminated
terrible campaign III which each army had
shown great courage and proves. Those
two armies then lay confronting each other
from the opposite sides of battlefield upon
which neither could claim TO have achieved
q VlCUOT1s IL was dS near d uIdNn DdJllc
as would again be fought during the war.
If the armies declared truce of ninety
days, the people of each section, who by
that time had come fully to realize the diff
fculties of the tasks they had undertaken
would refuse to allow hostilities TO be re-
sumed. Impressed with the strength Of
these views, they determined to submit them
to Gen. Lee. They at once secured an
interview with him. When they entered
his Office Gen. Lee had in bis hand letter
from Gen. Mcclellan relative to the return
of the horse of the Federal Gen. kearney, |
who had been killed a few days before at
the battle Of Chantily. Gen. Cobb laid |
their views of the subject Of the truce be-
fore Gen. Lee, and urged their desire as
strongly as the circumstances would per-
nit. Gen. Lee expressed himself in full |
sympathy with them, but could not be !
brought to believe that their efforts would |
be attended with any success. He dis
trusted President Davis approval of such