Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1878-11-27
I, NO. IT,.
Gen. Grant interviewed.

An allusioa was made by your
correspondent To Albert Sidney
Johnston. and the General said:
II knew Albert Sidney Johnston
before the war. When he was sent
To Utah had IA high opinion Of his
talents. When the war broke ont
he was regarded as the coming man
of the Coutederacy. shared that
opinion because knew and esteem.
ed him, and because l felt rs We all
did in the old army, where there
was u public opinion among the
officers as to who would come out
ahead. In many eases, in most
cases, our public opinion was in
error. Bragg had great rcputa.
ton in the South. Bragg WAS the
most contentious of men, and there
was IA story in Mexico that he put
every one in arrest under him and
! then pnt himself in arrest. Albert
Sidney Johnston might have risen
ia fame, and we all have confidence
in his doing 80, but he died too
soon, as Stonewall Jackson died
too soon to say what he would have
done, under the latter and altered
conditions of the war. The South.
ern army had many good generals.
Lee, of course, was good soldier,
and so was LOngstreet, but l do not
know that there was any better
than Joe Johnston. have had
nearly all OF the Southern generals
in high command in front of me,
and Johnston gave me more ankle.
ty than any others. ! was never
halt so anxious about Lee.
A general commanding troops has
certain responsibilities and duties
and power which are supreme. He
must deal with the enemy in front
OF him so as to destroy him. or pa
role him. His engagements are
sacred so tar as they lead to tho
destruction Of the foe. | made Ger.
tain terms with Lee-thc best and
only terms. If | had told him and
his army that their liberty would be
invaded, that they would be open
to arrest, trial aud execution for
treason, Lee would never have sur.
rendered, and we should have lost
many lives in destroying him. Now
A my terms of surrender were accord
| ing to military law, to the instruc-
3 tions of Mr.. Lincoln and Mr.. Stan.
5 ton, and 81 long as Lee was observ-
/ ing his parole l would never con.
, sent to his arrest. Mr.. Seward
2 nodded approval. remember feel
| ing very strongly on the subject.
p The matter was allowed to die out.
D | should have resigned the com
. mand of the army rather than have
. carried ont any order directing me
4 to arrest Lee or any of his com
/. mandcrs who o0eyed the laws. BY
, the way, one reason why Mosby
became such friend OF mine was
| because az General | gave him a
safe conduct 10 allow him TO prac.
I ticc law and earn a living.
| was never more delighted at
. anything, than the close of the war
i | never liked service in the army
4 not as Il young officer ] did not
l. want TO 60 to West Point. My APP
pointment was an accident, and my
father had to use his authority to
make me go. | never went into u
battle willingly or with enthusiasm.
= | was always glad when battle
j. was over. never want to com.
mand another army. | take no i'll
e tercst in armies. When the Duke
g Of Cambridge asked me to review
n his troops at Aldershott, told His
Z loyal lIighness that the one thing
d | never wanted to see again was
r a military parade. When ! resign.
# ed from the army and went TO n
= farm / was happy. When the re-
t. bellion came ! returned to the ser
If vice because it was duty. / had
,f no thought of rank; all did was to
e try and make myself useful. My
d first commission as brigadieI
Is came in the unanimous Endorsement
Ie of tho elaboration from Illinois