National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1880-02-09
GRANTS CONVERSATIONS.
Some New Light on the Last Events
of the War.
An Idea oil Councils OF war-seuresy Of the
Generals PIaHs--C dition of the Coun-
try Aftor the War--A PIau that
was Not Adopted, aud why
1t WAS Kcjected--suHer.
ngs of the Soldiers.
The FINAL nTovonsn, Against KIchn

| The FINAL Movement Against Richmond.
| In his work, Around tho World With Con.
| eral Grant" Mr.. john Russell Young gives
| some highly interesting conversations with
| the great Captain, which throw much light
| upon events happening during tho career of
| that distinguished officer, and which will aid
the future historian when tho real history of
| our late civil war is written. The following
| in relation TO tho final movement against
! Richmond aud the surrender of Lee, which
will be read with interest, is specimen OF
these conversations
Some remark was made about councils of
war and how far their deliberations affected
an arrny's movements. "I never held "A coun.
Gil OF war IN my life. ] never heard of Sher.
man or Sheridan dOlug so. or course | heard
all that every one had TO say, and in head
| quarters there Ia an interesting and constant
stream Of talk. But 1 always made up my
| mind to act, and tho FIRST that even my staff
| knew Of any movement was when wrote 10
| out in rough and gave IL to be copied Off 1t
| is always safo in war to keep your own coun-
| sci. No man living ever knew what my plans
| and campaigns would bo until they were
| matured. My orders were generally written
in my own handwriting. l never even told
General Rawlins until they were given to him
to be copied out. | was always talking and
comforting with generals, and hearing what
one would say and another But the decision
was always my own.
REcUPERAT1oN IN THE COUNTRY.
The country" said General Grant waf
not in as bad a condition after the war as W,
all, and especially Mr.. Lincoln, feared. There
was curious rebound in values, remember
in the item of mules alone. / thought ouI
great army supplies would glut the market,
and that we should have to part with them at
II loss. But on the contrary, although we
| threw the whole lot on the Market there was
| an Instant riso in the value. Mules that cost
| us, under the contract prices, SlSi each, sold
| rs high us $3.50 for the choicest The melting
| OF the army back among the people, aud its
utter etlacement, was a memorable illustration
of the capacity Of our people for self-govern.
Inent!"
WHY RICHMOND WAS NOT INVESTED.
l remember asking tho General why lie had
| not invested Richmond Ms ho had invested
Nicksburg, and starved out Lee such
movement" said tho General, would have
involved moving my army from the Rapidan
to Lynchburg l considered the plan with
great care before | made the Wilderness move.
thought oI massing the army Of the Potomac
in movable columns, giving the men twolve
days rations, and throwing myself between
Leo and his communications. If had made
this movement successluly-ifl had been as
fortunate as | was when / threw my army
between Pcmberton and Joe Johnston,
| the war would have been over a year
| sooner. l am not sure that IL WAS not the
| best thing to have done; it certainly was the
| plan l should have preferred. If had failed,
| however ii would have been very serious for
the country, aud did not dare the risk.
| What deferred NE, however, was the fact that
! was new to the army, did not have it in
| hand aud did not know what i could do with
the generals mon. If it had been six
months lator, when | had the army in hand
and knew what a splendid army it was, and
| a IL.
and could have had Sherman aud Sheridan
| to assist IN the movement, l would not have
hesitated for moment
sEvERlriEs OF THE WAR.
81 was reading the other day. said General
Grant, "in one Of the English papers q lament
| about the cruelty and severity shown by the
| Northern troops during the war. l was a
good deal annoyed by the statement, Because
| il was contrary to the truth. The Northern
troops were never more cruel than the necessi-
| ties OF war required. In that respect, think
| we can bear comparison with any Army-tho
| Germans when they took France, or the
SOuthornors when they entered the North. At
no time do remember giving an order for the
| destruction of property, save when we
occupied Jackson. Before leaving jack.
son, Joe Johnston had given orders for
| the destruction Of stores. l found
| cOttOn.mill at work making goods for tho
| Confederate army, with the trademark g. 8.
| A. on them. Here was an active mill prOvid-
| ing goods for the enemy went in with
Sherman, aud when | saw what was going on,
| said, 4 guess We shall have TO burn this
Before setting FIRE to the building, we gave the
operatives, mostly girls, bundles ot the made
cloth, thinking it might be useful for domes-
tic purposes But We subsequently, heard that
the COnfederates took this us government
property, so that We might as well have burned
this too The Southorners never hesitated TO
buru / H. Suitpl their DnIuOgn. lleN
BURNED CuAMBERsBURG,
| for instance which was II most wantOn piece
| of destruction. They put York under cOntli.
| button, aud tho York people are paying inter.
est on the amount to this day. They SGT fire
| to Richmond when their cause was gone iIre-
| treva bly,, and when every dollar fred was u
| dollar wantOny wasted. They set fire to Co.
| unbia, Ia fuct whenever our armies entered
| . town II was very frequently their liISt duty
to take caro- of Southern property which had
been set fire to by Southern armies Then the
Southeners tried to burn New York, and made
raids upon 81, Adams,
"ln fact | think our treatment of the
South, and all the consequences personal and
otherwise arising out Of the rebellion, was
mnguanimous The only man ever hung for
treason in the United States was John Brown.
hanged by Virginia. Even in regard to the
discipline OF the army do not think over
approved of death sentence, except for rob
berry aud assault Oh the person by my soldiers
while going through tho onemy's country. Of
course, il ii had been necessary to resort to
such severe measures, it would have been
done / told the inhabitants Of Mississippi
when wa5 moving TO Holly Springs, that If
they allowed their sons and brothers to remain
within my lines and receive protection, and
then during the night sneak out aud burn my
bridges aud shoot officers, | would dcsolats
their country for forty miles around every
place whore It occurred. This put an end TO
bridge burning. This was necessary, because
| could not fight two almiog-an army in mont
under military conditions, aud Il secret army
hid behind every bush and fence"
Fatally Shot by n BOY.