The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-06-23

sal when needed BY the army in North
Carolina"
The failure Of several attempts 20 open
negotiations with the Federal Govern.
ment, and notably the last by commits
eioners who met President Lincoln at
Hampton Roads, convinced me of che
hopelessness under existing circumstan-
ces to obtain better terms than were
offered--i. e., surrender OF discretion.
by motiso, therefore, in holding an in.
terview with the senior generals of the
army in North Carolina was not 70 lean
their opinion as 20 what might be done
by negotiation with the United States
Government, but to derive from them in
formation in regard to the army under
their command, and what IL was feasible
and advisable to do as O military prob.
lem.
"The members of my Cabinet were
alreedy advised as to the object of the
meeting, and when the subject was in
troduced to the generals in that form,
Gen. Johnston was very reserved and
seemed far less than sauguiue. His
first significant expression was that of o
desire TO opel correspondence with Gen
eral Sherman, to see if he would agree TO
n suspension of hostilities, the object
being to permit the civil authorities to
enter into the needful arrangements 70
terminate the existing war. Confident
that the United States Government
would not accept proposition for such
negotiations. I distinctly expressed my
conviction on that point, and presented
as an objection to such an effort that, SO
far as it should excite delusiye hopes
and expectations, ita failure would have
q demoralizin.r effiet bo,t on the troops
and people. Neither of them had shown
any disposition to surrender, or had any
reason TO suppose that their government
contemplated abandoning its trust.
."It will thus be seen that e,y expecta-
tions, referred 10 above, caused adequate
ptp: zion to .,a made for the retreat Of
our army if that result should become
necessary by the failure ofthe attempt to
open negotiations for an honorable peacs.
I had never contemplated surrender,
except on such terms as belligerent
might claim, as long as we were able to
keep the field, and never expected q
Confederate army to surrender while 1t
was able either TO fight or to retreat.
Lee had only surrendered his army WHEN
1t was impossible for him TO do either
one or the other. and had proudly rejec-
VIZ Nteut 0CtuaiuJ Au tu0 iGCS Va over
whelming numbers, until he found him
blocked by force much !a-ges than his
own"
Although he consented that Gen.
Johnston might apply to Gen. Sherman
for an armistice the author insists that
he had little hope anything could be ac.
complished by it. He says:
"Tha ODiDiOn I entertaiuad i'm ra0ovd
to President Johnston and his venomous
secretary of war, Stanton, did not permit
me to expect chat they would be less
vindictive after surrender Of our army
had been proposed than when 1t was re-
garded ns q formidsble body defiantly
holding its position in the field. What.
ever hope others entertained that the ex.
isting war was about to be peacefully ter
minated, was soon dispelled by the re.
lection of the basis of agreement on the
part of the Government of the United
states, and II notice from Gen. Sherman
of o termination of the armistice in for.
tv-eight hnurs on the afternoon nf the
24th of April, 1865.
"Gen. Johnston communicated to me
the substance of the above information
received by him from Gen. Sherman,
and asked for instructions. have nei-
ther his telegram nor my reply, but csn
give it substantially from memory. It
was that he should retire with bis calvary
and as many infantry as could be noun
ted upon draught horses, and some light
artillery, the rest of the 4 infantry. to, be
disbanded and place of rendezvous mp.
pointed. It was unnecessary 10 say any.
thing of the route, az that had been pre-
vionsly agreed on and supplies placed
on it TOR his retreating army. This order
was disobeyed, and no sought another
interview with Sherman, TO renew his
attempt to reach an agreement for n ter.
;mination of hostili,ies."
10. JOHNsTON's SURRENDER.
The end was suon reached, Ga describ-
ed in the following:
"On the 26th, the day on which the
armistice terminated, GEN. Johnston
again met Gen. Sherman, who offered the
same terms which had been made with
Gen. Lee, and he says, 'Gen. ohnston,
without heaitation, agreed to-, and NE
executed the following" which was the
surrender of Gen. John.ton's troops,
with the condition of their being paroied
and the officers being permitted to re-
tain their eidearms, private horses and
baggage.
~ 10 SluO tunI SilSoo WCI0 Juo ISlI1B
accepted by Leo. but the condition of
the two armies was very different. Lees
supplies had been cut oR, his men wero
exhausted by fatigue and hunger, me had
no reinforcemenis in view. Notwitb-
standing the immense superiority in
numbers and equipments of the enemy
pursuing. he had from point to point
fought them In rear and on both hauks.
and had, the day before his line OF
retreat aas closed, rejected the demand
for surrender, aud only yielded TO it
after his etarping little army had been
surrounded by masses through which he
tried TO, but could not cut his way. 4,
"Johnston's line Of retreat was open
and, supplies had been placed upon it.
His cavalry was superior TO that of the
enemy, o. had been proved in every con.
dict between them. Maury and FGrreas
and Taylor still had armies in the field
NOT large, but strong enough TO have
collected around them the men who had
Jeff Johl:stoE,s army aDd gone to their
homes to eccnpe asurrender, ss wall rs
those who cuder similar circumstan..
ces had lefl Lee, The show Of.
continued Tesis,shca.l 1 than believed, as
1 still do, wonld hsys overcome the
depression which was spreading like q
starless night over the country, and that
the exhibition of a DISCRIMINATION net 10
leave orir political futnre at the mercy OF
an enemy which had for four years been
striving to anbjngate the States would
have led the United Sfktes anthnrisies tn