The Portland daily press., 1881-06-24
The End Of the War.
Lee and Davis-General Mahone's State
.ment.

A dispatch to the New York Herald says:
1t has been said that there was no officer in
the Confederate army of whom Gen. r. E.
Lee had higher appreciation then he did of
Malone, and he is reported to have remarked
on one occasion that in the event of his death
he would have preferred Malone of all his
general officers to succeed him in command of
the Confederate forces. These high compli-
ments of Lee to Malone were the result of a
close obser walton of the courage, skill and mill
itary tact of the latter as commander and in
trepid leader, where the great traits of gem
eral are developed On more than one occa-
sion Malone distin gaished himself by the ex-
ecuton of such rapid NOV ements and daring
acts as to bear favorable comparison with that
remarkable genius of the Confederacy, Stone
wall jackson. Perhaps th sre is hardly an Of
ficer of Lees army who made such terifcal-
ly successful battle as that in front of Peters
burg, which gained for Malone the sobriquet
of the "Hero of the Crater,' and which has
been handed down to posterity by the pen of
the historian and the brush of the artist as the
most awful scene of carnage of the late war.
1t is well known, though not generally admit
ted that toward the war Malone was not only
admitted to all conferences with the Confeder-
ate commander-in-chief. but that he also be-
came one of the few whom Gen. Lee called up
on for confidential consultations. He was
present at every conference of the corps COM
manders Immediately preceding the historic
eventsiwhich transpired in front of Richmond
and Petersburg, and is intimately acquainted,
from personal conversations with Lee, with
the views of the latter concerning the events
which led directly to the evacuation of the two
cities and the surrender of the Confederate
forces. Readers of the extracts recently pub
lished in the Herald from the book entitled
''Rise and Fall of the Confederate Govern
ment," by Jefferson Davis will recollect that
the author by suggestion and strong intima-
tion, holds Lee responsible for the delay in
abandoning the Confederate capital, and also
in vague terms, hints that the movement
should have been carried into effect at much
earlier date than it was if the life of the Con-
federacy was to be prolonged. These insinua-
tions of Mr.. Davis have occasoned good deal
of feeling among the friends of Gen. Lee.
As matter of historic interest, however,
for the guidance of future writer's upon the
late war, Herald reporter called upon Gen.
Malone, who is known to be an authority up
on the subject, for his version of the facts in
gagged in overlooking and answering letters
which had accumulated during an illness of a
week or more, and by which he was confined
to the bed.
Gen. Malone said, "for in truth have moth
ing e:T5 to say:
Herald correspondent.
"Well, declare I am very sorry, but what
can you wish to know? l thought told you
all knew at the cOnvantiOn
book?'
81 have not. have curiosity to look it
over, out really have bee indisposed, land now
"What do you think will be the effect of
''Oh, none, except to get lot of old fossils
to Knocking their heads together. 1t is doubt
peculiar standpoint. if you may call that his.
tory"
WHO is RESPONSIBLE.
General, Mr.. Davis inferentiaily states that
General Lee was responsible for holding the
army in front of Richmond so long at the close
OF the war and just prior to the evacuation of
Richmond and Petersburg and the retreat to
Appomattox."
Il think that is true
viii you please give me your reasons for
thinking so, general?''
:, Well, it is well known that it hadslong been
the intention of Mr.. Davis not only to abandon
Richmond and Petersburg, but to abandon
Virginia altogether. Gen. Lee opposed such a
proposition on very substantial grounds, not
the least OF which was the one that to leave
Virginia would be to lose the mainstay of the
confederacy and perhaps half of the army
When this notion of Mr.. Davis became known
1T caused considerable feeling among Virgini-
ans In the army, and SO major general wrote
to Gen. Lee and emphatically stated that if
such movement was resolved upon he for
one would not carry a man in his division out
OF the State. And the army portion of Vir-
glnla was not all that opposed this plan of Mr..
Davis. 1t became known to Governor Letcher
who entered an indignant protest against it,
and declared that to abandon Virginia and the
capital of the confederacy would be to sacrifice
the cause, and lose ali the moral force by
which they were held together as we'll as to
destroy the little esprit du corps which re-
mained IN the troops. The Virginia Iegisla-
ture also opposed the movement with such Wig
never broached again.
Then it is your idea that Gen. Lee did keep
the troops in front of Richmond until finally
compelled to retreat?"
"Yes, that is my opinion. Neither Gen.
Lee nor any prominent confederate army Off
Ger had any sympathy with Mr.. Davis's idea
OF abandoning the seat of government by a re-
treat to the mountains and the prolongation
of the war by a sort of running fight. Every
one felt that the fall of Richmond would end
the war; Had the confederates captured
Washington they might have been recognized
by foreign powers and their independence fin
ally established"
In his book Mr.. Davis SAYS
MIR. Lee had never contemplated surrender.
He bad long before, in language similar to
that employed by Washington during the rev.
olution, expressed to me the belief that in the
mountains of Virginia he could carry on the
war for twenty years, and in directing his
march toward Lynchburg it may be well be-
lieYed that. as an alternative. he hnned To