Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1881-06-10
The urrender of Sen lee.


From Mr.. Davis History IF thu Var
l. has been charged that Geuersl LIE tol
Mr.. D-Vis esr y 10 1854 thst it wss impoEsibi-
f.r tho ContedyrlcY TO maintaia i'sef, AID The
President bss been blamed for cou:urios the
war after this lima. On this point MI Dav S
says
Lee had never contemplated surrender Ii
had iOug before. 10 IaL.uaee similar 70 that
employed by Wsshitgtoa duliug Tie RaVo'u
tlou, expressed TO ma the belief thOt 10 tie
mounlalrs OF Vireni, be could c:rrg 90 the gar
for tweG'y years and in dlfec lux hi, arcd to
Ward l., nonburg it may we'll b. stl &c Il 81 rs
80 atcruau.u be hoped 10 esch tL,se paun
taiUs, Md with tie sdsantsgH wdich III, tpplg
r.phy would give yet to bstll the hos IS sulch
1erc following him.
lo the esi y cart Of Mssch, 1865 n well -
my memory Gao tx the date. q iat l. y uelt
alth mc 8 long q. d tree conference. h. sfa,ec
that tie c'cu umstauCcs bad fotc CO iim ;ha
conclusion that the evacuation VI Potersburl
VS. but ql,sliou Of time. He had ar, nuJ
iuhy srp, cl,t,d the eub=rrssourut nirh
would rcsult from losing The work hops lDt
i,uudry st Richuoud, which had begD our u ats
reaGct Tor tbs Msi u'sc:ute sad rep,,r of arms
as we'll as the prrp.rstlon OF aumUn,tlJu.
fhs impcr.auce of Rchmyud il tbs 5e.ard
wsJ, however. hen lets h.u il had oreu uy
the facilities GbIoh had ceeo crestro fjr thcs
PURPOSES OF Augusta, Selma, Fayetteville aad
romc sULller sollsi III :n.5 also by The pro
eress shCn Was b=lug tuaue Tor large al rIUty
at Mscou, Ga. 10 COY irquirg wHetheril wlu d
Mt be better 10 anticipate The u:cess'y oy
.lthOGawIug at otc., he So lnat lis er l!tly
aud oTtu<tt horses re ;Wo wsak Tor ID,
loads in th,lr then COZ d itp, nod ha DC wnul1
have to wait untll they became f;nsr. There
Dslural y followed tie cl0:ld ra iun Ut ne Hp-
OF retreat. The paper was forwarded to Grut-
raj Lee aGd ieiutnet by him Hilh su .tavQra-
Die cfluo $40, aud the cJIo u.i0n that, II We lad
to retreat, 1t should be 10 sou IhWardy dir, c.
tlCn toward the c0untry from which We we're
dGsWltg supplies, AMI trou wlIoh l4r.c por.
ZION OF our lorc:s had been dervei. q this
consfrsa'lon the SIMS peheral view vas mOro
specifically stated add made to apply 10 the
thuu cyndllon Of stfails rbe prcgr.muv Was
10 raure 10 DAlv ., At uiiJh PLACE SUPPLIES
should De o,ieo.to and ia oiuu made vita
he troops u.d4r G neral J f. Johp.ton, tie
combined toIci to BE- hurled upon S1ermAu 10
Nutth CatoIiGs, with tho hope ut crust ,ug his
erny betore Grant cSuid reach him.
As to the III amer 10 which he determination
10 sutfeDuer was EeacneQ hr. DAVIS WTit.s:
"On the eVeolog OF the Geners Lee de-.
cideu, after cop'ererc, with bis clr,s com.
mapders, that be would advacce The ntxs uoru
lrg beyond App9mattox Court House, aad il
III, force reported 10 be there should prove to
be only SheIiiau's csvslry. to diSpsrse it al i
continue the march toward L9Dchou but ii
iufautry should be fund 10 large force, the ct
tempt 10 break through il was cot to b. made,
aud the rrespopdouos whlcn G neral Grao.
had lui' aed on the previous d y should be
reopeued by h,g, Wi.b proposnions fer al
i0tstvles 10 arGatgo the terms of oapltustoo.
Gord,o, whose o1rps formed the rear guard
from Petersburg, and who bad tough i lily for
toe proieolIon of the trains, mad now been
transferred to the front. Oathe Dext morulDs,
before Daylight, Lee ssnt UoIoDel Veuable. opu
Of bis staff, to Gordon, commanding the a3
vance, 70 lsarn his oplniou as to the chances If
successful attack. TO " ca Gordon replied
My old corps is reduced to tr.7z g, aud,
uulsss sm supported by Lopestreet nusyiy. |
do not t',ok We can do an; hing mere When
Colonel Venahle returned this answer to q o.
Lee, be said, Then thers is p"rhirg left me !u:
10 20 aud see Geoera! Graut'"
Even sfter tie surrender of General Loe's
army Mr. Davis, frun statements 10 his b ok,
appears 70 have bad 90 thought that the var
VAS over.