Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1881-06-10


may well he that, IS an alternative, hv hoped
10 reach those mountains, and with the al
vantage which the topography would give,
yet TO balile the hosts which we're following
hlm.
In the carly part Of March, 1sG7, as wcll
as my memory can fix the date, Gen. Lee
held with me long and free conference.
lie stated that the circumstances bad forced
on him the conclusion that the evacuation Of
Petersburg was but question Of time To
my inquiry whether il would not he ic;ttr u
anticipate the necessity by withdrawing al
once he said that his artillery and Grausht
horses were too weak for the roads IN their
then condition, and that lie would have to
wait until they became iirmcr. There naiur-
ally followed the consideration Of the line OF
retreat. The programme WAS 10 rctirc to
Danville, at which place supplies should
be collected and junction made will! the
troops under Gen j. L. Johnston, The conf
bined force 10 be hurried upon Shefm2n III
North Carolina, with the hope Of Crt!s.'ir-, AS
army before Grant could reach him.
As 10 the manner in which the Il. i,iuiua-
ton 10 surrender was reached Mr. pav;s
writes:
On the evening Of the S;h Cen. lac ,!tci,l-
cd, after conference with his CORPS command
crS, that he would advance thc next morning
beyond AppomaltoN Coml House, ami # the
force reported To he there should prove e." b"
only Shcridan's cavalry, to diSpcrso IL and
cnnijnur thr marcL towirl IyurIhu,s. hlt
# infantry abnuld hc fuun,l il, l.rr.. force.
the attempt to break .ihro,lah if was i,,t f. be-
made. and the corr,srondrur. which General
Giant had initiated on the urcyiDus Gly
should be reopcned by flag, with PROPOSE
,iors for an intcryicw to arrarr,. fine terms
or continuation On the next mor,iiuo L,--
fore DAYLIGHT Lee sent Col. Ncuai.lr. one Of
his stalT, 10 Gordon. cumman,lins tine al
vance. 10 learn his opinion as to the chances
of a successful attack. 10 whic! Gordon r.
nIicd. "My oil cnrrs is rc,h.rcIia to q fraction.
and unless | am euppnrtcd bv lnnr-tr.,-t
heavily. | do not thini, We can do anvlhins
more When Colonel Ncnahlc returned with
this answer to General rr. hr said. Then
there is nothing LETT me hut ta - aal see
Gen. Grant.
After ,,o -,,rr..ndcrnf ,,..r I.,.,. ,rn,,. Mr.
ba'ls iiAh Il" ''io'iSii' '''''' '!'' w" WIS '''''
On this point he says;
HAL ,,lo.,ro,,,,ci T., c.r J,.i,,,st,,, fr.,-,
Nh -, ,1,,, oi,,, s,,,ro,,lr..I
J W. nv af Cr,o,,sl,nro coliti1r.,I,
requested him to meet me there, where Gen.
Beaurcgard at the time had his headquarters,
my opJcGt neitS 10 confer WIN u'' " c. lieIi
III r1ilu t'",t, llcs'I' eo''',t.' '''.'.
olclH'luiis. ho''5h was i';i's
tii' i"" ny y. o"i l'o9n"'i'' ',,,i
Us II was ~ lic .Il.lo" ~ NV 'ri',-''l'
lie , " onr a,niS % i;,,,,,,,
slhia anu 'lc coiISelli'" IL.
Milltl I,Sc eLInts mGu'' '','
t!llhh We sllel''.i uesiTul' S'iii 'i- .,o
t!Ve aliiics Il, 'i.c Le,'i, ail = w , G -
iloii anu p'eii t'- ~
west ol INC hIssis:iPpi' nno'S - ~
''iuCcu nv ',i' 'uoi'ioi " 9't'
sulI'lios H;'t pcTH ~ ,i'
ucl"ts ann ii,'' sun ~ li'..
AZ our 0lsp9saI "iie'' iee''o" 'l ''e army '''
Norm Saroiina'
hau never cohlelirll'e'i 4 -. el,'tI'
cept upon sueh 'ciiilS rs " II''."'
CAIN US lohS rs VIC "I'c ,oIt 20 Nt'p al.o
lieid' anu never expected S1'ilc'ti''c ".ii
20 SURRENDER Whiic 1t was II''c ci'iiSt % tH'
4 or to retreat. Lee hau oiiY Slilttn!eIVu Ms
army when II was lmpossinir IYt nam 10 90
either one or the othcr, and h'ri lroE'.iy rc-
/ Jectcu Grant Gehlthl' IN inc ia'c Vl oN'I
"hc!hnG numbers uhlii ne i','G niiiSTu
! surrounded and his line oi retreat ht'S'vu ~
ioite much larger tlian his own.
Tne end came, however Davis spccui !tcs
.. f.Ir,,rs.
"' Io'''"s
Jvi''Si ii'io nm u io'lS' ,,,', W. RI caT-
/ supplies hau uteh pi;1c'u ui'l It, ills CAV
ail4 W /" tli.e VI ~ u, -
had been proved IN every c"nlEtI Get"eth
lhch' -H;.ury anu "iicSt a'"' ,'i ~, s.''I
h;iu a4EIltS III 'he iiciu Ho' Ia y, u,'
enough 10 nave c,lyctCu :io'Iihi 'i.'i'i ~, ','l
men VINO li'l lti' JDiiils'ol a'.{ ,'',,' ,Ii uI
l" ticli hTies 70 ose'iI d ~, rj
rs those WHO under similar circumstances n'id
left Lee. The show oi continued resistance
| then believed, as | still do, wou'd have
overcome the depression which Waf spread
ing like q starless night over me country
and that the exhibition oi determination
not to leave our pohtical lulurc al the mercy
Of an enemy which had ior fJGr years Deeh
| striving To subJugatc the States M'ui! ha't
led the nlted STATES authorizes 10 60 IS
Mr.. Lincoln had indicated-Eive any terms
which might be found necessary SicS'ai: 10
terminate the existing war-
Had General Johnston "''cEc,' i!'@ "t'i'r
sent to INN from Shlrl'itc ana l.''y,' on
'r iou'e S,i.v.i - H., nm M
mnunirJ and the lirI,t artillery. Erra!ld not
have been successfully pursued by General
sherman. Ills force, united 10 'hi' | hi'i
dSeIi',' d. i'''i, ,,Gic;,'. ,u,,i, ..,
tr1ons which the enemy hal h.iNlrn rs ard
the Mississippi river.
Had the cavalry WilA %'''A i''' 'I''-
no ",g ",'n =. irsoir ,,, ', horr f"r the fpri i,.,
Of brins discouraged by the sgrrcu,.,r IN
tl.cjr rear, il would probably have 4'as rn
anu wien ui!''I WIN '',I ','',S ~
;m,; ,', ',.,;,r,.I .,,, .,,,,, u,
to attract stri4sicls aud revive the dropping
spirits OF The country In the ""'~i We" .''
,. ;;,'i D.',a,,,o,',i .,i ,t,,.,,.i.
ing wiIL the armies Of +. X. smith aul
MaSrul'r 10 form an ARMY, which in ii''
portion "' 'tlu '"ul''ll "'"'''''''tiT a.
t'i'i -, -, ,,.., I'll mn .,,...