The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1881-06-30
THE LATE WAR.
Gaa 11ahOna's CriGIeIsm On JeH Davis
Book-Ehe Proposed Abandon
sA0nt OF vlrEiaIA.
c Correspondence Nov York fIcrai'

did OF Malone, and he is reported to
have remarked that in the event
of his death he would have preferred
Malone of all his general officers to sue
coed him in command OF the confeder-
ate forces. These high compliments Of
Lee to Malone were The result of a close
observation of the courage, skill and
military tact of the latter as 8 com.
mander and intrepid leader, where
eral are developed. On, more
than one occasion Malone distinguished
himself by the execution Of such rapid
movements and daring acts as to bear
favorable comparison with that remark
able genius Of the confederacy, Stonewall
Jackson. Perhaps there is hardly an
officer OF Lees army who made such q
terrifically successful hattie as that in
front OF Petersburg, which gained
for Mahone the sObriquet of the "HerO
of the Crater" and which has been hand
ed down 20 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 we'll known, though not.
generally admitted, that toward the close
of the war Malone was not only admitted
to all conferences with the Confederate
c0mmander-in-chief, but that he also be-
CdLnc Ouc Vi tltc lew @nOuA OGu. L5cC
called upon for confidential cOnsults-
tiOns. He was present ut every confer
ence of the corps commanders imme-
diately preceding the historical events
which transpired in front of Rich
mond and Petersburg, and is intimatc-
ly acquainted, from personal CONVEX
satiOn had 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 confeder-
ate forces. Readers of the extracts re-
Gently published in the Herald from the
book entitled Rise and Fail OF
the Confederate Government" by
jefferson Davis, will EecOlIecs
that the author by suggest
ion and strong intimation, holds
Lee responsible for the delay in aban.
dOning the confederate capital, and also,
in vague terms, limits that the move
ment should have been carried into eff:
feet at a much earlier date than it was if
the life of the confederacy was TO be pro-
l0Hged. These insinuations of Mr..
Davis have Occasioned q good deal of
feeling among the friends of Gen. Lee.
MAHONE's VERSION.
As matter of historic interest, how.
ever, and for the guidance of future
writers upon the late war, Herald cor
respondent called today upon Gen. Ma.
hone, who is known to be an authority
on the subject, foE his version of the facts
in the case. He was found at home
busily engaged in overlooking and an.
swering letters which had accumulated
during an illness of a week or moge,
and by which he was confined 90 his
bed. n r.F
II hope you are not here to interview
me-" Gen. Malone said, "foE in truth ]
have nothing to say"
THAT is the object of my} visit" said
the Herald correspondent.
"Well, declare, I'm very sorry, but
what can you wish TO know now?
thought told you all l knew at the con.
ventiOn."
General, have you seen JEFF Davis
al have not. have o curiosity to
look il over, but really have been indis
posed, and now have not the time"
what do you think will be the eff
feet of it!'
"Oh, none, except TO get lot of old
fossils to knocking their heads together
It is doubtless the history of the wal
from Mr.. Davis, peculiar standpoint, if
you may call that history"
WHO WAS REsPONsIBLE.
General, Mr.. Davis inferentfally
states that Gen. Lee was responsible FOL
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 Ap-
p0mattOx-"
II think that Is true"
Will you please give me your reasons
for thinking so, gencral!"
"WeIl, iE is well known that it hao
| long been the intention of Mr.. Davis moi
only to abandon Richmond and Peters
burg, but to abandon Virginia altogether
Gen. Lee opposed such a proposition
on very substantial grounds, mo-
the least of which was the ont
| that TO leave Virginia would be 70 lost
! the mainstay of the conFcderacy and per
haps half of the army. When this no
tlon of Mr.. DAVIS became known i
caused considerable feeling among Vir
ginians in the army, and so a majol
general wrote 10 Gen. Lee and emphatic
1 ally stated that If such movement
was resolved upon he for on
would not carry man in hi
army portion of Virginia was not al
thai opposed this plan of Mr.. Davis. i
/ became known to Gov. Letcher. who en-
I tered an indignant protest against II
/ and declared that tn abandon Virgins
i and the capital of the cOnfederacY Woul'
be To sacrifice the cause. and los
All the moral force by which
they were held ~ together, a
well as TO destroy the little esprit d
oorps which remained in the troops. tn
Virginia Legislature also opposed th
movement with such vigor thai the at
suFd idea of the president was neve
preached again" rs
~,@ ~ LEES ACTION.
sThen il is your idea that Gen. LIE
did keep his troops in front OF Ricl
mond until finally compelled To retreat
ayes. that Is my opinion. Neithe
Gen. Lee nor any prominent confederat
officer had any sympathy with Mr. d
Wis idea OF abandoning the seat OF go'
eminent by retreat to the mountain
and the prolongation OF the war by
Il sort of running fight. Every one fel
l that the fall of Richmond would end III
!. war. Had the confederafes capture
Washington. they might have been rex
Ognized by foreign powers and their il
dependence finally established"
In his book Mr. Davis says:
II asIee had never contemplated surreI
der. He had long before, in IAnguag
similar 10 that employed by Washlngtu
during the revolution, expressed to n
the belief that in the mountains Of vi
. ginia he could carry on The war f
twenty years, and in directing his marc
!, toward LyncbbuTg II may be well b
. Iieved that as an alternative he hoped
: reach these mountains, and, with the q
vantage which the topography woul
; give, yet 70 bAffse the hosts which wei
J following him."
). aWhaf Is your opinion Of that stat
s5The statement that Gen. Lee ney'
T contemplated surrender Is not true.
T / had conference with Gen. Lee in b
? own quarters at Appomattox, imned
: ately after the Surrender. when, In di
= cussing the latter days of the Confede
! | acY, he said 10 me that some time b
: fore, during the winter. he had urged q
E on Hr. Davis the desirability Of makiE
z terms with Gen. Grant He detailed
me- some Of the conversations with D
Dsvis, which I do not now recall. D
Wis. he said, would not listen to q
e PROPOSITION, and insisted that he mn
3 light TO the last. Gen. Lee told me ID
< he explained to Mr.. Davis the Situate
(. Of the two armies, the condition Of
e transportation aud the inferiOrity Of
e eutnmA0d in point Of Numbers 20 that
b Grant and that Whea Grant stack
+. him it would be next 20 impossible
E eel away, and therefore that t4rns b
d better be made without further loss
b life or property. Grants cavalry, i
q artillery horses, and his tEAnspoFkAki
,t were IN excellent condition. and on
d nine miles from His base Of sgppli
y Lees were quite the reverse. and he b
.e no supplies 10 be spoken q In csse o
K retreat The talk between Gen. Lee q
k1.sS aTll,foaA sHa