Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-12-19

DAVIS ana the force with which he proposed to
surround himself, so as to prolong the war,
would De fresh disaster to the people of the
south which did not propose to be q party to.
Inns Is the disObedience of orders on my part
which Mr.. Davis In his so-called History Of
the Rise and Fall of the Confederate Govern
ment, alludes to. when he says: Had General
Johnson Obeyed the order sent him from Char
lotte, and moved on the route selected by him
self. with all his cavalry. much of the infantry
as could be mounted. and the light artillery. he
could not have been successfully pursued by
sherman. His force united to that had as
sembled at Charlotte. would, it was believed,
nave been sufficient to vanquish any troops
which the enemy had between US and Missis-
slppi river. Had the cavalry with which l left
Charlotte been associated with force large
enough to inspire hope for the future, instead
OF being discouraged by the surrender in their
rear, it would have probably have gone on. and
when united with the forces of Mowry. Forest
and Taylor in Alabama and Mississippi have
constituted an army large enough to attract
strag@lers, and would have revived the droOp-
ing spirits of the country
JEFF DAVIS A FAILURE.
Because did not lend myself to this plan
of Mr. Davis for prolonging the war, he seems
to think that committed an offence against the
whole southern people. My information is that
the people take different view of it. and l am
thoroughly content with their estimate of my
conduct on that occasion"
Very soon after sending the above dispatch to
Mr.. Breckenridge | again communicated with
Gen sherman upon my own authority asking
him for second conference. this time upon the
military features of the rejected agreement. ]
received favorable response from him about
sunrise on the 26th of April, and at noon that
day we again met in the Bennett house. and in
the same room where the first conference had
taken place. and very soon agreed to the terms
which put an end to the war within the limits
of our own commands.
Is Mr.. Davis man of much military abil-
ity?"
By no means. do not regard him as hay
ing either executive or military ability. His
service as the executive of the COnfederacy
demonstrates this fact. l do not believe that
there is in the history of the world another
such example of demOraliZing control as that
OF Mi. Davis management of the affairs of the
Confederacy. He is a man of Over-Weening van
lty and great will power. / regard him even
CIVIL executive. He naturally has no under
standing or conception of military operations
on an extended scale and yet is vain enough
to think that he knows it ALL
THE CONFEDERATE TREASURE.
II see that in his book he alludes to having
left some money with you at Charlotte and you
distributed it among the troops
:, Yes, that was an occurrence which I dis
tlnctiy recall. On the 10Th of April, after the
VI HISl conference WITH Genefal
sherman. hastened to Greensboro, where my
headquarters had been removed and arrived
there about daylight. I there expected to find
MI Davis, but he had removed to Charlotte
IOund, however, communication from him.
IN which ne directed me to obtain from the
treasury agent a box of silver which had been
left in his hands subject to my order 1t was
SAID to contain 600 in SPECIE and Mr..
Davis said l should use it as military chest
for the army. When came to receive it. it
was Sl,S0O short, which amount the Treasury
agent said the cOmmissarv general had taken
from it. After the receipt of the first order
directing me to take charge Of this money for
the use OF the army Mr. Davis sent second
order directing its return to him at Charlotte.
both letters were received by my adjutant gen.
erai. Colone! Anderson. before my arrival. and
were handed me together. l replied to Mr.. Davis
TWO notes and acknowledged the receipt of the
money. but declined to return it. as directed in
MT Davis second note. l took the ground that
the civil authority of the Southern Confederacy
had been destroyed. that only the military part
regarded it as only equitable that share of the
lunds sun left should be appropriated for the
use OF the army. especially as the troops had re-
ceiyed no pay for many months. and nothing of
real value for years. | assured Mr.. Davis the
money would be put to quite as good use if
retained it as if it were returned to him. di-
rected this specie to be paid to the army. each
Ohlcer ana man to share and share alike and it
was so distributed.
Il had learned from Generel Beaurerard that
the PRESIDENT had large amount of specie in
MS possession, and wrote urging that a por-
ton OF it be paid to the soldiers then in active
service. My letter to Mr.. Davis on this subject
was quite urgent. and intrusted it to Colonel
Mason. OF my staff. with instructions that he de-
ii'ef IL IN person to Mr.. Davis. and bring a re-
ply. Colonel Mason went to Charlotte. delv-
cred the letter to Mr.. Davis. but beyond a
Geographic acknowledgment to me that the let
ter was received there has never yet been
response to it. Colonel Mason waited some
tilne and made several efforts to get reply
from MI Davis in obedience to nv Instructions.
but was Obliged to return without one.'
What became of the specie?-
it followed or preceded the head of the civil
government of the COnfederacy to the south
about the time Mr.. Davis went in that direc-
tiOn.'
WAS THERE SO MUCH MONEY?
I" Have you any idea of the amount of specie
Mr.. Davis carried south %
"COl. Paul, an eminent artillery officer of the
Confederacy and now prominent lawyer of
Richmond. man of high character told me
that he Inspected the specie before its removal
from Richmond and after it had been loaded
ready Tor transportation. He said that there
was car load OF it. AS he only saw it boxed
ready for shipment he could of course. give no
information as to the amount in dollars and
ceHtS zen. Beauregard. however, was in inn
mediate command at Greensboro while the
President was there. and doubtless had an op-
pOrtunity of knowing more accurately the
OF money with the President than most
any one. except his immediate political family.
lie told me that he was convinced that the Pres
ldent had 81, SOC, 900 in specie at Greensboro.
have no doubt but that Gen. Beauregard's esti-
mate was within bounds. After Mr. Davis left
Charlotte and moved south. Confederate officer
told me that while standing near bridge cross
ing small creek man rode up and inspected
it. He said that he was in charge of the Presi-
dents money train, and wanted to see whether
the bridge was safe or not. The man in charge
told the officer that he had twenty wagon loads
OF specie in the train. This would be in perfect
with Col. Paul's statement that there
was a car load when it left Richmond and with
Gen Beauregard S that there was 50 500. 40 at
Greensboro
What became Of the money!"
WHERE DID 1T GO To?
That l am unable to say Mr. Davis has
never given any satisfactory account of it to my
knowledge, and what is strange thing to
me, the southern people have never held him to
an account for it. The $50 600 he left at Green's
borO the soldiers received, Major Moses, an
attorney. now living in Atlanta, has accounted
for $4,000 more. short time before the