Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-12-19
JEFFERSON DAVIS ACCUSED.
Gen. Johnsson's Latest Chapter on the
Fail Cd the Confederacy.

Fail oS the COmfeheracy.
CHARGING Mr. DAVIS WITH TAKING % 500 600 IN
SPECIE IN HIS FLIGHT FROM RICHMOND TO THE
SOUTH AND NEVER ACCOUNTING FOR 1T.
Cen Joseph +. Johnston has furnished to
correspondent of the Philadelphia Press an
other chapter of the close of the rebellion. in
explanation Of the feud between himself and
Jefferson Davis:
Il was at point not far distant from Column
bia. said General Johnston. "when received
Geographic order from General Lee to take
command OF the army against which General
Sherman was operating. to concentrate it and
drive Sherman back. The army was then
marching in three columns. two of which We're
further to the rear than Shernan's center. /
obeyed orders so far as uniting the army. but,
OF course, our force was not then large enou. h
to seriously interrupt General Sherman's pro
gress. 1t is doubtful whether it could have
successfully resisted any single column of his
army We did. however, make the best use OF
what force we had. As long as it was possible
i kept up my communication with General Lee
and we frequently conferred as TO the plan of
action. After the evacuation of Richmond my
communication with him was broken Soon
after, received a dispatch from Mr. Davis al
Danville, Virginia, announcing the surrender. 3"
1t was rs follows
DANvILLE, VA, April 10, 1865.
General J. r. Johnston:
scout reported that General Lee surrendered
IN remnant OF his array near AppomattOx Court
House yesterday. Have no official Intelligence oi
ihe event, bUt there i little room for DOUBT rs 10
It's correctness General II. III. Walker is ordered
WIN FORCES here To Join you at Greensboro Let
you 10 confer for future action. =
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
The following reply was sent:
RALEIGH. April II. 1861 80 p. m.
ftS Ere. i"'cB jefferson DIciS. fiIeejlSbOTC:
IL or 81 3i,tcn received our infantry and
tlncry will be here tonight. Please order II /
SHAH go To Greensboro. The enemy Is beyond
Neuse River IN the direction OF GOiisboro / am
not Indispensable here. j. T. JOHNSTON
Before General Johnston sent the above dis
Patcn Sir Davis and portion of his cabinet had
arrived at Greensboro. and Mr. Davis had trans
United the following dispatch:
GREENSBORO, April II, 1865.
Genera! j. r. Johnston:
The Secretary OF War did not Join me at DAN
VILE Is expected here this afternoon. AS your
situation may render best will 20 to your head
quarters Immediately after the arrival q. the Sec
retaTy on war; or you can come here In the former
case your conference must be without the presence
OF General Beauregaru. have no Official report
from General Lee; Secretary OF War may be able 10
adj to Information heretofore communicated. The
important question to be solved is at what point
Shall concentration be made In view OF the present
position OF the two columns of the enemy and tine
routes which they may adopt to engage your forces
before prompt junction with General Walker and
others Your more Intimate knowledge of the
data for the solution of the problem deter5 me
from making specific suggestion on that point
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
Later on the same day the following dispatch
was received by General Johnston:
GREENSBORO, April il-i:30 D. M
Gen. J. f. Johnston:
Your dispatch of 80 p. IN. received Secretary
or war mas not arrived To save time and have
all information 1t Is probably better that you come
here. In that event you Will give the neeflful in
StructfOnS To your second in command. and II cir
eunnstances warrant suspend the movement sue,-
gested In your dispatch OF 3:3O p. IN. for a time,
which viii enable you to communicate from here
TO that officer or 10 indicate that the line has been
broken 10y the enemy so as TO interrupt communi-
catloh- JEFFERSON DAVIS
General Johnston returned the following
reply:
P. M.-April II, 1866.
HIS ErceHeBcy ,Je.rpT,Son Darts:
Your dispatch OF 3:30p IN. received. I will report
1t Greensboro as soon as practicable.
JOSEPH Z. JOHNSTON.
''The morning of the 18th" continued Cen
eral Johnston. found me in Greensboro the
guest OF General Beauregard. We carefully re-
viewed the condition of affairs. and agreed
that in view of the great disaster to our arms i'm
the surrender of General Lee the Southern
Confederacy was OverthrOwn. When we were
summoned to the Presidents Office for consulta-
ton we found him of an entirely different opinion
He seemed 10 have no thought that the end was
near. and went on giving information as 20 the
resources OF the army. and mapping out plans
for the future. He said in a few weeks he could
nave large army in the field aud proceeded to
state MS plans for a continuation of the war
The conference terminated without opi1ion or
Information being asked by him of any one
present. The President seemed to have made
up his mind and TO be relying as usual upon his
individual Judgment. General Breckenridge
the Secretary of War. had not then arrived. but
later In the day he reached Greensboro and
confirmed the report Of the surrender of
General Lee had a conversation with him
later In the day. in which expressed the con-
viction that the war was virtually at an end. and
that ali the powers OF government which repOsed
In the Executive We're destroyed except one.
that was the power to terminate the war: and
expressed the decided opinion that this power
should De exercised at once. | had not then ey-
pressed myself thus to Mr.. Davis because he had
gwen me no opportunity. At our conference
he. rather to my surprise. gave Information and
Opinions rather than sought them. The CONVEX
sati0n between Breckenridge and me- however
Drought about second conference. at which
were present Mr.. Davis and his Cabinet General
Beauregard and myself. Mr.. Davis asked nv
estimate of the relative strength of the available
military forces OF the two parties to the war 1t
was demonstrated that the armies of General
Vrant. General Sherman and General Canby
aggregated something more than $4,000
available men. while the force at our command
was not more than 250OO all told I
took this occasion to say To Mr.. Davis that I'M
DER the existing circumstances it was his duty
to exercise without delay the single function of
government left in his hands, and open nego-
tiations for peace: and that it would be the
greatest OF crimes to attempt to continue war
the only possible effect of which would be to
iurther devastate our country. and to uselesslv
shed the blood of our countrvmen. General
Breckenridge. Mr.. Mallory and Mr. Reagan of
Mt Davis cabinet expressed themselves very
decidedly against continuance OF the war and
Thought ii the Presidents duty to make terms
OF peace The President seemed considerably
annoyed at these emphatic expressions of Oppo-
sition to his views. and called attention to the
result OF the Hampton Roads Conference
which he said demonstrated that any terms of
peace he might offer would not he considered
oy the United States or his authority to treat
recognized Mr. Benjamin sustained Mr. Davis.
not only In this position, but i'm his scheme for
continuing hostilities. and made a dramatic
speech In favor OF prolonging the war;
HOW SHERMAN AND JOHNSTON NET
Il suggested TO Mr.. Davis. that military com,
manders had frequently agreed TO an armisticc.
and intimated negotiations upon which their
respective governments founded treaties of
peace, and proposed that he should allow me