The Evening critic., 1881-06-21
Gen, MnhOpc's Criticism OH Jefferson
Davis Book.

INC lnUlllutlOH Ill MT. JEFFERSON DaVlS MS
tory of the late war holding Gen. Lee re-
sponsibc for the delay in abandoning Rich
mond and also in vague terms limiting that
the movement should have been carried
into effect at a much earlier date than IL
was If the life of the Confcderacy was to be
prolonged. Gen. Malone is known to have
been one of the most trusted division COM
manders in Lees army and what he says
may be regarded rs accurate. The Heralds
correspondent gives the following account
of his interview with Gen Mahonc
General, have you seen JEFF. Davis
book"
have not. | have Il curiosity to look
il over, but really have been indisposcd, and
now have not the time"
"What do you think will be the effect of
it?'
ooh, none, except to get lot of old fos-
sils to knocking their heads together. 1t is
doubtless the history of the war from Mr..
Davis peculiar standpoint, if you may call
that history"
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE.
General, Mr.. Davis inferentially states
that General Lee was responsible for hold
ing the army in front of Richmond so long
Mt the close of the war and just prior to the
evacuation of Richmond and Petersburg and
the retreat to Appomattox."
~ think that is true"
"Will you please give me your reasons for
thinking so, General ?"
"Wcll, it is well known that it had long
been the intention of Mr.. Davis not only to
abandon Richmond and Petersburg, but to
abandon Virginia altogether. Gen. Lee
opposed such proposition on very substan-
tial grounds, not the least of which was the
one that to leave Virginia would be to lose
the mainstay of.the Confedcracy and per-
haps half of the army. When this notion
of Mr.. Davis became known it caused con-
siderable feeling among Virginians in the
army, and so Il majOr-general wrote to Gen.
Lee and emphatically stated that If such Il
movement was resolved upon he for one
would not carry man in his division out
of the State. And the army portion of
Virginia was not all that opposed this plan
of Mr.. Davis. 1t became known to Gov.
Letcher, who entered an indignant protest
against it, and declared that to abandon
Virginia and the capital of the Confedcracy
would be to sacrifice the cause, and lose all
moral force by which they were held to-
gcthcr, as well as to destroy the little esprit
du corps which remained in the troops
Tho Virginia Legislature also opposed the
movement with such vigor that the absurd
idea of the President was never preached
again"
LEES ACTION.
"Then it is your idea that General Leo
did keep the troops in front of Richmond
until finally compelled to retreat?"
eyes, that is my opinion. Neither Gen
Lee nor any prominent Confederate army
officer had any sympathy with Mr.. Davis
idea of abandoning the seat of government
by retreat to the mountains, and Tho
prolongation of the war by sort or run
ming fight. Everyone felt that the fall o
Richmond would end the war. Had thu
Confedcrates captured Washington the,
might have been recognized by foreign pow
ers and their Independence finally cstab
lshed'
:" In his book, Mr. Davis says:
"'Lcc had never contemplated surrender
He had long before, in language similar t.
that employed by Washington during TIN
Revolution, expressed to me the belief tina
in the mountains of Virginia he could carr,
on the war for twenty years, and in direct
ing his march toward Lynchburg it may b
well believed that, rs an alternative, h
hoped to reach these mountains, and, will
the advantage which the topography woul,
give, yet to battle the hosts which were fol
lowing him."
"What is your opinion of that state
ment?
"Thc statement that Gen. Lee never con
conference with Gen. Lee in his own quar-
tiers at Appomattox Immediately after TIN
surrender, when, in discussing the latte
days of the Confcderacy, he said to me tina
some time before during the winter, he ha'
urged upon Mr.. Davis the desiability o
making terms with Gen. Grant. He detailed
to me some of the conversation with MI
Davis, which do not now recall Davis
he said, would not listen to the proposition
and insisted that he must fight to the last
Gen. Lee told me that he explained to MI
Davis the situation of the two armies, tn
condition of his transportation and the in
feriority of his command in point of mum
bers to that of Grant, and that when Gran
attacked him it would be next to impossibl
to get away, and therefore that terms ha
better be made without further loss of lii
or property. Grants cavalry, his artillcr
horses and his transportation were in cN
cellent condition, and only nine miles fr0I
his base of supplies. Lees were quite tn
!, reverse, and he had no supplies to be spoke
! of in case of u retreat. The talk bctwec
Gen. Lee and myself upon this subjet
marked itself most indclibly upon my men
ory for he cvinced so much feeling in re
crence to Mr.. Davis refusal to make tern
: that | said:
az wish you had called conference
n your officers after Davis's REFUSAL"
y What would they have done?' said Lee
: "'They would have taken the matter I'M
' their own hands, said /, and authorize
you to deal with the matter according
: your own Judgment
y "Gcn. Lee thought moment and the
y said: 1T is too late to remedy mistakes now
, His officers would have done just that thin
y !. for Lee had the confidence, not only of ii
. soldiers, but of all the Confederacy Il thol
! sandfold more than Davis had. lndee
=. Davis was seriously disliked by our peopl
He kept in position and about him his p
culiar pets, and the oftener they lost figl
a the more frequently were they promote
o History will never credit JEFF Davis wit
being either model executive officer or
i great general. His book will doubtless COZ
Q Wet him of being neither"
U Gen. Malone discussed the various NOV
5 ments of the two armies in u manner thu
u prove his intimacy with the subject, but b
Il yond the facts narrated above there WI
nothing further disclosed of historic
c remarkably interesting nature.
: A Tip-Tiltcd Nose.