The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-12

This box was sent to General Grants AdJutant-
general (Rawlinsl in Vicksburg, with request
9osend it on to Washington, along with my let
tor, which is of record, dated Camp on Big
Black August 5, 1868.
Colonel r. N Scott who has charge of the
records of the war-Union and confederate
writes of recent date, that his private papers
had beed returned TO Mr.. Davis by Secretary OF
War 1IcCrarv All / wish here to remark Is,
that | sent it as ii came into nay possession; ex-
cept that I withdrew and sent TO the authors
three several letters, written to Davis at Mont
romery by officers of undoubted loyalty, which
II feared might compromise them If they fell
into unfriendy hands. because at that day the
name of Dir. Davis was synonymous with
treason.
Again. in 1864, when we were in possession of
Atlanta Ga. saw familiarly great number of
gentlemen of that State, with whom l conversed
freely They spoke openly and unreservddly Of
the tyranny of the Confederate authorities In
Richmond and of Mr. Davis particularly. de
was the head Of the government, the command
er.in-chief of its armies His character was an
element in the problem of the war for putting
down the rebellion, in which, at the time was
an important factor. The cost of the war was
Dir. Stanton, Mr.. Chase and other leaders in
Washington On the 18th of September, 1864.
telegrapned to General Halleck, in Washington
Governor Brown has disbanded his militia to
gather the corn and sorghum of the State
have reason to believe he and Stephens want to
visit me, and have sent them hearty invita-
ton" Two days after received from President
Lincoln this dispatch: II feel great interest IN
the subjects of your dispatch mentioning corn
and sorghum and the contemplated visit to you.
On the same day answered him direct by tel
egram 81 will keep the department fully ADVISED
of all developments connected with the SUBJECTS
in which you feel interested. Mr.. Wright, former
member of Congress from Rome, Ca and Mr..
King of Marietta, are now going between Gov
ernor Brown and myself. have said to them
that some of the people OF Georgia
are engaged in rebellion, began in error and per-
petuated in pride. but that Georgia can now save
herself from the devastatons of war preparing
for her only by withdrawing her quota out of the
confederate army and aiding me to expel Hood
from the borders of the State; in which event,
instead of devastating the lands as we progress,
] will keep our men to the high roads and com
mons. and pay for the corn and meat we need
Mr. Lincoln, with his wonderful sagacity, said
that JEFF Dav1ss visit to Georgia. in September.
1864 was rather on account of Stephens and
Brown than Hood He was statesman, / a
mere soldier who watched the desperate move
Cor its military chances; and was absolutely
convinced that Davis then suspected the fidelity
of Stephens and Brown to him as the head and
front of the Richmond Confederacy for it had
ceased to be confederacy OF Sovereign
States
The secession" of 1861 had become Separate
State action" in 1864 and Davis was opposed
Georgia senators, page 201, American Annual
Encyclopedia, 1864 Had Georgia with
drawn in 1864, the Confederacy would have
collapsed as bubble, and Georgia, South Caro-
haa and North Carolina would have escaped the
devastation which necessarily followed. When
in Atlanta had possession of a vast amount of
captured letters and newspapers which enabled
me to trace the current OF public opinion in the
South which was as much an element of force
as that of muskets.
have now before me an original letter from
Alexander III. Stephens, Vice president of the
Southern Confederacy, to Herschel V. Johnson,
IL. II IL
April S, 1864, too long-sixteen pages-to be
quoted entire, from which l propose
to Gull few extracts | have never
spoken or written of Mr. Davis as plainly as
Mr. Stephens did In April. 1864, after ne had
been associated with him three years in the gov
efnment of the onfederacy. At the time of my
reRark at the Frank p. Blair Post was not in
possession of this particular letter, but | knew
of the opinions of Mr.. Stephens, which were
then shared by many of the most intelligent
men of Georgia
The army which had the honor to command
in Atlanta moved forward to Savannah; to Co
lumbia S. c. to Goldsborough and to Raleigh
IN North Carolina, near thousand miles inside
the Coafederacy, and during that period, No
yembeF, 1864, April. 1865 witnessed hundreds,
# not thousands, OF instances of the effect of
the measures and policy which Mr. Stephens
had foFeSeen were leading to despotism.
confederate officer, who had been much in
Washington in ante bellum days, told me THAI
we officers OF the regular army used to complain
Of the fayoPitism extended to certain army Of
Rcsrs stationed at Washington; but this was as
nothing compared to the favoritsm which at
that moment 1861 prevailed at Richmond, and
that the sons of the rich and influential sought
and obtained clerkships in the departments de-
tails to gather the tax in kind, to enforce the
conscript law, railroad service, etc., to escape
service in the Confederate ranks. I believed
him then, and believe him now
We continued to gather in, from private and
public services, much valuable information,
which may never be revealed, proving to my
mind that the government at Richmond partly
from conviction and partly from desperation,
had thrown off the mask and had passed from
confederation of sovereign and independent
States to despotism almost personal to Mr..
Davis himself.
beg your indulgence here while quote some
contemporaneous letters never before published
I believe, which show the state of facts and of
public opinion at the time approached and
occupied Raleigh. N c., in April, 1865, better
than anything that / may now write.
The surrender OF Lees army at AppomaUtox
occurred on A.aenii1 o. 1865, and was known to me
at Smithfeld, N c., on the 18th, and announced
in general orders That night reached Gulley's
from Raleigh with three commissioners viz
Messrs. Graham and Swain and Surgeon War
rem. OF the confederate army, bearing lerrer
from Governor Vance, of which do not possess
the original or copy
kETheSe commissioners said to me without re-
serve that when Governor Vance dispatched
them from Raleigh to my camp at Gulley,s he
wanted to make terms for the State and after
ward be was afraid of JEFF Davis
AT Raleigh, though the mass of the public
records had been carried off, yet number were
left behind at the State-house and at the Gov
srnor's mansion, called the 'sPalace," which we
occupied as headquarters during our stay there.
viz: from April Is to April 90, 1855
These records and papers were overhauled by
provost marshals and clerks, who delivered to
the adjutant- general (Sawyer) such as contained
material Information, and my personal attention
was only drawn to such as were deemed of suf-
nclsnt Importance. Among the books collected
at the Palace in Raleigh, was q clerks or Sec
retarys copy book, containing loose sheets and
letters, among which was the particular letter of
Mr Davis to which | referred in my ST. Louis
speech. gave it little attention at the time.
because Mr.. Davis was then himself fixture.