The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-06-21
THE OTHER SIDE

fto HCIc icy iSftcVOA "osS
here in Richmond by President Davis
and VicePresldent Stevens aud some.
times several Of their cabinet. Davis
i. rather pleasant looking old man, liz
very straight and slim and has but one
eye, be having lost one eye In the
Mexican War, I believe. never saw
Mrs. Davis, although I have met her
carriage several times. She always
went with closed door, The carriage
was drawn by two fine bloOded bays,
and the driver was large mullato
wiro occupied high seat on the out
side, and there were two more big null
atoes riding Immediately behind
mounted on the backs OF a pair Of fine
matched horses. These men were
there 10 be In readiness should any.
thing happen to the team or carriage.
Mrs. Davis WAS said to he kind
mistress to her slaves, but like ali 9th
ers of her class, thought very little OF
the 'spcor white trash.'
The people here were classed bytheir
blood or families and not by their good
behavior or reputation. A man never
got too luw mean and drunken to be
received In the parlors Of the hest of
these people provided he descended
from wealthy and aristocratic fami.
". But Is they came of poor parents
1T msttered not what their behavior or
rcputaion-tbey must take back
seat. They were careful not to dis
grace tbsir parlors with the iaboring
class Such was the result Of slavery.
/ have heard these people plying
Young men of extra good habits be-
cause they came Of poor parents and
could not enter what they called good
society. And | have also known these
same people TO snialganlate with their
own slaves and raise one family of
children i'm the kitchen and another In
tho house, Those In the house had
straight hair and were white, while
those IN the kitchen had klnky hair
and were yellow. Those in the house
We're educated and lived In refine
meut. and those I'm the kitchen were
sold for so many dollars and cents.
Such was slavery!
But before we leave Richmond /
mus. give your readers history Of
the destruction heConfederate arse.
nal that blew up here In the summer
of ga, which was sickening sight In
deed, as there were 10 girls at work
therein at the time. and not one of
them escaped. Some Of them were
blown clear to the center Of the James
river. The building, which was very
large six story brick, was leveled to
tie ground. The report wac heard and
the vibration was felt for twenty miles
the lean, starved, ragged Confederacy
as ammunition was scarce and hard to
get. It was about this time-the fall
of s64-I believe, that the volunteer
commissioners came over TO Richmond
from Washington to feel Of Davis and
his cabinet on the subject of an arm
istice and treaty Of peace. The said
commissioners consisted Of two officers
Colonel Jakes and another gentle
man whose name / have forgotten.
These gentlemen came up the James
via Fortress Monroe to Richmond on a
small steamer, and were heartily
cheered by the southern soldiers that
lined the banks OF the James as they
passed by on their way to the rebel
capital. We had learned that they
were coming and we were there to sa.
lutte them, which We did by firing sew
eral shots from the heavy batteries at
Chaffins and Druivies Bluffs.
We were IN great hopes now Of at
least cessation Of hostililties which
we hoped would end by restoring
peace throughout the land. Many Of
as rushed into the city that we might
learn the result of that interview and
the writer was one of that anxious
number. We crowded around the
capitol building until there was no
standing room left. The interview
lasted Just two hours and when the
commissioners reappsared on the steps
Of the capital building everybody
seemed TO hold their breath In antici-
patton of the final result,
The question was soon put by some
one, "Col0nel what is the result of the
interview" and the answer came
loud and distinct "War. War, nothing
but war, war to the knife"
These gentlemen Immediately 70
turned to the little steamer that had
brought them mp and they soon dis
appeared down the river, and how sad
we did feel. But sad disappointment
and sore distress always 60 hand In
baud with war. SO all that we could
do was to return TO our post of duty as
a SOW returns to her place Of wallow-
ing.
The next day the interview between
these gentlemen and the confederate
authorities came out in detail In all
the Richmond papers namelythe Wig
the Dispatch and the Eraminer and
The result of the interview was read by
the southern soldiers with heavy
hearts, for we could see no end to the
bloody strife and we had grown miser.
ably tired of it. The writer took no
notes of this interview at the time, but
can give the substance Of what took
place from memory. As 1 have init
mated before these peaee-seekers were
asot sent on this mission by the author
tiles at Washington, but simply had
permission from the author titles to WIS.,
il the Confederate capital and see
what the feeling was in reference to q
cessation of hostilities- I have never
seen any account Of this in the histor.
les of the war, or j would not
have named the circumstance here.
The substance of the interview was
about this:
Cei. Jakes said 20 Mr.. Davis and his
cabinet that he had permission from
the authorities st Washington to say
that if theywould lay down their arms,
free the negroes, return to the union,
and each Stale pay its part of the war
debt, that the war should end. To
which Mr.. Davis reulIe6 IN the follow.