The sun., 1896-10-18
WAR HISTORY.
CEN sHBRMAN's COMPACT WIN
GEN. JOE JOHNSTON.

GEN. JOE JOHNSTOM
Its Rejection ana Reversal by tho Admin
istration. Mt wnshinEton-A Most later
cstInE Narrative with Various NuwFncts.
Tho recent publication by tho Government Of
three volumes.of war records covering the final
campaign in tho Carolinas, recalls ono of the
most interesting IL not dramatic Incidents nf
the rebellion and tho extraordinary evcn;s
that flowed from Il. In these volumes every
important stem taEen, and most OF the
springs o. action leading up 10 the Sherman.
Johnston agrec nent OF April Is. 1865. are
laid bare, and made so clear that any inter
ested Investigator can easily arrive at fair
and satisfactory solution of tho contro rertcd
points. All the official documents extant of
any historical value relating to the Johnston
surrender are grouped In their sequence in
these volumes.
That convention wrought several marvel
lous changes. 1t instantly, though happily
only temporarily, darkened the glory OF one of
the most brilliant of the Union Generals, then
In the midst OF a victorious career. 1t alien
atcd thousands OF his enthusiastic admirers.
changing their plaudits OF tho day before to
bitter denun Citations. and many level-headed
men. in tho first gust Of their passion. evon
execrated him traitor. II ruptured friend
ships that bad existed for years between some
of the most noted figures on tho Union side.
But. after all IL was but n tempest in o teapot.
and IL Is singular that the great mon who had
calmly and ably steered the ship of state
through the perils of four years. war should,
when all danger was seemingly passed, be SO
easily thrown from their balance and appar-
entity lose control Of their mental faculties.
This mainly resulted from one tremendous
catastrophe murder Of Abraham Lincoln.
had Lincoln lived the North Carolina agree.
nholt 10, ha,,n
as a mere incident To greater events. and been
quietly disposed of without arousine the at
tention Of the nation or exasperatinR the lead
ing participants. But the terrifying assassina-
ton OF Lincoln at the very moment when
Sherman and Johnston were taking tho pre-
liminary steps to bring the war to an absolute
close caused that episode to assume an exag-
Rerated importance wholly unwarranted by it.
self. From that day to this IL has been much
discussed and much beclouded by partisan
writers pro and con, each quoting much of
the official record as seemed desirable to the
vindication.of his views. carefully omittiny ev-
erythinR of q negative character. In the off,
cial volumes the reader has opportunity to SEQ
all the documentary evidence bearing upon the
case. good, bad, and Indifferent.
GRANTS TERMS OF SURRENDER.
On the eth of April i s65. during the pursuit of
Lees army from Peter sburg. TO shift from hin-
self responsibility for the further effuson of
blood. Grant asked OF the Confederate chief
tain the surrender of his army. In the corre-
spondence that ensued Lee adroitly essayed
to draw Grant into negotiations to restore
peace" I. C.. to enter the realm OF politics.
and proposed a meeting with that end In view.
But the Union leader firmly declined tn TO be-
yond his authority; he courteously replied
that, Is he had. mo authority to treat on the
subject of peace," the proposed meeting would
be futile. Operations continued, and Lee was
forced to yield. On the 9th he surrendered
the Army of Northern Virginia on the simple
terms that each officer aad soldier should sub
scribe to a parole Of honor not again to take
up arms against the United States until
properly exchanged. and meanwhile not to be
disturbed In their homes by tho United
States authority so long as they observed this
parole and the laws in force where they
sided. Nothing more. nothing less. Gen.
Grant out the terms with his own hand
s1s. T~rotsA ice between Lee and himself at
at conferetS house. in the hamlet of Appo-
Mr.. McLean's\ House. 1t will be observed
mattox Court Nquestion is dealt with. 1t
thatno political Mention pure and siu,ple.
was military coiarch. some 1--WE weeks pre-
On the Sd of MNder. but with that event in
vious to Lees surreiSon had sent to Grant tho
Vle"' Secretary S8hNnned by President Lin
following telegram, pek
eoiii niniSeii y, March 3, 1866.
WAR DEPARTMENqSS President directs
L1EUT.-GEN. GRANT: TheTishes you to have
me to say to you thPh.nLee. unless it be for
no conference IN of Gen. Lees army or on
the capitula6urely military matter. He in
minor an9to say that you are not to decide,
structs NOR confer upon any political ques-
discuss,dch questions the President holds in
tior own hands, and will submit them to no
military conferences or conventions. Mean
time you are to press to the utmost your mill
tary advantages.
EDWIN NJ. STANTON. Secretary of War.
The fact that the President should draft
this despatch himself for the Secretary's sig
nature gives it deep Importance. Its terms
are clear and positive. 1t shows that the Ad.
rinistratlon had definite views regarding the
future political status Of the rapidly collap-
sing Confederacy. which were not to be i'm.
perilled or forestalled by any inadvertent
action Of its military commanders in the::feld.
To obviate the danger of political commit
ments Grant was thus peremptorily instruct
ed. Grant. In dealing with Lee, acted with
full knowledge of his Governments deter
mination in this regard. and the effective yet
simple manner in which he disposed Of tho
Confederate army within the limits of his in
Btructions was admirable.
JoHNsToS's PROPOSITION TO SHERMAN.
In its chronological order it is here neces-
sary to state that two weeks prior to Lees
surrender, Sherman. wishing to confer with
tho General-in- Chief, had made hasty visit
to City Point. reaching Grants headquarters
on the evening of March 27. In his official
report of contemporaneous operations, dated
April 4, previous TO Johnson'e surrender. Sher-
man says Of this visit: II had the good for
tune to meet Gen. Grant. the President, Cons.
Meade, Ord, and others OF the Army Of the Po.
tomac, and soon learned the general state OF
the military world" After receiving Grants
instructions In relation to forthcoming opera
tions, Sherman quickly returned TO his COM
.mand at Raleigh. Then followed tho Appo-
mattox campaign. and in duo course sher-
man received from Gen. Joseph f. Johnston
tentative proposals looking TO tho termination
OF the war. They were embodied in the fol-
lowing letter, printed IN full for a purpose
which will presently disclose itself:
HEADQUARTERS IN THE FIELD, April IA. 1865.