Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-11-19
/ the morning. of the ed OF

| Is lIlt 4tIl vi ADTII, iSb1 s3flpFUbHU WI I'M
been to City Point had had an irtervlea
| with Gen. Grant. President Lincoln am
| others. and had been made CHEEKY bl
abundant praise. was already returnes
| to us IN high spirits. The next day. the
kth AZ April. he issued a confidential or
/ def which showed that Grant and he
had planned Il H@W campaign. Our part
| was to thrust ourselves port Inward be-
| Our new base was TO be along the CttOWan
| river with sub-depots well arranged. Ous
| first objectives, in the direction of Grant g
! left flank, were Weldon and Warrenton
| North Carolina, with a design of selling
| the crossings of the Roanoke without de-
| lay
| isherniqh carefully. appointed the lines
OF mafcn fof he right and !eft wings.
and "A central r6fftn. for, Schoficld In re-
| our exposed flank Win his cavalry, and
get across the Roanoke rs soon rs POSI-
Bile The navy was to move up Tho coast
to cover our bases proper. till we reaeFA..
Grants army. or its neighborhood. All
hearts were filled with renewed courage.
ana we were on the eve of marching. the
6th OF April when some startling news
Az once nut different face upon all mat
tiers that concerned us. This was the
news:
Lees army was rushing with consid-
cradle disorder for Danviile. and Grants
forces were exerting themselves to their
utmost to head off the fleeing confeder-
ates. sherman at once turned towards
Raleigh. AT Smithfeld there were more
commander to the effect that he had
dispatch from Grant that Lee. the 9th
inst. at Appotnattox Court House. Va.
had SURRENDERED to him his entire army.
The last paragraph of Shefmahs note
was inspiring:
GLORY to God and our country, and all
honor to our comrades in arms towards
whom we are marching!
"A little more labor. "A little more toli
on our part and the great race Is won:
and our government stands regenerated
after four long years OF war.
The next day we held Raleigh and To-
Gated Johnston's army many miles west
ward near a crossing of the Haw river.
We We're IN ardent preparation WIN cav
airy well out towards the west to over
take and capture Johns.on's confederate
forces. II took till the evening of the 18th
TO be in readiness for general move
ment. but Johnston had already sent in
an invitation to suspend operations
sherman had assented TO an interview
10 take place mt Durham Station, at that
time Fitzpatrick = headquarters.
The morning Of the nth had come. AS
Sherman was boarding the train for Dur
ham Station telegraph operator ran to
him with message in cipher. 1t con
coins assassinaiion and Of the attempts
also to kin Mr.. Seward and other mem
beers of the cabinet. Sherman was great
Is startled As no one but the operator
cludeC to postpone the announcement
TIN his return from Johnston. Caution
ing the operator no; 10 divulee the news.
he stepped aboard the train ana went on
to fulnlt his engagement. Sherman ana
Johnston met "a the house OF Mr.. Ben
nett, a farmer. Separating themselves
from their staff officers, the two generals
passed into a side room. A. soon as they
were face to face. Sherman showed john ,
sfon the telegraphic message from Wash {
ton came out in large drops on Johnston s :
forehead, and he did not attempt 10 con- ,
ceal his distress.
After Sherman's return to Raleigh. he ;
published the news Speaking OF the as
sassination. he declared that he knew
that the great mass of the Confederate
army would scorn TO sanction such acts.
but he believed It the legitimate conse-
quence of rebellion against rightfu au-
jhority The effect upon our soldiers
gorrow seemed 10 overwhelm them for a !
time. and there appeared little thought |
Cf revenges. The instructive feeling was
quite universal that he work of aSsas [
siBation was the act OF few madmen.
The 18th of April. Sherman made an I
Their visit to Durham Station. General
ihither. Taking with him his personal
staff. he went again TO The same place of
appointment some distance from the sta +
tion to meet the Confederates. 1t MAS AT
that Interview that the first terms of
! ohnston's capitulaiion were drawn up !
Speaking OF the paper. Sherman says; !
Il wrote IL myself. and announced 1t as
he best | could do. and they Uhe Confed- /
crate officers readily assented." There |
were clauses in the agreement which rec !
cEnized existing state governments |
whose legitimacy was to be determined \
ny the supreme court. ana others that .
defined political rights and franchises |
These clauses caused a Juror of opposi- |
. ION from Washington. rs soon as Sher- ,
iaan had submitted them for approval |
President Johnson disproYing the agree I
ment and Grant was ordered 10 Resume /
h0stiIities. and further TO Increase the .
5 ing of disappr0Nal,G Grant was instructed ,
10 proceed ut once TO Sherman's army
and direct operations against the enemy. :
We all remember how Grant came, ana 4
how wisely he allayed every asperity: +
hut his strong friendship could not re-
move Sherman's chagrin. 1t was not be-
cause his terms We're disapproved hat i
because he had been so publicly aud /
the war department. sherman was en-
outraged by the friendship of Grant 10 ,
20 back to Johnston where new terms.
without a political reference. were ar
ranged. As soon as sherman had re- !
turned to him al Raleigh Grant carefully
read over the memorandum of agree
neut, put his own approval upon it. and |
hen. leaving US the next day. took the !
same to Washington. That day. the 2eth |
# April. Halleck promulgated from Rich \
nond his startling order FOR the 6fn /
orps to proceed Southwark. wherein he
advised TO push forward as rapidly as
possible and obey no orders Of sherman /
Ills instructions also TO General Wilson. !
commanding the cavalry who was hur /
rving southwark. We're: ITO obey no or |!
ders from sherman. In the light of these !
dispatches Il great commander like Sher !
man. having three armies at his disposal |
nd not even relieved from duty. WAS |
deeply stung by such a gratuitous insult |
wrote at the time to a friend Il am |
deeply sorry at the abuse General Sher- |
man is getting at the hands of the press. I
He meant right. and the reasons for Of /
fering generous terms are not rightly set |
forth by the press. How easy it is to i'm |,
pute wrong motives.
After years of experience and reading /
md with Il deep-seated antipathy all !
along TO what was called state sovereign !
ty. i am still of the opinion that Sher- !
mans terms ought to have been quietly /
received by the President and secretary |
Of war and returned TO him for modiii- |
cation. Had they gone originally TO Gen
eral Grant. at that time so full Of sym |
pathy and wisdom. he (GranD would |
quietly. without parade. have brought |
about the essential changes. as he sub |
seduently did. and so secured the mag
niticent results attained.
One can hardly help believing that the
desire at Washington at the time was in
great measure TO repress Sherman's eX-
traordinary popularity with the country
at large and probably give greater celia
to the last blow aimed through Sherman
against the shrewd Confederate leaders
who We're attempting. in Johnston's ca
Uituiation, to save Il part of the dire
cause for which they had been in rebellion
for four years.
Comrades. these last two battles and