Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-14

SHREVEPORT, La, February 1, 1865.
Hon Robert Rose Shreveport, La:
Sfr-WhilSt In the City of Mexico / de-
sire you. on some fitting occasion, to make
known to his majesty, the emperor that
In the case of uneXampled catastrophe to
our arms and the final overthrow of the
government which [ have the honor to
represent as the military chief of the states
west of the Mississippi river an event I
40 not now apprehend but which yet may
possibly occur in the future, it is my fixed
purpose to leave my native land and Sc TX
an asylum in Mexico Bred to the profess
sion OF arms, having such education in my
profession as the best military schools in
Inc United States offer, with the benefit of
iore'Sh traVel and some experience, such
as is acquired by the command of armies
actively engaged in TIE field for more than
Two years, it is my desire still to continue
IN the exercise of the profession of my
cnolce. HeVing some knowledge of the
FRENCH and Spanish languages and hav-
ing been on duty once on the Mexican from
tier, my humble services and such influ-
eice as could exert might be rendered
aNailable to mis- majesty's government L
therefore, authorize you to tender them to
MIN In the possibility of the contingency
ABOVE alluded to. The national antipathy
.Iiat would exist in the minds of many Cit
Iehs Vi the confederate states to those of
the north, together with their intelligence
endurance and daring as soldiers might in
contemplation of possible collision between
S e..e imperial government and the United
such corps of southern soldiers as might
De lnduced by the offer of liberal terms TO
colonize the empire. and thus greatly
Senet hen H. Should you find that this
LIZ anu the accompanying views are not
Wnoiy Inappropriate to be attended to Won
WIN piease tender my services to the en-
percr, and at the same time assure him N
~ my Eesrtielt wish for the eminent success
VI ms reign. ard the homer, welfare and
happiness Of his people / am. very re-
spectIuiiy, your cbedienr servant
h. KIRBY SMITH, General.
Much Desultory Fighting.
But while Palmetto ranch is called the
last cattle of the war, there was. as q
matter OF fact, much desuftory fighting
west OF the Mississippi later Kirby Smith.
VINO commanded the troops of that region
oid not surrender until May %. and then
~ ne surrender ives farce. for Smith fled
o 20 Mexieo. and his troops who HAD de-
arms, escaped to their homes. DESTROYING
the magazines and CARRYING AWAY arms
anu ammunition to renew the fight some
later day. they said 'e
In Arkansas, Missouri and T,,,s,,,
there were a succession of hostilities u,hinh
Kept the FEDERAL forces busy though none
OF the collisions can be dienffied nv The
lame ,l OF battles. They were merely Skin
nlsnes with wandering guerrilIas. the
noatlng debris of the confederate army-
men who had no homes and no sense of
responsibility, and who saw no life so at
tfacting as that of the bushwhacker Some
s .es tney We're caught robbing farms or
stores again they were traced to their hid
ing places In the swamps and mountains
The hunting of "jayhawkers," as the fed
erals called them, lasted for many months
Inoeed, 1t was not until April 2, 1866, that
PRESIDENT johnson issued q proclamation
that the war was over a proclamation
which brought from Senate and House
poth or which bodies were at that moment
In conflict with johnson, the sneering in
qu1ry: "Wfu the President tell us in what
part of the south the war has ceased and
In what place peace is really restored?"
The President however, had specified
what parts of the south he considered tram
gull. Georgia, South Carolina. North Caro-
lima, Virginia, Tennessee, Alabama Lou
tsiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and Florida
were the states he named Texas was omit
ted. 1t was not until August 20, 1866. that
Johnson issued a proclamation which in
| cluded Texas and which proclaimed 1.-THE
1nSurrection is at an end and peace
order, tranquility and civil authority now
exists in and throughout the whole of the
United States" The next year, in March
1867, Congress declared that the date of
this second proclamation should be con-
sidered as the legal termination of the war.
Remarkable Pension Case.
1t is now so considered in cases before
the courts in which such date is neces-
sary, as it has been more than once in set
Ting pension claims. The whole subject
was prettily argued only a few years ago
in a pension case of considerable interest
This case arose from the passage by Con-
gress in June, 1890, of an omnibus pension
bill giving pensions to all persons who had
served ninety days or more in the rebel
lion and had been honorably discharged.
Among those who took advantage of this
was one John Barleyoung, who had enlisted
on April 10, 1866, and had been discharged
on April -. 1869. Barleyoung claimed that
since the war had ended on August 20, 1866
and he had enlisted on April IL. 1866. he
had served more than ninety days, and so
was entitled to a pension. The courts.
however, disagreed with him.
The bill of 1890 agreed that all who
served during the war of the rebellion are
entitled to pensions, but evidently Congress
meant by this only those whose military
service was in some way connected with
the suppressing of the rebellion. 1t did not
mean those of the army who were doing
ordinary military service, such as filling
posts In q foreign country, fighting In
dams, protecting fisheries in Alaska. To
receive a pension a mans service must
have been connected with the war. Now
Barleyoung claims a pension because of
service in the war between April 10. his
enlistment, and August 20. the legal date
of the close Of the rebellion.
Where did the United States govern
ment require war service at this period?
On April President johnson had de-
clared that peace was restored in Georgia,
South Carolina, Virginia, North Carolina
Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas,
Mississippi and Florida. Evidently then
the only state in which military service
against the rebellion was needed later
was in Texas. Did John Barleyoung serve
in Texas? Unfortunately for John, his
papers showed that he had not been any
where in the vicinity of that state between
April 10 and August 20. 1866, and accor-
dirsly he did not get his pension.
The Chronology Of Events.
The end of war; like its beginning, is
not made by single act. It can not be
marked by single date. 1t is a progress
i've action and can only be fairly repre-
scented by several dates. In the case of
the civil war the dates which are of chief
Importance in its end are the following:
April 8. 1S65-Surrender of Lee.
April 26, 1S65-Surrender Of Johnston.
April %. 1665-Muster out began.
May4, 1665-Surrender of Taylor.
May l1-lS. 1665-Last battle. Palmetto
ranch.
May %, 1s65surrender Of Kirby Smith.
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