The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-04-30

The same day, from tho same point,
Burton n Harrison, Davis private secre-
tary, wrote or telegraphed Mrs, Davis, at
what locality does not appear. Imagine,
then, our astonishment and dismay when
the president was summoned from dinner
on Monday to be informed OF the sur
render OF General Lee and all his in
fantry. on the 9th at or near AppomattoX
court house. A cabinet council was held
immediately and march on this place
decided on. We started on a special train
about midnight, bringing all the cabinet
except General Breckenridge who had not
yet reached Danville, and who has not
ioined us up to this time" Greensborough
was nifty or sixty miles southwesterly
rom Danvillc. on direct railway communi-
cation with General Joe" Johnstou's
forces then retreating yestwardly from
the neighborhood OF Raleigh before Sher
man, who was pressing them hard,
On the 18th the president, General Joe"
Johnston, General Beauregard the secre-
tary Of wax and the rest of the cabinet
held q conference at Greensborough on the
state of the Nation" The president as
Johnston states, was for holding out, and
| asserted that he would have a large army
In the field shortly. But Generals Beaure-
gard and Johnston. conversing apart, con-
cluded upon comparison of tho resources
OF tho two belligerents, that the Southern
1 Confederacy was overthrown. after hear
| ing definitely OF Lees surrender Breckin-
/ ridge also seems to have coincided in this
/ opinion, for he agreed with Johnston TO
make an opportunity for the latter 10 say
so definitely to Mi, Davis and also to
! inform the president that 1t was the
| judgment OF his superior generals that his
/ only power of government remaining was
that 10 terminate the war "and," as Gem
eral Johnston states In his narrative,
that this power should be exercised
without more delay"
Johnston. the opportunity having been
made by Breckenridge proceeded TO lay
! those views before President Davis, who
was very much annoyed. Yet eventually
he consented to Johnstons opening nego-
tiatlons for the surrender which eventual
ly took place to sherman at Durham Sta
ton.
MIR. Davis, after the meeting with john
ston. remained In Greensborough until
April 16, when, being aware that John
ston, had opened negotiations with Sher-
man, and knowing that his last hope east
of the Mississippi was now gone, he took
his departure for the South, aud was
eventually captured, as all the world
knows, at or near Washington. Ca, on
May TO- less than six weeks after the
withdrawal from Richmond The Union
soldiers ofeeting his capture had re-
ward OF 100000 distributed among them.
! General Lee surrendered the army OF
Northern Virginia on April ., He re-
mained at Appomattox court house several
days after that event while his army
4 was being paroled in accordance With the
terms agreed upon. General Grant had
left ApponattoN on the next day after the
surrender, going directly 70 Washington.
On April 10 General Lee Issued n fare
we'll address to his soldien. which has
often been published.
Two days later he made formal re-
port, addressed TO Mr. Davis, announcing
the capture OF his army, and fully ex-
plainins the causes which compelled that
disastrous event. This document Is un-
known to the world generally, never hav-
ing been printed IN the public journals.
II is complete ofhcial story. and the
only ono. OF the last operations OF that
celebrated army OF Northern Virginia.
which had SO long barred the mightiest
! efforts OF the North. II proves that Gen.