The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-11-22
CONFEDERACY CLOSING DAYS.
THE LAST MEETING OF PRESIDENT
DAVIS AND HIS ADVISERS.

| VARS. W. He EtODeEtH0Hs W mo- w TN IhNr
Husband. DIR. j. J. Robertson, Oc-
cupied the old state Rank Build
ing at Mashington, Ga, Tells of
the Reception and Entertainments
by Them of President Davis and
His Party and of the Last Consul
tatiOn Which Occurred There Re-
tween Mr.. Davis and His Officers.
The building Did Not Become
known as the "Heard Mansion"
Untu Several Years After the War.
There is probably no one subject CON
nected with the downfall of the Southern
Confederacy, of which there has been so
much written and about which there have
been so many confused accounts as that
of the last meeting of the Confederate
cabinet. and the circumstances attending
upon The final dissolution OF the Confeder-
ate government Many writers, both
Northern and Southern, have written of
this subject and discussed it with free
dom and a disregard to the real facts
worthy only of authors of fiction, untll The
real history of that period has become
involved in a web of romance.
With several persons still living, who
were eye-witnesses to the scenes which
marked the end of the four-years' strug-
gle between North and South, there would
seem TO be no reason for all this confusion
No more opportune time could be offered
for setting the real facts of the matter
plainly before the public than the reunion
of the Georgia Division of the United Con-
federate Veterans al Savannah
Some doubt will probably always exist
as TO which of the three last consultations
of President Davis with those of his adj
vseTs who remained with him is entitled
TO be considered the last meeting OF the
Confederate cabinet. Contemporary histo-
rians have generally agreed, however, upon
| the consultation at Washington, Ga, as
! the most interesting of the three and the
one which had the most bearing upon sub
| sequent events. 1t was at Washington
| that President Davis stopped With his staff
and with the few members of his cabinet
who remained with him, after the trip
| through the country from Richmond, for
much needed rest, and it was at Wash
ington that the consultation was held
which resulted in the abandonment of the
idea which had been entertained of trans
ferring the seat of government beyond the
Mississippi, and continuing the war from
that quarter with such of the forces as
| could be gathered from the catered COM
| mands throughout the South still remain
ing unsurrendered and added to the com
mand of Gen. Kirby Smith, who still re-
NAMED in control of the trans Mississippi.
| 1t was the abandonment of this idea which
marked the final conclusion OF the effort
for separation between the North and the
| South. After this decision was reached
there only remained to attempt the escape
of President Davis and his immediate ad-
visors, whose lives were believed 10 be in
danger from the wrath of the victorious
md
Heard Mansion"
One of the commonest errors in speaking
of this scene of the last meeting of the
| Confederate cabinet Is TO allude TO II as
| having taken place al the Heard Man
| sion" Many writer's have entered into
most elaborate descriptions of this man
| sion, its stately surroundings, its rich
| equipment and the royal hospitality dis
| pensed by its proprietor to the representa-
tives Of the fallen Confederacy,
the impression generally given be-
ing that 1t was an ante
bellum mansion of the noblest type and
that President Davis host ON the occasion
| was Gen. Heard, then well-known citi-
zen of Washington.
AS a matter of act, Gen. Heard did not
| come into possession of the Heard Man
| sion" until several years after the war
| and though he may have been q resi-
| dent of Washington or of Wilkes county
| at NHG biutg ne WAS not ETeSlQent DAVIS
| entertainer. That honor belongs, In fact
| to an aged lady, now residing IN Savan-
| nah, who was a witness and active partici-
| pant in the scenes which marked this mel
| anchoy event in the close of the Con-
federacy's career. and whose part therein
was an honorable one.
| The account of the event and the cir
| 90 7tances attendant upon 1t is best given
! in the words of Mrs. NJ. r. Robertson,
/ who now resdesNin the old Gilmer house
| at State and Bun streets. Mrs. Robert
| son is q native of Savannah but several
years before the Civil War she removed
to Washington with her husband. DR..
John Joseph Robertson, who was I'm charge
! of the branch bank at that place of the
| State Bank of Georgia, whose headquar-
| tiers were located in Savannah The build
| ing on the east side of johnson Square.
| now occupied by Hull & Lathrop was
| the headquarters of the State Bank The
| bank was one of the Oldest and most solid
| Institutions Of the state and had a num-
| Der of branches, one located at Washing
! ton. DR.. Robertson was IN charge of the
| Washington branch and resided In the
bank building with his wife, this being
| common custom with the cashiers Of coun-
| try banks of those days,
| As described by Mrs. Robertson and as
well known to many Georgians. who have
visited Washington, the bank building is
| simply a plain, red brick building, two and
a half stories high, situated on the north
side Of the public square at Washington.
| facing the Court House which occupies
about the center of The public square of
! the town. Washington was then as now,
one Of the most thriving OF the interior
towns Of the state, and the other three
| sides OF the square were occupied with
business buildings and perhaps a few resi-
dences, the bank being the only building
of Importance on the north side Of the
square. The building faced directly on the
| street, and was, and IS, Of unDreientious
appearance. Half Of the lower floor was
| given up TO the bank and Dr. Robertson
and his family occupied the remainder of
the building as a residence. Owing TO fee
BILE health DR.. Robertson was unable 10
take an active part in the struggle but
his heart was in the cause and he and his
wife were devoted to the interests OF the
Confederacy and its uphofders.
| Mr.. Davis and his party entered Wash
lngton on the morning Of May 3. 1866. Mrs.
| Davis, who had been in Washington for
several days. having left the day before.