New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-16

the Cabinet except General breckenridge, who
had not yet reached Danville, and who has not
Joined us up to this time" Greensborough was
fifty or sixty miles southweserly from Dan
vile, on direct railway communication with
General Joe" Johnstons forces then retreating
westwardly from the neighborhood Of Raleigh
before Sherman, who was pressing them hard
on the 10Th the President, General Joe
Johnston, General Beauregard, the Secretary OF
War and the rest Of the Cabinet held confer
tnce at Greensborough on the state of the Ma
ton" The President, Johnston states, was
for holding out and asserted that he would nave
a large army in the field shortly. But Generals
Beauregard and Johnston, conversing apart,
concluded upon comparison OF the resources
Of the two belligerents. that the Southern Con-
fcderacy was overthrown. after hearing definite
ly of Lees surrender. Breckenridge also seems
to have conceded in this opinion, for he agreed
with Johnston TO make opportunity for the
latter to say definitely to Mr. Davis, and also
to inform the President that il was the judg-
ment of his superior generals that his only
power of government remaining was that to
terminate the war and" as General 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 John
ston's opening negotiations for the surrender
which eventually took place to Sherman at Dur
ham Station.
Mr.. Davis, after the meeting with Johnston,
remained in Greensborough until April 1G. when,
being aware that Johnston had opened negotia-
tons with Sherman. and knowing that his last
- ba cell g.
took his departure for the South, and was
eventually captured as all the world knows, at
or near Washington, Ga, on May 10, less than
six weeks after the withdrawal from Richmond.
The Union soldiers efecting his capture had
reward Of 100000 distributed among them.
General Lee surrendered the Army of North
ern Virginia on April O. He remained at APP
ponattox Courthouse several days after that
event. while his army being paroed in ac
cordance with the terms agreed upon. General
Grant had left Appomattox on the next day
after the surrender. going directly to Washing
ton. On April 10 General Lee issued farewell
address to his soldiers, which has often been
published
Two days later he made a formal report, ad
dressed to Mr.. Davis, announcing the capture of
bis army, and fully explaining the causes which
compelled that disastrous event. This docu
ment is unknown to the world generally. never
having been printed in the public journals. II
is n complete official story. and the only one. Of
the last operations OF that celebrated Army Of
Northern Virginia which had so long bafiied
the mishtiest efforts OF the North 1t proves
that General Lee thought his capituation was
caused by the delay OF twenty-four hours at
Amelia Courthouse TO gather supplies for his
army, having been disappointed In finding them
at that point from Danville expected This
would appear TO shoulder the responsibility on the
Confederate military authorities who had ar
rived in Danville two days before Lees army
arrived at Amelia, giving ample time to load
Snd forward the much needed rations Mr.
Davis must have known that the troops left
Petersburg and Richmond barehanded in the
Buddenness of the emergency.
But it Is doubtful If General Lee could have
got away to the southwark even had he found