Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-11-20
FIRST GEORGIA REGULARS
AT JOHNSTON'S SURRENDER

true. as his death was an awful calamity
against the southern people.
l secured a copy of General Sherman's
order in regard to the military conven-
ton. which / will copy in full:
/ Special Field Order No. 65.
'The general commanding announces a
further suspension of hostilities and a
final agreement with General Johnston
which terminates the war as to the armies
under his command and the country east
of the Chattahoochee. Copies of the terms
of the convention will be furnished Gen
erals Schofield Gilmer and Wilson, who
are specially charged with the execution
of its details in the department of North
Carolina, department of the south, and
at Macon and western Georgia. Captain
Jasper Myers, ordnance department u. s.
A, is hereby designated to receive the
armies, etc, at Greensboro, and any com
handing officer of a post magazine, the
arms of any detachment and see that they
are properly stored and accounted for
General Schofeld win procure at once the
necessary blanks and supply the army
commanders, that uniformity may prevail.
and great care must be taken that the
terms and stipulations on our part be
fulfilled with the most scrupulous fidelity,
whilst those imposed on our hitherto en-
emies be received in a spirit becoming a
brave and generous army. Army COM
manders may at once loan to the inhabi-
tants such of the captured mules, horses,
wagons and vehicles as can be spared
from immediate use, and the commanding
generals of armies may issue provisions,
animals and any public supplies that can
be spared to relieve present wants and to
encourage the inhabitants to return to
their peaceful pursuits, and to restore the
relations of friendship among their fell
low-citizens and countrymen.
riv.or mill
when necessity or long marches compel
the taking of forage. provisions or any
kind of private property, compensation
will be made on the spot, or when the dis
bursting officers are not provided with
funds, vouchers will be given in proper
form, payable at the nearest military de-
pot. BY order of Major General w. T.
Sherman. d. NJ. Dayton, A. A. general.
Headquarters Army of Tennessee, near
Greensboro, N. c., April %, 1865. A true
copy. Kinloch Falconer, A. A. general"
If General Johnston issued an address I
have never seen or heard of 1t, maybe the
disgraceful act his army committed in
throwing down their guns on the march
from Greensboro soured the old generals
temper, which 1 think was enough, as
he did not know anything about surren-
dering at that time. / read a piece in
The Journal headed, "How Lee Ended
the War;" by Charles Francis Adams, in
which he says: There is a vivid descrip-
ton in Pollards book, I think, of an
interview which, Immediately after Lees
surrender, took place between Jefferson
Davis and Johnston at the headquarters
of the latter. Davis, stubborn in temper
and bent on a policy of continuous irreg-
ular resistance, developed his plan with
much earnestness. Johnston infinitely
listened to him. Finally the president of
the Confederacy lapsed into silence. john
ston then said; Mr. President, do you
wish my opinion? Davis intimated that
he was there for the purpose of receiving
it. Thereupon Johnston brought the con-
versation to a close with these pregnant
words: Mr.. President, the south feels that
it is whipped, and is tired of the war, 1t
Is my belief that General Johnston was
correct and he had no other alternative
but to surrender"
1t seems that President Davis's idea was
to disband the troops and let them scatter
in every direction. to meet at some given
point afterwards designated, which would
have been utterly impracticable, from the
fact that General Sherman had to furnish
the army supplies TO get home on. If
the army had been provisioned, there was
sufficient Federal cavalry in North Caro-
line to have picked the last one of us
before we could have got out of the state.
No doubt the president was looking out
for number one, as there was q reward
of 800, 900 offered by the Federal govern
ment for his capture AT the time General
Johnston surrendered, President Davis
and his cabinet was at Charlotte, N. c..
as Richmond. the capital of the Confeder-
acy, was captured at the same time let-
ersburg was by General Grants forces
have never been able to ascertain the
number of men Johnston surrendered, but
not more than 10000, while the Federal
government had 100000 men under arms
and were just getting warmed up to the
fight, and could have had 100000 If they
had been needed, as they had the world
to recruit from. Thousands of emigrants
to this country joined the army, not from
motives of patriotism, but to receive a
good fat bounty, which all of the Federals
received at their second enlistment. There
was a vast difference in the treatment the
soldiers received in the Federal and Con-
federate armies. The Federals had ev-
erything money could buy to make them
comfortable, while they no doubt received
their regular pay, and towards the last
heavy bounties. The poor Confederatee
went scantily clothed and fought on half
rations, while his months pay toward the
end of the war would not more than pay
for his breakfast, and they could not
get that from the government. Numbers,
of poor soldiers were shot during the
war for going home to look after their
starving families, when If they had been
paid off they could have relieved their
wants and remained at the post of duty.
Thirty-seven years has passed since the
war and the old boys are still whooping
up the past The blue for unfolding the
flag and the gray for the monkey and Rar-
rot time they gave them while they were
at it, But If I had been on the side where
It took five we'll fed, clothed and paid SOL
diers to whip one half-starved, ragged
rebel, would toot my horn just as easy
rs possible. w. II. ANDREWS.
Gupar VaIlav Ca