The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-01-11
DID NOT OFFER
PAY FOR SLAVES
Mr.. Goode CorreCts Error
In War History.
ABOUT SURRENDER.
Davis and Lee in Conference at
Custom-House.
WILLING TO DIVIDE LAST CRUST
Nothing Was Said at This Meeting by the
Commander of the Confederate Forces
About the Cause Being Hopeless.
Notable Address by the
Venerable Bedford
Statesman.
TO DIVIDE LAST CRUST

Hon. John Goode, in his address at the
Lee Camp memorial service last nisht,
corrected in very emphatic terms two
errors made in recent contributions 20
the history of the war between the States.
One was the story that President LIN
coin offered to pay for the slaves II the
Confederates would lay down their arms,
and the other was that General Lee IA
vored early surrender, but that President
Davis would not permit him to pursue
that course.
The fact that Mr.. Goode Is one Of the
four survivors of the convention that
met here In February, 1865, and that ~
is one of the fifteen men living who
| served in the Confederate Congress, anu
| the only one from Virginia now surviv-
ing, made his talk of unusual interest.
His address w~s listened to with
| marked interest. Rev. DR.. Green, a dis
tinguished Presbyterian divine, of Dan
vile, Ky, and a Confederate veteran, re-
Gently delivered an address, in which he
said that he had it from the lips Of
Judge Campbell, one OF the Confederate
commissioners, who met Mr.. Lincoln and
Mr.. Seward at the so-called peace con
ference in Hampton Roads, that Lincoln
did make proposition to pay for the
slaves If the Confederates would lay
down their arms.
WHAT WAS TOLD MR.. GOODE.
Mr.. Goode stated to the camp that Vice
President Stephens, Mr.. Nunter and Judge
Campbell told him that all Mr.. Lincoln
would agree to was for the "Confederates
to go home and take off their uniforms"
The story about ending the war and pay
ing for the slaves he pronounced to be
utterly without foundation.
Mr.. Goode gave graphic description of
l. the meeting held in the old African
Church after the return Of the commits
sioners. He said President Davis speech
on that occasion was one Of the greatest
he ever listened to.
Mr.. Goode denied the accuracy Of a
contribution to war history by Mr.. Charles
Francis Adams, in which it is made to
appear that General Lee wanted to sur
render long before he did, but that Pres-
dent Davis wanted to carry the war on.
The veteran statesman said that ini
March, 1865, he was sent for by Mr.. Davis.
and General Lee. They were in the GUS
tom house building. General Lee de-
scribed the condition of his army, and he
and Mr. Davis wanted to learn of Mr..
Goode II he thought the people of Vir-
ginia would stand another draft for pro-
visions for the soldiers and forage for
the horses and mules. Mr.. Goode recalled
distinctly that in referring to the horses
and mules General Lee used the term
my animals
DIVIDE THE LAST CRUST
Mr.. Goode conferred with his associates
and informed Mr. Davis and General Lee
that the Virginia people would divide their
last crust of bread with the army. Not
a word was said then by General Lee
atout surrendering and Mr.. Goode con-
sidered the whole story to be without
founda ton.
Mr.. Goodies correction of these two
errors made a great impression upon the
veterans. Judge George L.. Christian
spoke of the Importance of this contri-
button to Confederate history. and upon
his motion Mr.. Goode was. by a rising
vote, requested to write out in detail
what he knew about these matters for