The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-02-23
ERRORS OF WAR HISTORY
CORRECTED BY MR.. GOODE
General Lee Did Not Contemplate Early Surrender,
But Was Determined to Carry
N on the War.

Hon. John Goode. President Of the Con-
st.tutional Convention. one OF the Few
survivors of the Confederate Congress,
has. at the request OF Lee camp. con.
With a paper that Is a most valuable con-
tribut!on to Confederate history.
Some time ago. In addressing the Camp,
Mr. Goode stated that he wished to cor
rect two errors of history. One was that
General Lee. shortly before his .surren-
der. advised the Confederate authorities
that further resistance would be useless,
and the other was that at the so-called
peace conference In Hampton Roads the
displayed real statesmanship. could have
secured terms by which the war could
have been ended on terms satisfactory
and creditable to the Southern people.
Mr.. Goode was requested to write out
his recollections as to these matters for
publication He shows conclusively that
General Lee. not very long before the
surrender. manifested and expressed his
also makes 1t very plain that Mr.. Lin
colin did not offer any terms to the South
which on, people could have even thought
OF accepting.
j The very interesting paper prepared by
Mr.. Goode is as follows:
In compliance with the request OF the
r. e. Lee Camp Of Confederate Veterans.
! give my personal recollection as to two
matters, which have recently engaged to
some extent the public attention.:
First-It has been asserted that Gen
eral Lee, q short time before the col
lapse Of the Confederacy, advised the
Confederate authorities that further re-
sistance was useless, and that he recon-
mended q cessation Of hostilities upon
/ am satisfied from my own personal
knowledge that this is a mistake.
A few days before the final adjourn
ment Of the Confederate Congress on the
18th Of March, 1866, I received message
from President Davis through Colonel
Lubbock a. member Of his star. that he
desired to see me on important business
at his office. l. respo ndtd at once, and
General Lee in consultation. After an
exchange Of saiutations. Mr.. Davis said
he had sent for me to request my opinion
as to the Willingness OF the people OF
Virginia to submit to further. demands
upon than for supplies of food and
clothine which were absolutely necessary
to maintain the army In the field.
After some general conversation. In
which General Lee said but little. re-
piled to the inquiry Of the President by
saying that while-I believed the people
of Virginia were prepared to make still
further sacrifices in support of the cause
they held so dear, I preferred that the
other Representatives from Virginia
they should be invited to the conference.
This suggestion was adopted. and all the
Virginia Representatives fifteen in num-
her. bv the Invitation of the President.
met him, his Cabinet and General Lee,
in the afternoon Of the same day at
o'clock. At this meeting there was
full and free interchange of opinion, and
all the Representatives concurred in say
Virginia would be found ready and. will
ling to meet any demand that might be
made upon them in the same spirit OF
loyalty and devotion that had charac-
terized them since the commencement of
the struggle. During the interview Cen
eral Lee explained the situation fully
from a military standpoint. He referred
to the length Of the line he was obliged
to defend, to tine number of effective men.
and the great scarcity of food for his
soldiers and forage for his animals; but
he did not say nor did he intimate in
anv manner whatever that In his opinion
the cause was lost. and that the time
for surrender had come.
1t will be remembered that two or three
weeks after the interview above referred
to. he said In a note TO General Grant
that the time for the surrender OF his
army had not arrived. He was a colder
province to volunteer, advice to. the. po-
Htical department ~ the Government, but
TO make the best night he could with the
means the Government was able to place
at his disposal.
go The Second Question.
Secondly-It has been charged by some
that II the Confederate authorities had
exhibited real craftsmanship an arrange
ment might have been made by which
the slave-owners would have been paid
Tor their slave property. and that such
an offer was actually made by the United
States authorities IN the famous Hampton
Roads conference. This is also, in my
opinion. great mistake.
Az "a AL L. De- I.
Secretary Seward on the morning Of the
Sd of February 1865, met on board a
steamer M Fortress Monroe. Messrs
Alexander II. Stephens, n. NJ. r. Hun
ter and John A. Campbell. who had hecn
appointed commissioners by President
Davis. The object of the conference was
to ascertain upon what terms and in
what wav the war could BE terminated.
As Is well known. the conference was a
failure. Upon the return Of the com
missioners to Richmond. 1 heard two of
them-Mr. Stephens and Mr.. Hunter
discuss the incidents of the conference
with the members Of Congress at the
Capitol. and they did not intimate that
any proposition whatever had been made
to pay the owners of slaves for their
property. My recollection on this point
Is very clear, and 1t is supported by the
official report signed by ali three Of the
commissioners. the message OF President
DAVIS communicating that report to the
Confederate Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives. the message of President Lin
coin to the House of Representatives of
the United States, when he returned to
Washington and by published state
ment made within the last few years by
Hon. John H. Reagan of Texas, who
was member OF the Confederate Cabi-
net. They all show conclusiveiy, in INV
Judgment. that the United States author
tiles refused to enter into negotiations
with the Confederate States or any OF
them separately. and that no truce OF
arrnistice would be granted without a sat
1sfactory assurance In advance of the
complete restoration of the authority of
the United States. In other words, moth
Ing would be accepted but an uncon-
ditional surrender on the part of the
Confederate authorities. 1t is true that