The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-08-19
The ..SumminG Up" of w. Il. Calhoun
For AbbcvilIe.

The "summlng up by Mr.. w. Z. Calhoun,
in behalf of Abheville's claim az the last
meeting place of the Confederate cabinet,
| correctly put, is AS follows:
! l. That on the date named all OF the men,
hers OF the cabinet. and Mr.. Davis, were Mt
Abbeville, except Mr. Trenholm and AttOr-
ney General Davis. the absence OF both OF
whom has been explained.
| =. 1t is shown by upright and honorable
men, who were present at the meeting, that
a cabinet meeting was held at Abbevile In
the Burt house. naming the very room In
wh ich 1t was held.
| 3 That in formation of the surrender of
| General Lee reached Mr.. Davis at AbbeviIle,
or just before he reached there, and that the
| in formation caused the cabinet and Mr..
Davis TO act az they did and the soldiers to
refuse To fight longer, resulting il the dissO.
| luton of the cabinet of the CoDiederacy and
the disbauding OF the troo ps.
Mr.. Davis at Washington, and those presuIn-
ably not as guard, but on their way home.
the troops. having been disoanded at Aobe-
| Vile. ,,,,. ,,, ,,o
meeting at Abbeville.
G. That matters under discussion at the
meeting are given with the results, some
thing Washington has never SHOWN. The
main subject of discussion, after learning
that Lee had surrendered was the continu
| an ce of the war in accordance with the Ideas
OF Mr.. Davis or to dissolve me ConieueracV;
war with the troops west OF the Mtssisssppi,
but that his cabinet was unanimously op-
posed to 1t. and refused TO agree with him.
| & That during the discussion the officer In
command appeared at the meeting and no.
| tilted Mr. Davis and the cabinet that his men
would neither follow Mr.. Davis further, nor
| fight longer. -
tiou of his cabinet members and the refusal
| of his guard TO longer remain with him. and
had to be led from the room.
| 10. That by vote, or agreement OF the
| Z ba (,nnfaderlcE declared at an
end and the soldiers composing the guard
III. That, after the decision had been reach
| ed and made, on the advice OF Mr.. t. G. Per-
rim, the great seal of stale of the Confederacy
was defaced and thrown away, which was
and As strong proof, II not conclusive proof
that Mr.. Davis and his caolnet recognized
the fact that the Confederacy had ended and
that there would he no further use Tor H.
I2, That facts given above were obtained
from Mr. Burt, Mr. Thomas g. Perrin, Judge
OF their own personal knowledge knew them
to be true, MIR. w. II. Parker being great
assistance In gathering these facts.
r. That AbDevllle's claims are not based on
hearsav testimony or circumstantial EVIL
dence but on the distinct testimony OF men
of uudisputed integrity. who saw the meet
Ing. ,,
IIsolnted orders, signed by Mr.. Davis person.
ally and one or two Of mis- cabinet.
l5 That Mr. Reagan, while positively stat
Ing that there was no formal meeting at
Washington, says that If there was one at
AbbeyilIe IL had escaped his memory. The
facts indicate that II had escaped his mem-
IOry. ,., -,
i6 AS proof that the Confederacy had
ended Ut Abuevile, the facts show that Gen
eral Breckenridge nat up nearly all night at
Abbeville Issuing discharges or other papers
to the escort. Mr.. Callan will please note
II. That the Confederacy, having ended at
Abpcvllle, Messrs. Benjamin and Memniin.
ger left Mr. Davis at or near Abbeville, and
Messrs. Breckenridge and Mallory at wash
!pgton, Ga, to go to their homes.
IIMr Reagan does not recall meeting at
Abbeville IL will be the fault OF hS memory
and nothing more.
II is imuaterlal as 10 the, time Mr. Davis
LETT Abbeville, where he took break fast, how
he crossed the Savannah river or at what
hour he reached Washington, but l am
afraid that Mr. Callan Is as far on the track
on this immaterta issue as ne IL on me ma
terial issues. TO keep the record straight
I will say that from all l know about the
matter just mentioned, that Mr.. Parker Is
right. and that MIR. Callan has fallen into
some very queer errors.
In my personal letter to Mr.. Callan point
ed out his error about the pontoon bridge
across the Savannah river and showed when
H. was built and fer what purpose, and that
Mr. Davis did not build it, an he claimed, 10
transport himself, bis wagons and his l5O
soldiers. Then MIR. Callan says Mr. Davis
took breakfast after he crossed The river, and
several ulllGS ITOll u dSISi W ~
ker's statement, he claimed. Mr.. ParKer
never made any such statement. lie Sald
that after passing his mothers farm. which
is about nine miles from AbbeVille, Mr. Da.
viz took break fast at Mr.. Drennan's several
miles beyond Calhoun Mills, which is SIX OF
seven miles beyond where his mother lived
and about five or six miles on THIS side OF Inc
Savannah river, in South Carolina, and near
the town of Mount Carmel. He makes Mr..
Parker say that brennan lived In Wilkes
county, Ga, and abourten miles from where
he really lived. Mr.. Davis real'v took bread
fast at Mr.. Drennna's, between Calhoun Mills
and Mt. Carmel and about fourteen miles
from AbbeyiIle' Those matters are totally
immaterial to the issue and ! correct them to
show that IL Mr.. CAllan can make such
errors az those he is liable TO make others In
material matters.
There is no doubt about the fact that Mr..
ClaIan can find among the Confederate re-
cords many orders issued by Mr.. Davis, Gen
eral Breckenridge, and others at Abbeville
They have no bearing on the issues, and do
not propose TO look them up, considering II Il
waste OF time.
Though 1t has escaped the memory OF Mr.
Reagan, AbbevilIe proves a cabinet meeting
by direct testimony. Washington simply
infers that there was one there, with the eN-
ception OF what Mrs. Davis says, and She was
not there. Her testimony, therefore, is only
hearsay and an inference. She has never
stated, even, that Mr.. Davis said there was a
meeting there. This ends my discussion In
this matter, unless II be reopened by the re-
ply OF Mr.. Reagan to my last letter.
WIN. z. CALHOUN.