The Columbus journal., 1904-03-09


A scrap Of cloth. pencil small. key
and next a dime
And then he stopped: in happy thoughts
Re seemed lost for a time:
A faded tintype. that was ala sweet
old vOman's face.
And vet he kissed IL softly ere ne put
ii back I'm place. r..
And then we knew what made his life
So happy-just a faithful wife
Gave his old age its grace
Cincinnati Times-Staf.
Gen. Mcclellan for Peace.
The Baltimore Sun of Jan. IL says
that the following communication. ad-
dressed to a gentleman in Baltimore.
makes a very interesting contribution
to the political history of the civil
war. to the effect that Gen. Mcclellan
i'm 1862 sought an interview with Gen.
Lee with the supposed purpose OF
making peace over the heads OF the
governments at Washington and Rich
mOnd:
Bishops House,
222 East Harris Street.
Savannah, Ca, Jan. 3. 1867.
NV Dear Friend: Your letter OF the
1st inst. to hand. My recollection OF
the conversation to which you refer
is clear.
Gen. LOngstreet told me more than
once that Immediately after the battle
at Sharpsburg. or Antietam. while he
was in Gen. Lees tent, the general
handed him letter which he had just
received from Gen. Mcclellan. the
commander Of the Federal armies.
Gen. Lee gave Gen. LOngstreet copy
of the letter and asked him to give it
his serious attention. and on the fol-
lowing morning advise him (Gen.
lee) what he ought to do in the mat
ter. The letter from Gen. Mcclellan
proposed an interview between him.
self and Gen. Lee. Gen. LOngstreet
said to me: Il told Gen. Lee that in
my judgment there was no other con-
struction To be placed on it save one.
. and that was that Gen. Mcclellan
wanted ~ end the war then and
there
Gen. Lee said: That idea occurs to
me also, but President Davis, and
not Gen. Lee. is the one to whom
such a message muS1 be sent"
Gen. LOngstreet took the letter to
his own quarters, where he found
Gen. +. r. Cobb Of this state. He
gave it to Gen. Cobb, pledging him IL
observe secrecy with regard to it. but
nut saying q word as to the cOnstruc-
-tiOn he placed on it.
After reading the letter attentively
Gen. Cobb said there was no doubt in
his mind that Gen. Mcclellan wanted
Gen. Lee to help in the restoration OF
the Union by marching to Washing
ton with the combined forces. Gen.
LOngstreet told me of the circum-
stances more than once, and always
added that he thoroughly coincided in
Gen CObb's views. but that Gen. Lee.
for the reason stated, declined to meet
Gen. Mcclellan.
The copy which Gen. Lee gave Gen.
Longstreet was sent after the war to
Col Marshall. I tried to get it from
Col. Marshall, who told me he had
mislaid and could never find it. I do
not know, Of course. what became of
the original letter.
forgot to say that Gen. LOngstreet
strongly advised Gen. Lee to meet
Gen. Mcclellan in order that he might
know definitely what Mcclellan
wanted.
1 have this moment heard of Long
streets death Saturday at Gainesville.
He often came to visit me when
lived in Atlanta. and We often talked
of the war and its sequel.
I recall very distinctly a reply he
made to me one day when I said:
We'll. general. you and are both
glad to-day that we have a united
country. and perhaps in Gods provi-
dence it is as well that We were de-
= feated even though we were clearly
in the right"
Il do not believe in placing the
blame on the Lord" said Longstreet.
I'VE ought to have whipped the YAM
KEGS. restored the Union and settled
the negro question ourselves. but we
had q big load to carry in some of
our own leaders" Very sincerely.
your friend.
BENJAMIN J. Kelley.
Bishop of Savannah, Ga.