The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-03-27
Continued from last Sunday.

CONTINUED from last Sunday.)
1 was never in my life so wrought
I'D upon any subject as upon this.
Words came to me, and both my argu-
nent and my appeal seemed to be I'M
answerable. For no one could deny the
Importance of terms" to prevent vim
dfctive trials and punishments, and
there seemed no other chance to secure
them General Lee listened to me
quietly until I had finished, and then
said:
suppose were to adopt your sug-
gestion, how many do you suppose
would get away?"
1 replied: Il think two thirds of us
could get away. We should be like
rabbits and partridges in the bushes,
and they could not scatter like that to
catch u.s.
WELL he said. 81 have less than
sixteen thousand infantry with arms in
their hands. Even if two thirds of
these got away it would be too small
a force to accomplish any useful result,
either with Johnston or with the gov
errors of the States. But few would
go to Johnston, for their homes have
been overrun by the enemy, and the
men will want to go first and look after
their families. AS to any help from
Europe, 1 have never believed in it. I
appreciate that the surrender of this
army is, indeed, the end of the Con-
federacy. But that result is now inevi-
table, and must be faced. And, as
zGnrfstian men, we have no right to
choose a course from pride or personal
feelings. We have simply to see what
We can do best for our country and
people. Now, if I. should adopt your
suggestion and order this army to dis
perse, the men, going homeward, would
be under no control and moreover would
be without food. They are already de-
Inoralized by four years of war, and
would supply their wants by violence
and plumber. They would soon become
little better than bands of robbers. A
state of society would result, through
out the South, from which it would re-
quire years to recover. The enemy's
cavalry. too, would pursue to catch
at least the general officers, and
would harass and devastate sec
tons that otherwise they will never
visit Moreover" he said, ''as to my
self. I am too old to go to bushwhack-
ing, and even if it were right to order
the army to dispense, the only course
for me to pursue would be to surrender
myself TO General Grant. But" he
added, IT can tell you for your comfort
that Grant will not demand an 'uncon-
ditional surrender He will give us
honorable and liberal terms, simply re-
quiring us not to take up arms again
until exchanged" He then went on
to tell me that he was in correspon-
dence with Grant, and expected to meet
him in our rear at 10 a.. m, when he
would accept the terms that had been
INDICATED.
NY recollection of this conversation
is very vivid. When I had finished
making my appeal, 1 did not believe
that he could refuse it, for he priced
highly the affection of his men, and he
had, moreover, all the fighting instincts
of a soldier. But he showed me the
situation from a plane to which I had
not risen, and when he finished speak
ing I had not a word to say. had be-
fore that fully intended, for myself not
to be surrendered, but to take to the
bushes on the first sign of a flag of
truce. Many other officers and men
had similar intentions. But after my
talk with Lee I and all my friends de-
termined to stay and see it out. And
I think nobody did run away, except
a few of the cavalry out on the flank,
who took a professional pride in get
ting around the enemy, and could not
resist the opportunity. And they all
came back and surrendered as soon as
they got news of the terms given us,
and heard also that rations would be
issued Immediately after the ceremony.
Soon after this conversation I was
ordered by Longstreet to select a line
of battle for his corps, and form the
artillery and infantry upon it, that Cor