The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-07-14
Determined Not to Surrender.

u. S. GRANT,
Major General.
Determined Not to Surrender.
at once expressed to General
Bowen my determination not to sur
render Internationally. He then. stat
ed that General Grant would like to
have an interview with me IL I was
SO disposed and would meet me at 4
designated spot between the lines at 3
o'clock P. NJ. that day. I was not
aware that the suggestion had orig
mated with General Bowen. but ac-
coded to the proposed meeting at the
Joint request Of my four division com
manders, On reaching the place APP
pointed, accompanied by Major Cen
era1 Bowen and Colonel Montgomery,
then temporarily serving on my staff,
I found General Grant with number
of his generals and other officers nl
'ready arrived and dismounted. To the
general himself, with whom my acl
quaintance dated as far back s the
Mexican War. as we'll as to the group
who surrounded him, was formally
introduced by General Bowen.
After few remarks and inquiries
on either side, q pause ensued, which
was prolonged on my part, In eXpecta-
Ition that General Grant would intro
duce the subject. the discussion of
which l supposed to be the object of our
meeting. Finding that ne did not do
so. 7 said to him that 1 understood
he had expressed wish. to have q per-
sonal interview with me-" Ee replied
! that 'he had not" I was surprised
| and turning to General Bowen re-
marked: "Then there Is a misunder-
j standing; certainly understood d.t-
ferenty."
The Interview Between Lines.
The matter was, however, explained
ito me in few words. the mistake. no
doubt, having been entirely my own
/ Again addressing General Grant, said
I'm your letter this morning you state
! that you have no other terms than an
! unconditional surrender" He an
/ swered promptly: II nave no other"
To this l said; Then, sir, it is UNI
/ necessary that you and I should hold
any further conversations; we will go
to fighting al once" and l added: II
nan assure you, sir you will bury more
i OF your men before you enter Vicks-
burg" General Grant did not. as
Badeau represents, reply Very vel"
nor did he turn off. He did not change
his position nor did he utter word.
The movement to Withdraw the forces
at any moment was made on my part,
and was accompanied by the remark
! that IL he General GranD supposed
I was suffering for provisions he was
, mistaken: that I had enough to last
mo an indefinite period, and that Port
Hudson was better supplied than Vicks-
burg General Bowen made sug-
igestion whatever in regard to a con-
sultation between any parties during
the interview, as he Is represanted to
, have done by Badeau, but the general
did at this time propose that he and I
should step aside, and on asserting he
added, III ! had no objections he would
take with him Generals Mcpherson and
A. ]. Smith replied Certainly
and that General Bowen and Colonel
t Montgomery would accompany me.
General Grant then suggested that
I these gentlemen withdraw and see
t whether on consultation they could ar
. rive at some satisfactory arrangement
It will be readily understood that
: offered no objection to this course. as
y it was in fact q withdrawal of General
:. Grant from the position he had sc
0 substantially assumed in his demand
{ for unconditional surrender, and 1T
l really submitted, as l had desired II
should the discussion of terms to
- commission although that commission
: was not necessarily an impromptu one
;, Pending the interchange Of views Of
y the officers named, General Grant ant
a I remained apart from them convers
a
4 ton to the important subject which
n had brought us together. The terms
e which this commission agreed to pro
e pose We're in the main, those that wcr
&c afterwards offered by General Gran
l. and eventually accepted by me. Dur
Sc ing this. discussion I stated to hin
it that as he declined To appoint commits
o sioners when invited to do SO by me.
t was now his part to propose the terms
II tn I
hear from him by 10 A M, Whe
10 about to depart I notified Genera
70 Grant that held myself in no manne
&c pledged to any agreement, but Shout
IN consult my division and brigade com
manders He replied that | must un
derstand him In like manner, and tina
he too, should consult his corps com
u. tmanders With this our interview
ended
o. nndenu's Statement Questioned.
! Mr. Badreau's statement is a mIsrep
- resentation of the facts as they oc
. cured and whether intentional or 9th
q erwise,& convey false impression
% his readers. II he was present at til
- interview. he knows; If he was absen
he could readily have ascertained tht
after General Grants verbal declare
~ ton that he had no terms to offt
- other than unconditional surrender. a
- suggestions and all overtures lookin
- to terms arose directly from Gencr
Grant himself, and neither directly NJ
~ indirectly from me or my subordinate
There was no display Of Indifferent
as to the result Of the interview /
w. General Grant, nor did he feel indiffe
ent on the night OF the Sd of July, who
8 dispatch was Intercepted by my ST;
rs nal officer from Admiral Porter
General Grant. The former inquire
vas as to the chances of surrender on Il
4th, General Grant replied throue
tia same medium, mentioning in ge
see, etal way the terms offered, stain
mat the Arrangement was against i
}. feelings, but that his oflcers adyis
on, II on the ground that it would FIR
ces. his river transportation for other IL
PoFiant uaes. etc, No doubt, both
Is these gentlemen remember the circu,
ttra stances,