Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1909-05-06


horse. When we had got into a solid
| mass-he in the Center-we quoted
! down and stood expectant. He looked
| about into our face, smiled and said,
| Boys, General Johnson has sent in
word hat he would like to meet Gen
| eral Sherman and agree upon terms OF
! surrender; and so we have been Ia t
! ed here. 1t is very likely, boys, that
our chase after General Joe Johnson
is now at an end"
| Did we shout? Well, should say.
We whooped and hurrahed and did
everything else we could TO make a
noise to show our JOY. Surely there
was a rift in the cloud. The rain
ceased; the sky cleared; he sun
shone out: we went into camp in the
big field; the war seemed to Us prac-
ticaly at an end.
Generals Sherman and Johnson met
that very day under the flag Of truce,
and arranged for a conference on the
18th, when details Of the proposed
SURF nder were to be presented, and
/
these days of cessation Of hosti tiles
we rested in camp. The time for
which we had so long fought and en-
dured and hopsd and prayed seemed
just at hand, and we were too happy
for full expression. Though We made
much noise at first, We cOu not keep
at it ell the time, 50 We settled down
to quiet enjoyment Of the glad pros
pect Ye we cou hardly realize
the truth 0 what was coming to pass.
Alas! there is in the world no great
JOY wholly unmiXed with grief. The
nations great grief of that mon h Of
April came to us on the 18th. Abra-
ham Lincoln, our be owed president
had been assassinated. l cannot tell
how we were shocked by the sad mes
sage How well I recall Maurice
Macaulay's coming back to camp from
up town tina, day with a ook of dis
tress upon his usually cheerful COun-
tenance.
Boys" said he, there is sad
news, terrible news. Too bad, it seems
to me- to be true. President Lin.
coin has been shot by an assassin
and is dead"
We knew neither what % think,
nor say, nor do. My good bunk-mate.
Eddy Cole a dignihed man approach
ing middle age, went into our little
shelter tent, sat upon his knapsack
pat his face between his hands and
went homes manly tears of sorrow;
and there he sat for an hour in grief
50 CCep that | did not dare speak TO
him. Dear old Eddy! 1t was indeed
d sad day in camp. and now. fOrty-fOur
years after, We have not yet ceased to
mourn for him so ruthIessly orn from
us by the hand of a traitor assassin.
When General Sherman was about
to go that morning to meet Genera
Johnson, telegraph operator whis-
rered to him how sad a message had
inst come @ him. He babe the op-
orator to keep the matter secret till
his return. When Sherman met John
son the first thing he had to say %
him was that good President Lincoln
had been assaSsinated And so it was
that General Johnson was the next
man after General Sherman 10 know
of the terrible tragedy at Washing
ton, and he. too. confederate that he
was, was grief-stricken. He thought
then. as he knew "a er, that in Abra-
ham Lincoln not only the north but
the south had lost its best friend.
That day General Sherman told
Johnson that he fell justified in OF
fering him the same terms of surren-
der Grant had given Lee. Johnson
was satisfied, yet thought some other
articles of agreement necessary that
his men Nigh, get back to the states
where they be onged and not break
up into diSOrganiZed mObS of gueTril-
las. The two generals then made men,
orandas of several such articles, some
of them being of a civil rather than
military nature. These memoranda
were sent TO Washington for approval
or disapproval. A truce was in the
meantime agreed upon. to be ended,
after forty-eight hours notice, by
either general.
These articles of agreement be-
tween Sherman and Johnson were
read in Washington before the new
president. Andrew Johnson. and his
full cabinet, General Grant also be-
ing present. None of them be ieyed
General Sherman was empowered to
treat in the least concerning civil
matters, and all were opposed to the
plans sent up by him.
1t may truthfully be said, no doubt,
that some of those present at that
meeting were angry because Sherman
ever presumed TO make any such
articles of agreement: and one OF
them, Secretary of War Stanton.
seemed then to become an enemy Of
the brave general who had, during the
four years of war just closing, rem
dered service so interesting. skillfuI
and heroic. Stanton'S criticisms
were severe. ungenerous and entire.y
uncalled for; and his unkind action in
the matter influenced many others
I not acquainted with the facts in the
/ case almost to doubt the loyalty of the
man who had for a most a year been
conducting a campaign against the re-
/ bel ion that was not only able. bril-
liant and successful, but that vii live
in history long after Edwin n. Stan