Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1909-11-05

The Last Confederate Council.

1cally described in the B1vouac by Gen
eral Duke:
At Abbeville, S. c., Mr.. Davis held
conference with the officers in COM
mand of the troops comprising his es-
cort, which he himself characterized
as council Of war, and which l may
be justified, therefore, in so designat-
Ing. 1t was, perhaps, the last Confed-
crate council of war held east Of the
Mississippi River, certainly the last in
which Mr.. Davis participated.
We had gone into camp in the vicin-
ity Of the little town, and, although be-
coming quite anxious to understand
what was going to be done, we were
expecting no immediate solution of the
problem. We we're all convinced that
the best we could hope and do was to
get Mr.. Davis safely out of the coun-
try, and then obtain such terms as
had been given General Johnston's
army, or, failing in that, make the best
of our way to the trans Mississippi.
The five brigade commanders each
received an order notifying him to at
tend at the private residence in Able
vile where Mr.. Davis had made his
headquarters, about 4 o'clock Of that
afternoon. We assembled promptly at
the hour indicated, and we're shown
into room where we found Mr.. Davis
and Generals Breckenridge and Bragg.
No one else was present. had never
seen Mr.. Davis look better or show to
better advantage. He seemed in ex-
cellent spirits and humor, and the I'M
ion of dignity, graceful affability, and
decision which made his manner usu-
ally SO striking was very marked in
his reception of us. After some con-
versation of a general nature, he an
nounced the purpose which had in
duced him to call us together.
ut is time," he said, that we adopt
some definite plan upon which the fur
Their prosecution of our struggle shall
be conducted. l have summoned you
for consultation. 1 feel that I ought
to do nothing now without the advice
Of my military chiefs"
He smiled rather archly as he used
this expression, and we could not help
thinking that such a term addressed
to a handful of brigadiers, command
ing altogether barely three thousand
men, by one who 80 recently had been
the master of legions, was pleasant
ry, yet he said it in a way that made
it compliment.
After we had each given, at his re-
quest, a statement Of the equipment
and condition Of our respective COM
mands, Mr.. Davis proceeded to declare
his conviction that the cause was not
lost any more than hope of American
liberty was gone amid the sorest trials
and most disheartening reverses of the
revolutionary struggle; but that ener-
gy, courage and constancy might yet
save all Even" he said, 'if the troops
now with me be all that l can for the
present rely on, three thousand brave
men are enough for NUCLEUS around
which the whole people will rally
when the panic which now afflicts
them has passed away" He then ask
ed that we should make such sugges-
tions in regard to the future conduct
of the war as we deemed advisable
We looked at each other in amaze
ment and with a feeling a little akin to
trepidation, for we hardly knew how
we should give expression to views so
Numerically opposed to those he had
uttered as we entertained. Our respect
for Mr.. Davis approached veneration,
and, Notwithstanding the total dissent
we felt and were obliged to announce
to the program he had indicated, that
respect was rather increased than di-
mfnished by what he had said. We
recognized that his high and dauJtless
spirit abhorred submission, not from
personal considerations so much as be-
cause Of the patriotic love he bore his
cause and people.
l do not remember who spoke first,
but we each expressed the same opin-
ion. We told him frankly that the
events of the last few days had re-
moved from our minds all idea or hone
that prolongation Of the contest was
possible.
The people we're not panic-stricken,
but broken down and worn out after
every effort at resistance had been ex-
haused. We said that an attempt to
continue the war, after all means of
supporting warfare were gone, would
be a cruel injustice to the people of
the South. We would be compelled to
live on a country already impoverish-
ed, and would invite its further de-
VISITATION. We urged that we would
be doing great wrong to our men if
we persuaded them to such a coursee;
that if they persisted in a conflict so
hopeless, they would be declared and
treated as brigands, and would forfeit
all chance Of returning to their homes.
He asked why, then, were we still
in the field? We answered that we
were DESTROYS of affording him an OBJ
portunity of escaping the degradation
Of capture, and perhaps a fate which