The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-02-29
Where Johnston Surrendered.

"IlCrc OO1lllSlOu SufECuuCICus
Much has been said and written
about Lees surrender to Grant, but
little has been said in any way about
Johnston's surrender to Sherman,
although Johnston ranked next to
Lee in point of command in the Con-
federate army when he surrendered.
While almost every intelligent per-
son in the United States knows where
Lee surrendered, there are very few
people who know where Johnston
surrendered.
Johnston's surrender took place in
Orange county, North Carolina, April
II, 1865. The place where re sur
rendered was farm house which
was situated on the public road that
runs from Hillsboro to Durham.
Durham was then only railway sta
ton, not thought of as anything else,
now it is an active city. The place of
the surrender is about three miles
west of Durham and can be seen
from the Southern Railroad. If they
only knew it, every passenger on the
trains between Durham and Green's
boro in the daytime could see the
place. 1t is marked by an old log
building which is overshadowed by a
large sycamore tree. Some time ago
the writer was going from Durham
to Hillsboro on the train and was in
company with South Carolinian,
who, when told of the place, express
ed desire to see it. When the place
was pointed out to him he scanned
it closely the few moments it was in
view of the train and then remarked
that he had heard of Sherman down
in South Carolina and didn't like his
reputation.
To many it may seem strange that
Lee and Johnston surrendered so
close together Their armies operat-
ed in fields widely separated, one be-
longing to the east and the other to
the west, until within few months
of the close of the war, and then both
surrendered in adjoining States. The
reason for this was that Lee and
Johnston were trying to get together
and unite, their armies so that they
could prolong the struggle against
the ever-increasing Federal forces.
But the Federals found out what
Lee and Johnston were up to, and a
large force of their men were sent to
head off Johnston, while Lee was
busy entertaining Grants men over
in Virginia, thus they prevented the
union. Lee surrendered April 9 and
Johnston April II.
Many people throughout the Caro-
linas and Georgia still look upon
Sherman and his men as a bunch OF
thieves and plunderers. But Sher-
man showed better heart when
Johnston surrendered to him than ne
has ever been given credit for hav-
ing. He gave Johnston such liberal
terms that when the terms were wir-
ed to Washington for approval, the
Federal government disapproved
them, and new terms had to be ar
ranged. Doubtless Sherman wanted
to see the war close, and then it is
said that he dreaded Johnston worse
than any general he ever faced in
battle.
The place where the surrender of
Johnston took place is known as the
Bennett Place" by the surrounding
country. No Importance seems to be
attached to the place by any one far
or near. The writer first saw the
place some ten years ago while he
was attending Trinity College. He,
in company with a number of STU
dents, walked out to the place one
winter afternoon and looked it over.
He has seen it many times since then
and notes that it is gradually going
down. The old log house will soon
fall down if not torn down, and then
it will have nothing to mark the
place, unless some one takes more
interest in preserving it than has yet
been shown. A year or so ago there
was talk of the Woodmen of the
World setting up suitable monu-
ment on the ground, but the move
ment, if it was ever begun, must
have died. No one lives there now
and already the ground is being cul-
tivated close up to the old house,
and when the house falls down, as it
promises soon to do, the ground will
likely be cleared of logs and put
;-to or1 tho n1ooa will