The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-01-21
THE CONFEDERACY:
PREFACE AND FINS
The First Secession Meeting..-P President Davis
On the Retreat-The Last Pay Day.
Historic A BIB vile

not Heten to Judge Wardlaw. The
sentiment of the meeting was strong
for secession. AS a consequence. the
Governor called together tho LeRisla-
ture. which voted a convention. which
promptly adopted Its ordinance of Sc
cession. The sequence of events was
as rapid as II was possible for IL to
be- Judge Wardluw told me this.
After the evacuation of Richmond
the surrender at 'hppomattox and the
surrender OF Johnston, ] was s,ili at
Abbevllle. not returning to Virginia
until June. II was difficult 10 get;
back The mules which and my
party had secured the transpor;a ton
were saved 10 us through the cuur-
tesy Of an officer Of the QuarterInayter
Department of the United States army.
ms officers assistant kept on saying:
These men should not lose this trans
portation. There are plenty of men
around here who have taken the Dat
OF allegiance. and they should have
! the mules" We had stated our case
! frankly-that we would not take the
oath of allegiance until we got back
| home and found what our people were
doing Al last Major X. squelchcd his
| clerk saying TO him, You writ. what
tell YOU" The order for our mules
was written, and we got OFF having to
guard them on the road every night.
There were instances of parties being
shot for their teams.
! Being at Abbevillc during the month
OF May, I was n spectator at the ar
rival of President Davis, whose plan,
1t was supposed, was to push on West
of the Mississippi and join Kirby
Smith. President Davis rode into the
square OF the town Of Abbcville on :,
gray horse that, as 1t was acting at
the time, would have thrown most men.
The rider was said to have been the
best horsemen In the old army. Mr.
Davis passed through the square bow
ing to the crowd assembled. Secretary
OF War Breckinrldgc followed him on
heavy bay horse. The plans CT Mr..
Davis and his party had been disturb
cd by the appearance near AhncviIlc
of considerable force OF Yankees. MIR.
Davis. General BreckinridSc ard the
Uilicer5 there held council Of war
at the house OF Mr.. ArmStead Burt II
beautiful place near town. ut the fork
Of the rouds to Due West and Lon.
Lane. At the council there We're, he.
sides the Cabinet officers mentioned.
General Bragg, the Quar,erirIster-
General and sood many brira,,e com
manders. etc. The treasury haO been
brought to Abbeville, and transportu-
uon was needed. At my Office tie next
day two bags, holding $4,000 each IN
gold. we're poured out--probably the
last pay day. What became Of the
bulunco l never heard.
General BrcncknridEc. hearing from
mo that the Quartermaster-Ge Generals
order for transportation had nos cn
regarded by the remnants OF COM
mands In the nelghboThood, was very
angry. The brigade commanders In
the house told General Breckenridge
that meters wero about that way. and
that nobody could spare the transport
tation, even il tue Quartcrmaster-
General had ordered It. However. sew
eral brigade commanders wrote ord
ers Oh their own. ana these were obey
cd SO far adj knTw the trouble was
unnecessary, for the treasury was
scattered. and never, moved as a whole
beyond Abbeville.
l I'm not saying that Abbcvi.l. was
the last capital of the Confederacy. al
though the argument might be made
Abbevilie was. at least, the scene %
Interesting events at the origin and
TT the end OF the CoNfcderacy