The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-09

last telegram was sent you. | am un-
certain where you are and deeply feel
the necessity of being with you, even for
a brief time, under our altered circum-
Your own feelings Will convey TO you
an idea of my solctu1e for you and
our family. and | will not distress you by
describing 1t.
The dispersion of Lees army and the
surrender of the remnant which remained
with him destroyed the hopes | enter
tanned when we parted. Had that army
held together i am now confident we
could have successfully executed the plan
watch | slzetched Ito you and would have
been today on the high road to ndepend-
ence. Even after that disaster II the men
who struggled say, 10000 or 10000 in
number-had come back with their arms
and with disposition to fight we might
have repaired the DAMAGE but all was
sadly the. reverse of that They threw
away their arms and We're uneontrollably
resolved to go home. The small guards
along the road have sometimes been un-
able to prevent the pillage of trains and
depots. Panic has seized the country j.
Z. Johnston and Beauresard Vzere hoo
less as to resruiting their forces from
the dispersed men of Lees army, and
equally so as to their ability to check
Sherman with the forces they had. Their
only idea was to retreat OF the power
to do so they were doubtful, and subse-
quent desertions from their troops have
materially diminished their strength and,
] learn still more weakened their conf1-
dence. The loss of arms has been SO
great that, should the spirit of the people
rise to the occasion, 1t would not be at
this time possible adequately to supply
them with the weapons of war.
General Johnston had several inter-
views with Sherman aud agreed on a sus-
pension of hostilities and the reference
of terms of pacification. They are secret
and may be rejected by the Yankee gov
ernment To us, they are hard enough,
though freed from wanton humiliation and
expressly recognizing the state govern
ments, and the rights of person and prop
erty. as secured by the constitution of the
United States and the several states.
THE issue is one which it is very pain
fu for ne to meet On one hand is
the long night of OPPRESSION which will
follow the return of our people to the
union On the other. the suffering of
the women and children, and carnage
among the few brave patriots who would
still oppose the invader, and who, unless
the people would rise en- masse to sus-
tain them, would struggle, but to die in
vain. l think my judgment Is undisturbed
by any pride of opinion or of opinion.
Il have prayed to our Heavenly Father
to give me wisdom and fortitude equal
to the demands of the position in which
Providence has placed me. have sacri-
feed so much for the cause of the Con-
federacy that 1 can measure my ability
to make any further sacrifices required,
and am assured there Is but one to which
dren. How are they to be saved from
degradation or want is now my care
During the suspension of hostilities
you may have the best opportunity to &c
to Mississippi, and thence either TO sail
from Mobile for a foreign port or to
cross the river and proceed TO Texas. as
the one or the other may be more prac-
ticable. The little Sterling dioneD YOU
have will be a very scanty store, and
under other circumstances would not be
counted, but If our land can be sold, that
will secure you from absolute want. Fol
myself, 1t may be that our enemy will
prefer TO banish me. Or 1t may be thai
devoted band of cavalry Will cling tt
me. and that I can force my way across
the Mississippi and II nothing can be
done there which it will be proper to do
then | can go to Mexico, and have the
world from which to choose a location.
Dear wife, this is not the fate to which
. I invited when the future was rose col
ored to us both. but know you viii beal
1t even better than myself and that. Of
us two. | alone will ever look back re
proachfully on my past career. | haY'
thus entered on the questions involved
in the future to guard against contingen
cies, My stay will not be prolonged a DAY
beyond the prospect Of useful labor here
and there Is every reason to suppose that
Will be with you few days after Mr.
Harrison arrives. Mrs. Omela behaved
very strangely about putting tho thngl
ycu directed. Robert says she would no'
permit to pack: that she even took gro.
eeIles out of the moss chest when he hat
put small quantity there.
Little Maggie's saddle was concealed
and learned after We left Richmond wa:
not with the saddle and brides which
directed to be all put together. At the
same time I was informed that your sad
die had been sent to the sadder's and ief'
there. Everybody seemed afraid OF con.
nection with our property, and your car
riage was sent TO the depot to be brought