The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-08-17
Last Surviving Member Of
the Confederate Congress
Distinction Belongs to Judge J. A. Orr Native OF
South Carolina, Now Residing in Columbus,
Miss.-Sketch Of His Life

/ tee on Foreign Affairs for the reason
! that these historical facts are to be
! found only in the journals Of the secret
session Of the Senate and Houec az
] the Confederate Congress. Judge Orr's
intimate connection with that event
)ustliies short history OF the confcr-
encs:
| After the repulse OF General Grant
In the battles OF the Wilderness and
Spotsylvania Courthouse. it WIS deen,
| ed an suspicious time to resort to ne
EQUATIONS to close the war, and the
conference was held in the rooms Of
tho hon. John w e. Watson, one OF
the Senators from Mississippi; ex-Gov-
! ernor Graham. or Ncrth Carolina. ex-
Governor Johnson Georgia; James
\ -, orr. senator South Carolina,
| brother OF judy w w Bovce
or south CarolinG several others
! being present Tn solution agreed
upon was offered IN the House by MIR.
4 Royce. but the resolution was tabled
! IL was offered in the Senate BY Senator
! orr, and after earnest discussion for
/ three days was defeated by n small
majority. As above stated. General
1idnts campaign had resulted in fall
I uIe, as had General Sherman's in Geor-
/ sia, az late as July, 1854 General
! Johnson having Killed, captured and
disabled more Fcderals than he had
I men III his whole array. The FOLLOWING
-
( corps commander. shows what was
then the prospect of negotiation: Dur
ing the past four years / have come
mo possession of Information from IA
perfectly reliable source. TO the effect
| mat when General Johnson was sIner
I sedcd BY General Hood the government
AZ Washington was on the eve o. Omen
ing negotiations with the authorities
ana that the Federal administrator
vas prepared 10 offer terms which we
- tai
comes 10 me from perfectly reliable
source IN such manner that am nor
~ Hperty 10 name the source"
Next Meeting of ConSress.
Inc next meeting OF the Congress
occurred the iirst Monday in Noye,ubn,
rleSioeht Davis. in his message 10 the
Congress discussed the question OF
IecoAstfuctton and negotiations ana
also the general duty OF C,onprass "a
the people TO think OF nothing else ~.
:" vigorous prosecution OF the war
Mahy resolutions were offered All ~
/ "hlch were referred 10 the Connit,ns
on Foreign Affairs. Of which rho ~
! W. G. Rives. OF Virginia. was cbairnnr
! Inc embargo. cutting off our con,
mefce with the outside world. hod hca,
completed BY closing the two nor,s
wilmington and Charleston, which M
20 inc winter of 1864, had been tan,
open ana through which many army
I h.zra
on, single line OF railway. fron, Dan-
Viile to the South. TO bear cou1nissarv
stores 70 the Confederate army Dur
ing the winter OF ls64-5 Lees army
was often for days without meat
rauohs very urgent letter from
|'che.ai Ice was read in Congress In
secret session, in which II was an
nonnced that when the spring cam
paign opened. In 1865, il would be i'm
possible for him 10 hold his lines
around Richmond and Petersburg UNI
Tess ne was furnished with $4,000 re-
!nlorcements. II was well known at
Hichmond and In Congress that it
would be impossible for the Confed-
eracy 10 furnish even 5000 additional
troops, the Consumption Acts having
ALREADY gathered the seventeen-year-
old boys into military service Such.
In part. was the situation when F. p
Blair, Sr.. made his visit TO Richmond
as semi official minister, with peace
propositions to the Confederacy Mr.
Boyce, OF South Carolina. and Mr. Orr
| OF Mississippi. had frequent interviews
with Mr.. Blair while in Richmond, and
! from him they learned OF the non
Official peace propositions to the gov
eminent of the Confedcracy, and re-
| ceived from him his personal assurance
that II accepted by the Confederacy
! they would be carried out by the United
states government at WASHINGTON
Stephens. Senator Hunter. OF Virginia
and Assistant Secretary of War j. A.
Campbell rs the men composing the
commission. and arrangements We're
made Immediately for its departure
| Vice President Stephens was requested
| to go to the residene of the President
4 few minutes before the departure OF
the boat which was to carry the com
mission down the Potomac. and. upon
reaching the presidential mansion. was
greatly surprised at the nature OF the
credentials, which ran thus
Letter From Jefferson Davis.
"Richomnd. January rs, 1s65,-In
conformity with a letter from Mr.
| Lincoln, of which the foregoing is II
copy, you are to proceed to Washing
ton city for an informal conference
with him upon the issues involved in
of securing peace to the two coun
tries. With great respect. your
obcdient servant.
| (signed) MCPHERSON DAVIS"
| Vice President Stephens realized at
once that his commission did not reflect
the sentiment of the Confederate Con-
gress, and that it sounded the death
knel of the present undertaking. but
all arrangements had been made for
the departure of the commissioners and
| ii was too late to recede. Upon the
arrival of the commissioners at Hamp-
! ton Roads President Lincoln asked MIR.
Stephens If the wording of the ere
dentials did not contemplate a peace
which should perpetuate the Confed
crate government. Mr.. Stephens re-
piled that such was his Interpretation
Of the commission. President Lincoln
then stated that the conference on that
subject was at an end. All these gentle
men had known each other personally
in public life at Washington, and Ii
was agreed to spend a few hours be-
fore the return of the boat which was
to convey President Lincoln and Mr..
Seward back to the capital in social
intercourse. a basket OF champagne
WAS brought In. all reporters and wit
nesses discharged and n free and social
interchange of interviews followed.
without further attempt at official
| negotiations. Such was the report OF
| the interview made by Vice-President
Stephens to Judge Orr and several