The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-03-07
LEE TALKED TO ASSOCIATES
REGARDING PEACE.
March S, 1865.

Fifty years ago today Gen. Robert
! f. Lee returned to his headquarters
at st. Petersburg from 4 visit to Rich
mond. in tho course of which he had eX-
attempt TO make terms with the Fcde-
! rails.
History is not always. clear AS to
Gen. Lees attitude on The subject of
peace in the last days of the war. He
| rs blamed on the one hand for hold
, ing out after his case became hope
! less. and credited on tho other with
having urged upon jefferson Davis the
need of surrender.
While there is no direct evidence in
Gen. Lees own words as to his view :
on the need of suing for peace. there
is ample Indirect evidence that he
would have >one everything in his
power 10 have made advances looking
to peace had he possessed the neccs-
sary authority.
Lees visit to Richmond had to do
with two subjects-retreat and the
possible arrangement of peace. He
talked of retreat with jefferson Ia =
Wis and of peace with H. NJ. T Hun
ter. prominent member Of the Con-
fcdcrate Senate.
urged upon Mr.. Davis the need Of
making advances toward peace. He
was too good Il soldier to assume to
advise his superior officer. for thong h
Gen. Lee was general in chief of the
Confederate forces. MIR. Davis. by viz
tue of his office of President was COM
ina ndcr-in-chief.
Lee knew Mr.. Davis unyicIdinI
character, and his determination to
ct nd Tl.A Il l,,.N. H.
come then. Mr.. Davis held that under
the Constitution of the Confederate
States he had no right to make over
lures to the enemy: that his position
required him to 20 down with his
colors hytug.
While respecting this view, Gen.
Ice. as head OF the Confederate armies
in the field. could not refrain from
presenting TO Mr. Davis a statement
of the hopeless condition OF his forces
To Mr.. Hunter his views were ex-
though undoubtedly with great earn
cstnesS
Lee Talks of Peace.
The authority for statements that
Cen. Lee urged Mr.. Hunter TO advo-
cate steps toward peace is found in
MIR. Hunters own writings In a pa
t'I ~ Ni' 7OhAit'h illSlOIlCdl
for December. 1871. on attempts at Sc
curing peace hy negotiation. Mr.. Hun
ter writes:
''ien. Lee came to my room Gin
Richmond one night 10 talk over this
subject of peace. II was the last time
| ever saw HIM. and our conversation
ran nearly through the night He
said that # thought there was any
chance of peace which would secure
he given after a surrender at disCre-
ton. he though It the duty 10 make
tho effort" The effort TO be made was
To influence the Confederate Senate to
vote for opening negotiations with
tho FcdoraIs
MIR. Hunter had been member Of
tho Hampton Roads Conference. by
which three Confederate commission
ers had sought con February - to
secure terms from President Lincoln,
without surrender. He described his
efforts on that mission and said he
thought any further efforts by him
would he misrepresented before the
Southern people by Mr.. Davis with
whom Mr.. Hunter was AT odds).
After hearing him. Gen. Lee repeat
ed that he though il was Mr.. Hunters
duty to offer resolutions in the Sem
ate looking to peace.
He said" writes Mr.. Hunter. IF
he recommended peace negotiations
publicly it would he almost equivalent
to surrender. | told him | was aware
of this. but if he thought the chance
for success desperate I thought he
ought to say so TO the President. To
this he made no reply"
Lee, however. described the desti-
tuition OF his army to Mr.. Hunter with
a melancholy air and tone l shall
never forget
Davis Plans Retreat
With Gen. John G. Breckenridge. the
fiery Kentucky fighter who had taken
up the thaukless burdens of Secretary
of War at Richmond, Gen. Lee also
had long conference. Its details
were never divuIged. though il had to
do with the pitiful condition of the
troops at Petersburg. and the need of
greater efforts to keep the army to-
Gether. The men were barefoot and
hungry. aud assertions were depicting
the ranks.
Resides this conference Gen Lee
had one with Mr.. Davis. The latter
in his history of the Confederate gov
ernmcnt gives its substance as fol-
lows:
Gen. I.c" stated that circumstances
had forced him to the conclusion that
tho evacuation Of Petersburg was but
q question Of time. To my in
Uuiry whether II would not he better
to anticipate the necessity by with
drawing at once, he said that his ar
til1ery and draft horses were too weak
for the roads in their then condition,
and that he would have to wait
There naturally was consideration of
the line of retreat. The program
was to retire to DanvIlIe. at which
place supplies should be collected and
a junction made with tho troops under
Gen. J. f.. Johnston, the combined
force to he hurled upon Sherman IN
North Carolina. with the hope of de-
featng him before Grant could come
up to his relief
Mr.. Davis hopes of this plan are
expressed in these words:
Then the more Southern States.
freed from pressure and encouraged
by this success. n was expected
would send large re-enforcements to
the army. and Grant, drawn far from
his base of supplies into the midst of
a hostile population, might be defeat
ed, and Virginia be delivered from the
invader"
"PIant Your Seeds.-
Gen. Lees views of these hopes are
indicated in a charming little auecG
dote of him, told by Mrs Roger
Pryor. who saw him a few days after
his return to Petersburg. Gen. Lee
called on her then to tell her that her |
husband, who had been a prisoner to
the Federals, was paroled and coming |
home.