The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-10-10

as have been able to learn.
>. Secretary of State Benjamin i'm
mediately after leaving Abbevill
went to the coast of Florida, mad
his way to England and never ,., re
turned to the United States. In hi
letters to his kindred in this countr,
shortly after his escape he made n
reference to the cabinet. His sol
published utterance concerning tn
Confederacy after he settled in Eng
land was vindication of Presiden
Davis and contained no mention o:
cabinet meetings.
Secretary of War Breckenridge
so far as can find, had nothing tx
say on the subject, nor did Secretar,
Mallory who wrote a brief account
lof the last days Of the government
without mentioning the final cabinet
session.
"The only cabinet member who
had anything to say about the sub
ject was Postmaster General Rea.
gan. In a letter written in 1899 To
! Mr.. D. Wyatt Aiken of Abbeville
he said:
"'You make inquiry as to the
place at which the last meeting of
the Confederate Cabinet was held.
"tI have to make a statement
rather than a direct answer. The
last full cabinet Meeting, in which
all the cabinet members participat-
ed, was in Richmond, Va. Before we
left there Mr.. Trenholm, the secre-
tary of the treasury, became serious
ly sick and left that city before the
balance Of the cabinet and went to
Greensboro, NJ, c. President Davis
and the balance of the cabinet stop
ped at Danville, Va, several days.
When we reached Greensboro, N. c.,
we found Mr.. Trenholm still too sick
to participate in the cabinet meeting
there, and he went on to Charlotte,
N. C.. When we reached there he
=
was still quite sick and unable to
meet with the cabinet. When we
left Charlotte he left with US, but
after travelling about half day he
became too i'll to go further with us,
and there resigned the Office of Sec
retary of the treasury. There was
then a cabinet meeting, where we
stayed the night after his resigna-
ton, which I was not invited to at
tend and ct which it was determined
that I should be appointed secretary
Of the treasury ad interim. And at
Charlotte the Hon. George Davis, at
torney-general, with the approval of
the president and cabinet, remained
to take care of his motherless chill
dren, and met US no more. The next
meeting, and one Of much interest,
partly on account of conferences
with the officers of some brigades Of
the, cavalry, was at Abbeville. All
The members, except Mr.. Trenholm
and the encouragement, were pres
ent at this meeting. After we left
Abbeville. and passed the Savannah
river, and before we reached Wash
!ngton,. Ca, Mr.. Benjamin, the Sec
cetary Of state, left US, and we saw
him no more. The next meeting of
What was left of, the cabinet was at
hat place. Besides the president,
here were in that meeting Gen.
Breckenridge, Mr.. Mallory, secretary
# the navy and myself, representing
he postofice department and the
;reasury department.
"tEven stronger still is the testi-
nony Of M. 81. Clark, written in
1882, seventeen years before Mr..
aeagan's statement. Mr.. Clark was
present at Charlotte, Abbeville and
Washington, Ca, serving finally as
'cting treasurer of the Confederate
,overhment, the last officer appoint
d by President Davis. He was q
rennessean. He declared:
The last cabinet meeting which
ould be called such was held at
Abbeville on the second of May at
which it seems to haye been decided
hat the attempt was hopeless to
AIRY the organized force to the
rams Mississippi department, it be-
ng too small to cope with the enemy
1uou16 bovo IN onooontor ond II