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

est, partly on account of conference
;, with the officers of some brigades O
cavalry Evidently the cabinet mem
bers participated, although it is pos
sible that the cabinet held separat,
session before or after the council
Of war. It is significant in this con
nection that at Greensboro there wa!
a session Of the cabinet at which Con
federate commanders were presen
and it is reasonable to infer that the
same procedure was followed at Alb
beville. General Duke says that only
the brigade commanders and Presi
dent Davis were present, but Post
master General Reagan contradicts
him on this point.
ut has been proved on high au.
thority that there was a session Of
the Confederate cabinet at Able.
vile, but was it the last meeting?
"Acting Treasurer Clark declared
that the last cabinet meeting which
could be called such was held at Alb.
beville.' No other person competent
to testify contradicts that state
ment. Postmaster General Reagan
says that the next meeting, not of
|the cabinet, but of "what was left of
the cabinet was at Washington?
What was left Of the cabinet at
Washington, Ca? Only Secretary of
the Navy Mallory and Postmaster
General Reagan. Secretary of War
Breckenridge was not there, although
some Georgia historians say he was.
The plain inference from the state
ment of President Davis in his book
is that he never saw General Breckin-
ridge after he left him at the Savan-
nah river, while Acting Treasurer
Clark removes the last vestige of
doubt by the declaration that Gen
eral Breckenridge arrived in Wash
ington an hour or so after President
Davis left Secretary Benjamin quit
the party just after crossing the Sa-
vannah river and, therefore, was not
at Washington. There is no test to
determine how many members are
required to constitute a session ef
the cabinet, but common sense indi-
Gates that two men do not make
cabinet. There were four cabinet Of
ficers present and FIVE departments
represented at Abbeville, but at
Washington only. two cabinet officers
could have been present and three
departments could have been repre-
'ented, not enough to compose an or
dinary quorum ~. 9!
"But was there a session of the
Confederate cabinet at Washington?
Whete is the proof? / have been un-
able to find any. Stovall and Phillips
IN their lives of Robert Toombs, and
Avery in his history of Georgia con-
send that the last cabinet meeting
was held at Washington, but do not
attempt to produce proof to make
good the assertion. Joseph T. Derry,
author of a school history of. the
United States and Of the history of
Georgia in the Confederatf Military
History, in the latter volume men
ions that President Davis and some
If his party stopped at Washington,
'ut is silent as to cabinet meeting
here. |
IF President Davis and the two
'enlaining members Of his cabinet
leld any sort Of meeting in Washing
on, it was merely the informal ses-
ion of three directors of bankrupt
concern after it had gone into bank
'uptcy and ceased to be a going con-
ern. It is true that some of the
noneyleft in the Confederate treas
Try was disbursed at Washington,
'ut that was only the distribution Of
part Of the bankrupt's assets to its
referred creditors, the long unpaid
Confederate soldiers. !! l.
"Were the acts Of the officers of
he Confederate government after
he last cabinet meeting and council
+ war at Abbeville consistent with !.
he theory that the government had
cen dissolved there? Did the course
hey then followed indicate that the
nd had come?
"Mr. Miller cites a letter written