Year: 1878

GERS came in-LOngstreet, Gordon.
flckett, from the South Sheridan.
ord and Others from our side. Some
were old friends, Longstreet and nv
sell, Tor instance, and we had a gen.
eral talk. Lee no doubt expected
me to ask for his sword, but | did
notWant his sword. "ftwould only. y
SAID the General, smiling, shave
gone to the Patent Office to be wor-
shipped by the Washington rebels.u
There was another pause, when he
sad that most of the animals in his
cavalry and artillery were owned by
the prlvates and he would like to
know, under the terms whether they
would be regarded as private prop
erty or the property Of the Govern
ment. said under the terms of the
surrender they belonged to the Gov
ernment, General Lee read 9ver the
letter and said that was soy I then
sad to the General that | hoped and
believed this was the last battle of
the war, and L saw the wisdom of
these men getting home and to work
as soon as possible, that l would
give orders to allow any soldier or
officer claiming a horse or mule TO
take 1t. General Lee showed some
emotion at this-a feeling which [
also shared-and said it would have
most happy effect. The interview
ended, and l gave orders for ration


ing his troops. The next day | met


Lee on horseback and we had long


talk. In that conversation | urged


upon Lee the wisdom of ending the


war by the surrender of the other
armies. / asked him to use his in
fluence with the people of the South
An influence that was supreme-to
bring the war to an end. General


Lee said that his campaign in Vir-
glnia was the last organized resist
ance which the South was capable of
making-that | might have to
march good deal and encounter iso-
lated commands here and there; but
there was no longer any army which
could make a stand. | told Lee that
this fact only made his responsibility
greater. and any further war would
be a crime. | asked him to 90
among the Southern people and use
his influence to have all men under
arms surrender on the same terms
given to the army of Northern Vir-
ginia, He replied that he could not
do SO without consultation with
President Davis. l was sorry. 1 saw
that the COnfederacy had gone be-
yond the reach of President Davis,
and that there was nothing that
could be done except what Lee could
do to benefit the Southern people.
was anxious to get them home and
have our armies go to their homes
and fields. But Lee would not move
without Davis, and, as a matter of
fact at that time. or soon after, Davis
was a fugitive in the woods"


General Grant thought Jefferson
Davis did all he could for the South
ern Confederacy and did not deserve
the harsh criticism he got. He re-
called StoneWall Jackson, and
thought he was killed too early to
properly test his capacities as a gem
eraI against such men as Sherman
and Sheridan, who might have PROV
ed more of match for him than those
he had to encounter, Grant seems
to think Lee not SO great as his rep
utation speaking of him of course
as a soldier and not as man. He
was never so uneasy when in front
Of Lee as some Of our other comman-
ders, and he describes him as a man
of slow mind, without imagination,
and of grave dignity of demeanor.
General Joe Johnston,in his opinion,
was the ablest commander on the
Southern side. r.f..tl .r...


Grants opinion Of Sherman and
Sheridan are very high. He tells a
singular story of President Johnson's
desire at one time to arrest Lee /;
One one occasion Mr.. johnson spoke
of Lee and wanted to why any mill
tary commander had right to pro-
tect an arch-traitor from the laws.
was angry at this, and spoke earn
estly and plainly to the President; !
said that as General it was none of
my business what he or Congress did
with Gen. Lee or his other comman-
ders. lie might do as he pleased
about civil rights, confiscation of
property and so on. That did. not
come in my province, But a gem
eral commanding troops has certain
responsibilities and duties and pow
er which are supreme. He must deal
with the enemy in front of him so
as to destroy him. He may either
kill him, capture him or parole him.
His engagements are sacred so far as