the day of the confederacy-第23章

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did　not　both　cease　invading　his　rights。　But　the　people　of　
Georgia　were　better　balanced　than　their　Governor。　Under　the
leadership　of　such　men　as　Cobb　they　rose　to　the　occasion　and　did
their　part　in　what　proved　a　vain　attempt　to　　conduct　a　〃people's
war。〃　Their　delegation　at　Richmond　sent　out　a　stirring　appeal
assuring　them　that　Davis　was　doing　for　them　all　it　was　possible
to　do。　〃Let　every　man　fly　to　arms；〃　said　the　appeal。　〃Remove
your　negroes；　horses；　cattle；　and　provisions　from　before
Sherman's　army；　and　burn　what　you　cannot　carry。　Burn　all　bridges
and　block　up　the　roads　in　his　route。　Assail　the　invader　in
front；　flank；　and　rear；　by　night　and　by　day。　Let　him　have　no
rest。〃


The　Richmond　Government　was　unable　to　detach　any　considerable
force　from　the　northern　front。　Its　contribution　to　the　forces　in
Georgia　was　accomplished　by　such　pathetic　means　as　a　general
order　calling　to　the　colors　all　soldiers　furloughed　or　in
hospital；　〃except　those　unable　to　travel〃；　by　revoking　all
exemptions　to　farmers；　planters；　and　mechanics；　except　munitions
workers；　and　by　placing　one…fifth　of　the　ordnance　and　mining
bureau　in　the　battle　service。

All　the　world　knows　how　futile　were　these　endeavors　to　stop　the
whirlwind　of　desolation　that　was　Sherman's　march。　He　spent　his
Christmas　Day　in　Savannah。　Then　the　center　of　gravity　shifted
from　Georgia　to　South　Carolina。　Throughout　the　two　desperate
months　that　closed　1864　the　authorities　of　South　Carolina　had
vainly　sought　for　help　from　Richmond。　Twice　the　Governor　made
official　request　for　the　return　to　South　Carolina　of　some　of　her
own　troops　who　were　at　the　front　in　Virginia。　Davis　first　evaded
and　then　refused　the　request。　Lee　had　informed　him　that　if　the
forces　on　the　northern　front　were　reduced；　the　evacuation　of
Richmond　would　become　inevitable。

The　South　Carolina　Government；　in　December；　1864；　seems　to　have
concluded　that　the　State　must　save　itself。　A　State　Conscription
Act　was　passed　placing　all　white　males　between　the　ages　of
sixteen　and　sixty　at　the　disposal　of　the　state　authorities　for
emergency　duty。　An　Exemption　Act　set　forth　a　long　list　of　persons
who　should　not　be　liable　to　conscription　by　the　Confederate
Government。　Still　a　third　act　regulated　the　impressment　of　slaves
for　work　on　fortifications　so　as　to　enable　the　state　authorities
to　hold　a　check　upon　the　Confederate　authorities。　The
significance　of　the　three　statutes　was　interpreted　by　a　South
Carolina　soldier；　General　John　S。　Preston；　in　a　letter　to　the
Secretary　of　War　that　was　a　wail　of　despair。　〃This　legislation
is　an　explicit　declaration　that　this　State　does　not　intend　to
contribute　another　soldier　or　slave　to　the　public　defense；　except
on　such　terms　its　may　be　dictated　by　her　authorities。　The　example
will　speedily　be　followed　by　North　Carolina　and　Georgia；　the
Executives　of　those　States　having　already　assumed　the　position。〃

The　division　between　the　two　parties　in　South　Carolina　had　now
become　bitter。　To　Preston　the　men　behind　the　State　Exemption　Act
appeared　as　〃designing　knaves。〃　The　Mercury；　on　the　other　hand；
was　never　more　relentless　toward　Davis　than　in　the　winter　of
1864…1865。　However；　none　or　almost　none　of　the　anti…Davis　men　in
South　Carolina　made　the　least　suggestion　of　giving　up　the
struggle。　To　fight　to　the　end　but　also　to　act　as　a　check　upon　the
central　Governmentas　the　new　Governor；　Andrew　G。　Magrath；　said
in　his　inaugural　address　in　December；　1864；was　the　aim　of　the
dominant　party　in　South　Carolina。　How　far　the　State　Government
and　the　Confederate　Government　had　drifted　apart　is　shown　by　two
comments　which　were　made　in　January；　1865。　Lee　complained　that
the　South　Carolina　regiments；　〃much　reduced　by　hard　service；〃
were　not　being　recruited　up　to　their　proper　strength　because　of
the　measures　adopted　in　the　southeastern　States　to　retain
conscripts　at　home。　About　the　same　date　the　Mercury　arraigned
Davis　for　leaving　South　Carolina　defenseless　in　the　face　of
Sherman's　coming　offensive；　and　asked　whether　Davis　intended　to
surrender　the　Confederacy。

And　in　the　midst　of　this　critical　period；　the　labor　problem
pushed　to　the　fore　again。　The　revocation　of　industrial　details；
necessary　as　it　was；　had　put　almost　the　whole　male　populationin
theory；　at　leastin　the　general　Confederate　army。　How
far…reaching　was　the　effect　of　this　order　may　be　judged　from　the
experience　of　the　Columbia　and　Augusta　Railroad　Company。　This
road　was　building　through　the　interior　of　the　State　a　new　line
which　was　rendered　imperatively　necessary　by　Sherman's　seizure　of
the　lines　terminating　at　Savannah。　The　effect　of　the　revocation
order　on　the　work　in　progress　was　described　by　the　president　of
the　road　in　a　letter　to　the　Secretary　of　War：

〃In　July　and　August　I　made　a　fair　beginning　and　by　October　we　had
about　600　hands。　General　Order　No。　77　took　off　many　of　our
contractors　and　hands。　We　still　had　increased　the　number　of　hands
to　about　400　when　Sherman　started　from　Atlanta。　The　military
authorities　of　Augusta　took　about　300　of　them　to　fortify　that
city。　These　contractors　being　from　Georgia　returned　with　their
slaves　to　their　homes　after　being　discharged　at　Augusta。　We　still
have　between　500　and　600　hands　at　work　and　are　adding　to　the
force　every　week。

〃The　great　difficulty　has　been　in　getting　contractors　exempt　or
definitely　detailed　since　Order　No。　77。　I　have　not　exceeded　eight
or　nine　contractors　now　detailed。　The　rest　are　exempt　from　other
causes　or　over　age。〃

It　was　against　such　a　background　of　economic　confusion　that
Magrath　wrote　to　the　Governor　of　North　Carolina　making　a
revolutionary　proposal。　Virtually　admitting　that　the　Confederacy
had　been　shattered；　and　knowing　the　disposition　of　those　in
authority　to　see　only　the　military　aspects　of　any　given
situation；　he　prophesied　two　things：　that　the　generals　would　soon
attempt　to　withdraw　Lee's　army　south　of　Virginia；　and　that　the
Virginia　troops　in　that　army　would　refuse　to　go。　〃It　is　natural
under　the　circumstances；〃　said　he；　〃that　they　would　not。〃　He
would　prepare　for　this　emergency　by　an　agreement　among　the
Southeastern　and　Gulf　States　to　act　together　irrespective　of
Richmond；　and　would　thus　weld　the　military　power　of　these　States
into　〃a　compact　and　organized　mass。〃

Governor　Vance；　with　unconscious　subtlety；　etched　a　portrait　of
his　own　mind　when　he　replied　that　the　crisis　demanded
〃particularly　the　skill　of　the　politician　perhaps　more　than　that
of　the　great　general。〃　He　adroitly　evaded　saying　what　he　really
thought　of　the　situation　but　he　made　two　explicit
counter…proposals。　He　suggested　that　a　demand　should　be　made　for
the　restoration　of　General　Johnston　and　for　the　appointment　of
General　Lee　to　〃full　and　absolute　command　of　all　the　forces　of
the　Confederacy。〃　On　the　day　on　which　Vance　wrote　to　Magrath；　the
Mercury　lifted　up　its　voice　and　cried　out　for　a　Lee　to　take
charge　of　the　Government　and　save　the　Confederacy。　About　the　same
time　Cobb　wrote　to　Davis　in　the　most　friendly　way；　warning　him
that　he　had　scarcely　a　supporter　left　in　Georgia；　and　that；　in
view　of　the　great　popular　reaction　in　favor　of　Johnston；
concessions　to　the　opposition　were　an　imperative　necessity。　〃By
accident；〃　said　he；　〃I　have　become　possessed　of　the　facts　in
connection　with　the　proposed　action　of　the　Governors　of　certain
States。〃　He　disavowed　any　sympathy　with　the　movement　but　warned
Davis　that　it　was　a　serious　menace。

Two　other　intrigues　added　to　the　general　political　confusion。　One
of　these；　the　〃Peace　Movement；〃　will　be　considered　in　the　next
chapter。　The　other　was　closely　connected　with　the　alleged
conspiracy　to　depose　Davis　and　set　up　Lee　as　dictator。　If　the
traditional　story；　accepted　by　able　historians；　may　be　believed；
William　C。　Rives；　of　the　Confederate　Congress；　carried　in
January；　1865；　to　Lee　from　a　congressional　cabal　an　invitation　to
accept　the　role　of　Cromwell。　The　greatest　difficulty　in　the　way
of　accepting　the　tradition　is　the　extreme　improbability　that　any
one　who　knew　anything　of　Lee　would　have　been　so　foolish　as　to
make　such　a　proposal。　Needless　to　add；　the　tradition　includes
Lee's　refusal　to　overturn　the　Government。　There　can　be　no　doubt；
however；　that