memoirs of general william t. sherman-2-第93章

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neral　Grant；　in　accepting　the　surrender　of　General　Lee's　army；　had　extended　the　same　principle　to　all　the　officers；　General　Lee　included；　such　a　pardon；　I　understood；　would　restore　to　them　all　their　rights　of　citizenship。　　But　he　insisted　that　the　officers　and　men　of　the　Confederate　army　were　unnecessarily　alarmed　about　this　matter；　as　a　sort　of　bugbear。　　He　then　said　that　Mr。　Breckenridge　was　near　at　hand；　and　he　thought　that　it　would　be　well　for　him　to　be　present。　　I　objected；　on　the　score　that　he　was　then　in　Davis's　cabinet；　and　our　negotiations　should　be　confined　strictly　to　belligerents。　　He　then　said　Breckenridge　was　a　major…general　in　the　Confederate　army；　and　might　sink　his　character　of　Secretary　of　War。　　I　consented；　and　he　sent　one　of　his　staff…officers　back；　who　soon　returned　with　Breckenridge；　and　he　entered　the　room。　　General　Johnston　and　I　then　again　went　over　the　whole　ground；　and　Breckenridge　confirmed　what　he　had　said　as　to　the　uneasiness　of　the　Southern　officers　and　soldiers　about　their　political　rights　in　case　of　surrender。　　While　we　were　in　consultation；　a　messenger　came　with　a　parcel　of　papers；　which　General　Johnston　said　were　from　Mr。　Reagan；　Postmaster…General。　　He　and　Breckenridge　looked　over　them；　and；　after　some　side　conversation；　he　handed　one　of　the　papers　to　me。　It　was　in　Reagan's　handwriting；　and　began　with　a　long　preamble　and　terms；　so　general　and　verbose；　that　I　said　they　were　inadmissible。　Then　recalling　the　conversation　of　Mr。　Lincoln；　at　City　Point；　I　sat　down　at　the　table；　and　wrote　off　the　terms；　which　I　thought　concisely　expressed　his　views　and　wishes；　and　explained　that　I　was　willing　to　submit　these　terms　to　the　new　President；　Mr。　Johnson；　provided　that　both　armies　should　remain　in　statu　quo　until　the　truce　therein　declared　should　expire。　　I　had　full　faith　that　General　Johnston　would　religiously　respect　the　truce；　which　he　did；　and　that　I　would　be　the　gainer；　for　in　the　few　days　it　would　take　to　send　the　papers　to　Washington；　and　receive　an　answer；　I　could　finish　the　railroad　up　to　Raleigh；　and　be　the　better　prepared　for　a　long　chase。

Neither　Mr。　Breckenridge　nor　General　Johnston　wrote　one　word　of　that　paper。　　I　wrote　it　myself；　and　announced　it　as　the　best　I　could　do；　and　they　readily　assented。

While　copies　of　this　paper　were　being　made　for　signature；　the　officers　of　our　staffs　commingled　in　the　yard　at　Bennett's　house；　and　were　all　presented　to　Generals　Johnston　and　Breckenridge。　　All　without　exception　were　rejoiced　that　the　war　was　over；　and　that　in　a　very　few　days　we　could　turn　our　faces　toward　home。　　I　remember　telling　Breckenridge　that　he　had　better　get　away；　as　the　feeling　of　our　people　was　utterly　hostile　to　the　political　element　of　the　South；　and　to　him　especially；　because　he　was　the　Vice…President　of　the　United　States；　who　had　as　such　announced　Mr。　Lincoln；　of　Illinois；　duly　and　properly　elected　the　President　of　the　United　States；　and　yet　that　he　had　afterward　openly　rebelled　and　taken　up　arms　against　the　Government。　　He　answered　me　that　he　surely　would　give　us　no　more　trouble；　and　intimated　that　he　would　speedily　leave　the　country　forever。　　I　may　have　also　advised　him　that　Mr。　Davis　too　should　get　abroad　as　soon　as　possible。

The　papers　were　duly　signed；　we　parted　about　dark；　and　my　party　returned　to　Raleigh。　　Early　the　next　morning；　April　19th；　I　dispatched　by　telegraph　to　Morehead　City　to　prepare　a　fleet…steamer　to　carry　a　messenger　to　Washington；　and　sent　Major　Henry　Hitchcock　down　by　rail；　bearing　the　following　letters；　and　agreement　with　General　Johnston；　with　instructions　to　be　very　careful　to　let　nothing　escape　him　to　the　greedy　newspaper　correspondents；　but　to　submit　his　papers　to　General　Halleck；　General　Grant；　or　the　Secretary　of　War；　and　to　bring　me　back　with　all　expedition　their　orders　and　instructions。

On　their　face　they　recited　that　I　had　no　authority　to　make　final　terms　involving　civil　or　political　questions；　but　that　I　submitted　them　to　the　proper　quarter　in　Washington　for　their　action；　and　the　letters　fully　explained　that　the　military　situation　was　such　that　the　delay　was　an　advantage　to　us。　　I　cared　little　whether　they　were　approved；　modified；　or　disapproved　in　toto；　only　I　wanted　instructions。　　Many　of　my　general　officers；　among　whom；　I　am　almost　positive；　were　Generals　Logan　and　Blair；　urged　me　to　accept　the　〃terms；〃　without　reference　at　all　to　Washington；　but　I　preferred　the　latter　course：

HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVIBION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI；　IN　THE　FIELD；　RALEIGH；　NORTH　CAROLINA；　April　18；　1886。

General　H。　　W。　　HALLECK；　Chief　of　Staff；　Washington；　D。　　C。

GENERAL：　I　received　your　dispatch　describing　the　man　Clark；　detailed　to　assassinate　me。　　He　had　better　be　in　a　hurry；　or　he　will　be　too　late。

The　news　of　Mr。　Lincoln's　death　produced　a　most　intense　effect　on　our　troops。　　At　first　I　feared　it　would　lead　to　excesses；　but　now　it　has　softened　down；　and　can　easily　be　guided。　　None　evinced　more　feeling　than　General　Johnston；　who　admitted　that　the　act　was　calculated　to　stain　his　cause　with　a　dark　hue；　and　he　contended　that　the　loss　was　most　serious　to　the　South；　who　had　begun　to　realize　that　Mr。　Lincoln　was　the　beat　friend　they　had。

I　cannot　believe　that　even　Mr。　Davis　was　privy　to　the　diabolical　plot；　but　think　it　the　emanation　of　a　set　of　young　men　of　the　South；　who　are　very　devils。　　I　want　to　throw　upon　the　South　the　care　of　this　class　of　men；　who　will　soon　be　as　obnoxious　to　their　industrial　classes　as　to　us。

Had　I　pushed　Johnston's　army　to　an　extremity；　it　would　have　dispersed；　and　done　infinite　mischief。　　Johnston　informed　me　that　General　Stoneman　had　been　at　Salisbury；　and　was　now　at　Statesville。　I　have　sent　him　orders　to　come　to　me。

General　Johnston　also　informed　me　that　General　Wilson　was　at　Colmbia；　Georgia；　and　he　wanted　me　to　arrest　his　progress。　　I　leave　that　to　you。

Indeed；　if　the　President　sanctions　my　agreement　with　Johnston；　our　interest　is　to　cease　all　destruction。

Please　give　all　orders　necessary　according　to　the　views　the　Executive　may　take；　and　influence　him；　if　possible；　not　to　vary　the　terms　at　all；　for　I　have　considered　every　thing；　and　believe　that；　the　Confederate　armies　once　dispersed；　we　can　adjust　all　else　fairly　and　well。　　I　am；　yours；　etc。；

W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General　commanding。


HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI　IN　THE　FIELD；　RALEIGH；　NORTH　CAROLINA；　April　18；　1865。

Lieutenant…General　U。　S。　GRANT；　or　Major…General　HALLECK；　Washington；　D。　C。

GENERAL：　I　inclose　herewith　a　copy　of　an　agreement　made　this　day　between　General　Joseph　E。　Johnston　and　myself；　which；　if　approved　by　the　President　of　the　United　States；　will　produce　peace　from　the　Potomac　to　the　Rio　Grande。　　Mr。　Breckenridge　was　present　at　our　conference；　in　the　capacity　of　major…general；　and　satisfied　me　of　the　ability　of　General　Johnston　to　carry　out　to　their　full　extent　the　terms　of　this　agreement；　and　if　you　will　get　the　President　to　simply　indorse　the　copy；　and　commission　me　to　carry　out　the　terms；　I　will　follow　them　to　the　conclusion。

You　will　observe　that　it　is　an　absolute　submission　of　the　enemy　to　the　lawful　authority　of　the　United　States；　and　disperses　his　armies　absolutely；　and　the　point　to　which　I　attach　most　importance　is；　that　the　dispersion　and　disbandment　of　these　armies　is　done　in　such　a　manner　as　to　prevent　their　breaking　up　into　guerrilla　bands。　　On　the　other　hand；　we　can　retain　just　as　much　of　an　army　as　we　please。　I　agreed　to　the　mode　and　manner　of　the　surrender　of　arms　set　forth；　as　it　gives　the　States　the　means　of　repressing　guerrillas；　which　we　could　not　expect　them　to　do　if　we　stripped　them　of　all　arms。

Both　Generals　Johnston　and　Breckenridge　admitted　that　slavery　was　dead；　and　I　could　not　insist　on　embracing　it　in　such　a　paper；　because　it　can　be　made　with　the　States　in　detail。　　I　know　that　all　the　men　of　substance　South　sincerely　want　peace；　and　I　do　not　believe　they　will　resort　to　war　again　during　this　century。　　I　have　no　doubt　that　they　will　in　the　future　be　perfectly　subordinate　to　the　laws　of　the　United　States。　　The　moment　my　action　in　this　matter　is　approved；　I　can　spare　five　corps；　and　will　ask　for　orders　to　leave　General　Schofield　here　with　the　Tenth　Corps；　and　to　march　myself　with