earth as in heaven man must submit to some arbiter. He must not throw off his allegiance to his government or his God without just reason and cause. The South had no cause-not even a pretext. Indeed, by her unjustifiable course, she has thrown away the proud history of the past, and laid open her fair country to the tread of devastating war. She bantered and bullied us to the conflict. Had we declined battle, America would have sunk back, coward and craven, meriting the contempt of all mankind. As a nation, we were forced to accept battle, and that once begun, it has gone on till the war has assumed proportions at which even we, in the hurly-burly, sometimes stand aghast. I would not subjugate the South in the sense so offensively assumed, but I would make every citizen of the land obey the common law, submit to the same that we do-no worse, no better-our equals, and not our superiors. I know, and you know that there were young men in our day, now no longer young-but who control their fellows-who assumed to the gentlemen of the South, a superiority of courage and manhood, and boastingly defied us of Northern birth to arms. God knows how reluctantly we accepted the issue, but once the issue joined, like in other ages, the Northern race, though slow to anger, once aroused, are more terrible than the more inflammable of the South. Even yet my heart bleeds when I see the carnage of battle, the desolation of homes, the bitter anguish of families, but the very moment the men of the South say that instead of appealing to war they should have appealed to reason, to our Congress, to our courts, to religion, and to the experience of history, then will I say Peace—Peace; go back to your point of error, and resume your places as American citizens, with all their proud heritages. Whether I shall live to see this period is problematical, but you may, and may tell your mother and sisters that I never forgot one kind look or greeting, or ever wished to efface its remembrance; but in putting on the armor of war I did it that our common country should not perish in infamy and dishonor. I am married, I have a wife and six

children living in Lancaster, Ohio. My course has been an eventful one, but I hope when the clouds of anger and passion are dispersed and truth emerges bright and clear, you and all who knew me in early years will not blush that we were once dear friends. Tell Eliza for me that I hope she may live to realize that the doctrine of "secession" is as monstrous in our civil code as disobedience was in the Divine law. And should the fortunes of war ever bring you or your sisters, or any of our old clique under the shelter of my authority, I do not believethey will have cause to regret it.

Give my love to your children, and the assurance of my respects to your honored husband.

Truly,

W. T. SHERMAN.

The reader should consider, without prejudice, the contents of this chapter.

Remember the gallant bearing of Sherman at the battle of Bull Run; his efficiency in Kentucky while confronting a powerful Confederate army with a handful of men; his heroic bearing on the bloody field of Shiloh, and how he saved the day and the army from destruction; his march to and the siege and capture of Corinth; his soldierly and fearless bearing in the campaigns against Vicksburg; his long and perilous march from Memphis to Chattanooga; see him on the formidable heights of Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge, thundering away at the enemy above the clouds; follow him in his rapid march to the relief of Knoxville before the blood and sweat of battle had been

wiped from his face; then go with him through the expedition of central Mississippi; follow him back to Chattanooga, and from thence through the most wonderful campaign the world ever witnessed; a campaign which ended with the surrender of Johnston's army to Sherman on the 26th day of April, 1865, and which gave the finishing blow to the Rebellion; remember and consider all these facts, and then tell me, do you not see in Major-General W. T. Sherman a patriot, soldier and hero? Under God, does not our country owe to this man a debt of gratitude?

CHAPTER XVI.

SHERMAN'S OFFICIAL REPORT AND FAREWELL ADDRESS

THE MARCH BY WAY OF RICHMOND TO WASHINGTON THE GRAND MILITARY REVIEW -OFFICIAL REPORT AND FAREWELL ADDRESS.

Since the previous chapter was written, the grand army of Gen. Sherman marched to Washington City by way of Richmond, Va., where it took part in the most magnificent military review that the world has ever witnessed, and since that time Sherman has issued his official report and farewell address to his army. With these important documents we close this volume, leaving the reader free to draw his own conclusions from the statements of General Sherman.

GENERAL SHERMAN'S OFFICIAL REPORT.

[ Published under Authority of the Committee of Congress on the Conduct of the War.]

WASHINGTON, May 22, 1865. Major-General William T. Sherman sworn and examined.

By the Chairman —

Q. What is your rank in the army?

A. I am a Major-General in the regular army.

Q. As your negotiations with the rebel General Johnston, in relation to his surrender, has been the subject of much public comment, the committee desire you to state all the facts and circumstances in regard to it that you deem of public interest, or which you wish the public to know.

A. On the 15th day of April last I was at Raleigh, in command of an army composed of three armies; the Army of the Ohio, the Army of the Cumberland, and the Army of Tennessee. My enemy was General Joseph E. Johnston, of the Confederate army, who commanded about 50,000 men, retreating along the railroad from Raleigh to Hillsboro, Greensboro, Salisbury and Charlotte. I commenced pursuit by crossing the curve of that road in the direction of Ashboro and Charlotte. After the head of my column had crossed the Cape Fear River, at Aven's Ferry, I received a communication from General Johnston, and answered it; copies of which I sent promptly to the War Department, with a letter addressed to the Secretary of War, as follows:

HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI, }

In the N. C., April 15, 1865.

GENERAL U. S. GRANT, AND SECRETARY Of War:

I send copies of a correspondence begun with General Johnston, which I think will be followed by terms of capitulation. I will grant the same terms as General Grant gave General Lee, and be careful not to complicate any points of civil policy. If any cavalry has started towards me, caution them that they must be prepared to find our work done. It is now raining in torrents, and I shall await General Johnston's reply here, and will prepare to meet him in person at Chapel Hill.

I have invited Governor Vance to return to Raleigh with the civil officers of his State. I have met ex-Governor Graham, Messrs. Badger, Moore, Holden and others, all of whom agree that the war is over, and that the States of the South must resume their allegiance, subject to the Constitution and laws of