pathizers, were not to be considered for a moment. Peace itself was treason, and only vengeance loyalty.

It was the desire of the secretary of war, Mr. Stanton, to relieve General Sherman from command at once, but General Grant, who was present at the cabinet meeting, himself volunteered to take the answer of the President to General Sherman; and to him was accordingly confided full control and discretion in the matter.

General Grant proceeded at once to North Carolina, and on the evening of the 23d arrived at Morehead City, whence he sent word to General Sherman that the truce with Johnston had been disapproved, and notified him of the contents of the following letter of instructions from the secretary of war :

"

"WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington City, April 21, 1865. "GENERAL The memorandum or basis agreed upon between General Sherman and General Johnston having been submitted to the President, they are disapproved. You will give notice of the disapproval to General Sherman, and direct him to resume hostilities at the earliest moment.

"The instructions given to you by the late President, Abraham Lincoln, on the 3d of March, by my telegram of that date addressed to you, express substantially the views of President Andrew Johnson, and will be observed by General Sherman. A copy is herewith appended.

"The President desires that you proceed immediately to the headquarters of General Sherman, and direct operations against the enemy.

"Yours truly,

"EDWIN M. STANTON,

"Secretary of War.

"TO LIEUTENANT-GENERAL GRANT."

This dispatch was received on the morning of the 24th. General Sherman instantly gave notice to General Johnston as follows:

"You will take notice that the truce or suspension of hostilities agreed to between us on the 18th instant will close in forty-eight hours after this is received at your lines."

At the same time he wrote :

"I have replies from Washington to my communications of the 18th. I am instructed to limit my operations to your immediate command, and not attempt civil negotiations. I therefore demand the surrender of your army on the same terms as were given to General Lee at Appomattox, Va., on the 9th April, instant, purely and simply."

Within an hour after the reception of General Grant's dispatch, a courier was riding with all haste towards Durham's Station with this notice and demand for General Johnston. Immediately on the return of the messenger, General Sherman issued orders to his troops terminating the truce on the 26th, at twelve o'clock M., and ordered all to be in readiness to march at that time, on routes previously prescribed in the special field-orders of April 14th, from positions held April 18th. These dispositions were already made when General Grant arrived at Raleigh. He then informed General Sherman that he had orders from the President to direct all military movements, and General Sherman explained to him the exact position of the troops. General Grant was so well satisfied with the situation, that he concluded not to interfere with the arrangements already made, and to leave their execution in the hands of General Sherman.

As for General Johnston, he was powerless; he could neither fight nor retreat. He must either disperse his army or surrender it on the terms proposed. On the 25th he invited General Sherman to another conference, with a view to surrender. It was now the province of General Grant to take the lead in the negotiations, but he preferred that the entire business should be consummated by General Sherman. Nevertheless, he recommended and even urged General Sherman

to afford General Johnston another interview, which was finally appointed to take place at the hour designated for the termination of the truce.

At this conference final terms were soon concluded, and the second grand army of the Confederacy was surrendered to the power of the United States upon the following terms :

"Terms of a military convention entered into this twenty-sixth (26th) day of April, 1865, at Bennett's house, near Durham's Station, North Carolina, between General Joseph E. Johnston, commanding the Confederate Army, and Major-General W. T. Sherman, commanding the United States Army in North Carolina.

"All acts of war on the part of the troops under General Johnston's command to cease from this date. All arms and public property to be deposited at Greensboro', and delivered to an ordnance officer of the United States Army. Rolls of all officers and men to be made in duplicate, one copy to be retained by the commander of the troops, and the other to be given to an officer to be designated by General Sherman. Each officer and man to give his individual obligation in writing not to take up arms against the Government of the United States until properly released from this obligation. The sidearms of officers, and their private horses and baggage, to be retained by them.

"This being done, all the officers and men will be permitted to return to their homes, not to be disturbed by the United States authorities so long as they observe their obligations and the laws in force where they may reside.

"W. T. SHERMAN, Major-General, "Commanding the Army of the United States in North Carolina.

General Sherman says, in his report :—

“And although undue importance has been given to the socalled negotiations which preceded it, and a rebuke and public disfavor cast on me wholly unwarranted by the facts, I rejoice in saying it was accomplished without further ruin and devastation to the country; without the loss of a single life of those gallant men who had followed me from the Mississippi to the Atlantic; and without subjecting brave men to the ungracious task of pursuing a fleeing foe that did not wish to fight. And I challenge the instance, during the last four years, when an armed and defiant foe stood before me, that I did not go in for a fight; and I would blush for shame if I had ever struck or insulted a fallen foe."

It will now become necessary to recur to events transpiring at Washington and Richmond during the absence of the lieutenant-general.

CHAPTER XXXII.

CORRESPONDENCE DURING THE TRUCE.

In order to a more perfect understanding of the intentions of the framers of the original memorandum of agreement, in proposing and consenting to the terms of the armistice, it is now necessary to refer to the correspondence that took place during the period that intervened between the signature of the agreement by General Sherman and General Johnston on the 18th of April, 1865, and the night of the 23d of the same month, when General Sherman received the first notification that the Government had refused to ratify his action.

Immediately on signing the truce, Sherman dispatched the following order, by a flag of truce, through the lines of the Confederate army to General Stoneman, commanding the cavalry in Johnston's rear :

"GENERAL-General Johnston and I have agreed to maintain a truce in the nature of statu quo, by which each agrees to stand fast till certain propositions looking to a general peace are referred to our respective principals. You may, therefore, cease hostilities, but supplies may come to me near Raleigh.

"Keep your command well in hand, and approach Durham's Station or Chapel Hill, and I will supply you by our railroad. As soon as you reach the outer pickets report to me in person or by telegraph."

This was indorsed by General Johnston for the guidance of his troops, as follows: