opinion of President Davis' tears.-Influence of the President almost entirely gone

in the last periods of the war.-The visible wrecks of his administration.--

History of "peace propositions" in Congress.-They were generalities.-Analysis

of the "Union Party" in the South.-How Gov. Brown, of Georgia, was used by

it. Its persistent design upon the Virginia Legislature.-How it was rebuffed.-

Heroic choice of Virginia.-President Davis' tribute to this State.-Want of reso-

lution in other parts of the Confederacy.--Summary explanation of the decline and

fall of the Confederacy.-Proposition to arm the slaves of the South indicative of

a desperate condition.-How it was impracticable and absurd.-Not five thousand

spare muskets in the Confederacy.-Paltry legislation of Congress.-Grasping at

shadows...
644

CHAPTER XL.

Gen. Sherman's new base at Savannah.-He prepares to march through the Carolinas.—

Gen. Grant's first idea to bring Sherman's army to Virgina by water.-Opening

of the Carolina campaign.-Howard's movement towards Charleston.—The line of

the Salkahatchie taken.-Slocum threatens Augusta.-Junction of the two columns

in the vicinity of the Augusta and Charleston Railroad.-Scenes of license and

plunder on Sherman's march.-Savage atrocities.-The track of fire.-Sherman's

"bummers."-What was thought of them in Washington.-Sherman turns his

columns on Columbia.-Disposition of the Confederate forces between Augusta

and Charleston.-Why Columbia was not defended.-Gallantry of Gen. Wade Hamp-

ton.-Sack and destruction of Columbia.--Sherman's solemn promise to the Mayor.

-Robbery and outrage in the streets.-The Catholic Convent.-Some of the Fede-

ral soldiers tell of the proposed destruction of the town.-It is fired in twenty

places.-Horrors of the conflagration.-Scenes of misery and ruin.-Proofs that

Sherman was responsible for the fire.-Array of evidence on this subject.-Fall

of Charleston.-The city evacuated by Hardee.-Occasion of delay by President

Davis. An explosion and conflagration.-Appearance of the city after four years

of confiict.--Capture of Fort Fisher.-Fall of Wilmington.-The enemy's views of

the importance of Wilmington.-How it was to be used as another base of opera-

tions towards Richmond.-Its capture auxiliary to Sherman's movement.-The

first expedition against it.-Butler's powder-ship.-Failure of the expedition.--

The Butler-Grant controversy.-Second expedition against Wilmington.-Gen.

Bragg again on the military stage.-How the enemy effected a landing above

Fort Fisher. Want of vigilance on the part of the Confederates.-Gen. Hoke

flanked and retreats.-The Fort taken by assault.-Co-operation of the enemy's

fleet. Its terrible fire.-Gen. Bragg evacuates Wilmington.-Grant's instructions

to Schofield to co-operate with Sherman.-The campaign in North Carolina.—

Sherman moves apparently towards Charlotte, and deflects to Fayetteville.—

Movement of the co-operating columns from Wilmington and Newbern.-Gen.

Bragg engages the enemy near Kinston.-Success of the Confederates.-Arrival

of Schofield and Terry at Goldsboro'.-Sherman pushes on there.-Gen. Johnston's

command, and distribution of the Confederate forces.-Hardee loses two-thirds

of his army by desertions. He engages the enemy near Averysboro', and is com-

pelled to fall back.-The engagement at Bentonville.-Johnston fights two corps

of the enemy and Kilpatrick's cavalry with fourteen thousand men.-Success on

the Confederate right.-Johnston holds his ground against the whole of Sher-

man's army, and retreats deliberately to Smithfield.—Sherman's arrival at Golds-

boro'.-Conference at City Point of Sherman, Grant and President Lincoln.....661

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XLI.

xxix

Gen. Lee's lines around Richmond and Petersburg.-Comparison of his force with that of

the enemy.-Gen. Lee's sentiment about surrender.-Dull condition of the popu-

lace in Richmond.-Extravagant rumours.-Story of the French messenger.-The

Fortress Monroe conference.—Mr. Blair's visit to Richmond.-Notes of Presidents

Davis and Lincoln.-Conversation of the former with Alexander II. Stephens.-

Official narrative of the conference in Hampton Roads.-A rhetorical appeal to

the people of the Confederacy.-A day of speeches in Richmond.--President Davis'

speech at the African Church.— Its extravagant and swollen tone.-A remark on

the temper and vanity of the President.-Battle of Hare's Hill.-Design of the

action on the part of Gen. Lee.—The general disposition of his forces.-Capture of

Fort Steadman.-The Confederates falter.-What the day proved.-The last

battles around Petersburg.-Why Grant hurried the final operations.-The prelim-

inary expedition of Sheridan's cavalry.-What it accomplished.-The attempt

upon Lee's right.-Desperate resource of the Confederate commander.-Battle of

Five Forks.-Misbehaviour of the Confederates.-Gen. Lee's reproach.-Bombard-

ment of the Petersburg lines.-The assault.-The Confederates' lines broken.—

Defence of Fort Gregg.-A thrilling scene of self-devotion.--The Confederates

forced back upon Petersburg.-Death of Gen. A. P. Hill.--Evacuation of Richmond.

-The city unprepared for the news.-Fright and disorder in the streets.-A

curious scene in the Capitol.-Gen. Ewell's withdrawal from the city. He fires

a number of warehouses.-A frightful conflagration.-Scenes of sublime horrour.

-Grand entree of the Federals.-Ravages of the gre.--Exultation in Northern

cities.-Stuff of Yankee newspapers.-Due estimate of Grant's achievement in the

fall of Richmond.-Definition of generalship.-The qualities of mind exhibited by

the North in the war....
679

CHAPTER XLII.

Public feeling in Richmond after evacuation day.-President Davis' proclamation at

Danville.-New and sanguine theory of Confederate defence.-Moral effect of the

fall of Richmond.-Retreat and final surrender of Lee's army.-Crossing of the

Appomattox.-Explosion of magazines.-The wagon-train from Richmond.--

Order of Grant's pursuit.-General Lee's new hopes.-They are dashed at Amelia

Court-house. The confederates in a starving condition.-Lee abandons the route

to Danville and makes for Lynchburg, by way of Farmville.-Sufferings on the

march.-Demoralization of the troops.-Some spirited episodes.-The action of

Sailors' Creek.-The Confederates in the vicinity of Farmville.-Affairs with the

enemy. The Confederates retreat to Appomattox Court-house, without molesta-

tion.-Sense of relief among the troops.-Ominous sounds of cannon.-The exit

to Lynchburg closed by Sheridan.-Desperate adventure of Gordon's corps.-The

recoil. A flag of truce on the scene.-Correspondence between Gens. Grant and

Lee, leading to the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia.-The conference

at M'Lean's house.-Gen. Lee announcing the terms of surrender.-A touching

scene at his headquarters.-Gen. Lee's farewell address to his army.-Magnani-

mous and delicate behaviour of Grant.-Gen. Lee's return to his home.-Great

exultation at Washington.-Secretary Stanton's congratulations.-Scene at the Pres-

ident's house.-Characteristic speech and last joke of Abraham Lincoln....... 700

CHAPTER XLIII.

Gen. Lee's surrender the decisive event of the war.-Strength and situation of the

Confederate forces South of Virginia.-Surrender of Johnston's army.-Gen.

Johnston's line of retreat from Raleigh.-Sherman's pursuit.—The conference at

Durham Station.-Sherman's "memorandum or basis of agreement."-He attempts

an extraordinary game of hypocrisy.-His astounding eonfessions at Washington.

-Curious speech at a soldiers' festival.-Sherman's convention with Johnston

repudiated at Washington.-Johnston compelled to surrender on the terms given

Lee. -Review of the sections of Confederate defence.-Operations in the Southwest.

-Capture of Mobile.-Wilson's expedition.-The expedition of Gen. Canby against

Mobile and Central Alabama-Statements of his force.-The works and garrison

of Mobile.-Siege of Spanish Fort.-Gen. Maury orders its evacuation.-Capture of

Fort Blakely.-Evacuation of Mobile.-How Wilson's cavalry was to co-operate

with Canby.-Disposition of the forces of Gens. Forrest and Roddy.-Capture of

Selma, Montgomery and Columbus.-The Heroic episode of West Point.-Wilson

advances upon Macon.-News of Sherman's truce.-Surrender of all the confed-

erate forces in Alabama, Mississippi and East Louisiana.-The Trans-Mississippi.—

Surrender of Gen. Smith.-Hope of prolonging the war west of the Mississippi

River. The last calculation of " European recognition."-Surrender of the Trans-

Mississippi army to Gen. Canby.-The downfall of the Confederacy complete.-Some

reflections on the termination of the war.-Its flat conclusion.-No grand catas-

trophe.-Explanation of this.-Theories, to account for the failure of the Confederacy.

-The vulgar argument of the numerical superiority of the North.-How this

argument is defective.-The true basis of comparison between the military forces

of North and South.-The numerical inequality not sufficient to determine the war

against the South.-Inconsistency of this argument on the part of Southern leaders.

-The relation of numbers to other elements of armed contest.-What advantages

the South had in the extent and features of her territory.-General conclusion and

an important reflection consequent upon it.......
714

CHAPTER XLIV.

Proper limit of the narrative of the war.-A glance at its political consequences.—

General condition of the South after the war.-Alternative of policies at Washing-

ton. Hideous programme of the radicals.-The policy of reconciliation.-En-

lightened lesson of history.--The problem of "reconstruction."-Coincidence of

moderate Republicans with the Conservative plan.-Position of President Johnson.

-Estimate of the views and character of the new President.--His school of

politics, midway between those of Calhoun and Hamilton.-A happy position.-

The great historical issue.-Series of Radical measures in Congress.-The blindness

of despotism.-Plain consequences of the Radical policy.-The residuum of State

Rights claimed by the South.-President Johnson's declaration of another war.—

Have the Americans a government?-Differences of opinion in the South, corres-

pondent to the division of parties in the North.-A small and detestable faction

of time-servers.-Noble declaration of Ex-President Davis.-Eloquent appeal of

Henry A. Wise.-Basis for a new Southern party.-The South to surrender only

what the war conquered.-What the war determined, and what it did not deter-

mine. The new arena of contest and "the War of Ideas."-Coarse and superficial

advice to the South about material prosperity.-An aspiration of Gov. Orr of

South Carolina.-The South should not lose its moral and intellectual distinct-

iveness as a people.-Questions outside the pale of the war.-Rights, duties and

hopes of the South.-What would be the extremity of her humiliation.........743