Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 26.djvu/108

 98 Southern Historical Society Papers.

than one hundred years, the " cats " of all three armies finally fight- ing side by side in the war between the States.

NEW PAGES OF HISTORY.

In response to a request made of him, that he would write some personal reminiscences of the late Chief of the Southern Cause, with whom he was so closely identified, and whose most implicit confi- dence he enjoyed during the last days of the Confederacy, Mr. Clark has edited, for the perusal of readers of The Times, the fol- lowing absorbing story:

Partial histories of the evacuation of the Confederate Capitol have been written by many, but few sketches have been given by those who followed the civil government in its retreat South until by sur- render of its chief armies it lost the power to defend the country and protect itself from capture, when natural disintegration took place, executive power ceased, and all hope of the cause was lost, except by the most sanguine.

It was my privilege to be with the President and Cabinet from the evacuation of Richmond until within a few days of the capture of himself and family, a portion of his staff, and the sole Cabinet officer remaining with him.

As the government slowly fell to pieces, as quartermaster and commissary of the party, and member of his military family, I was naturally thrown nearer and nearer to his person, until below San- dersville, Georgia, on the 6th or jth of May, 1865, giving me my final orders, he sent me on with my train of supplies to Florida, he said: "abandoning for the present everything on wheels," and left to temporarily join and protect his family.

The history of the capture of his party and family has been writ- ten.

DANVILLE TO GREENSBORO.

The government was established for a week at Danville, Virginia, where the various departments were opened, and routine business taken up.

The surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia necessitated re- tirement to Greensboro, North Carolina. The surrender of this hitherto invincible army came with the paralyzing shock of a sudden earthquake, stoutly denied by many as a thing impossible, but