realized　that　it　made　my　situation　extremely　delicate。　　I　explained　to　him　that　I　had　not　yet　revealed　the　news　to　my　own　personal　staff　or　to　the　army；　and　that　I　dreaded　the　effect　when　made　known　in　Raleigh。　　Mr。　Lincoln　was　peculiarly　endeared　to　the　soldiers；　and　I　feared　that　some　foolish　woman　or　man　in　Raleigh　might　say　something　or　do　something　that　would　madden　our　men；　and　that　a　fate　worse　than　that　of　Columbia　would　befall　the　place。
  I　then　told　Johnston　that　he　must　be　convinced　that　he　could　not　oppose　my　army；　and　that；　since　Lee　had　surrendered；　he　could　do　the　same　with　honor　and　propriety。　　He　plainly　and　repeatedly　admitted　this；　and　added　that　any　further　fighting　would　be　〃murder；〃　but　he　thought　that；　instead　of　surrendering　piecemeal；　we　might　arrange　terms　that　would　embrace　all　the　Confederate　armies。　　I　asked　him　if　he　could　control　other　armies　than　his　own；　he　said；　not　then；　but　intimated　that　he　could　procure　authority　from　Mr。　Davis。　　I　then　told　him　that　I　had　recently　had　an　interview　with　General　Grant　and　President　Lincoln；　and　that　I　was　possessed　of　their　views；　that　with　them　and　the　people　North　there　seemed　to　be　no　vindictive　feeling　against　the　Confederate　armies；　but　there　was　against　Davis　and　his　political　adherents；　and　that　the　terms　that　General　Grant　had　given　to　General　Lee's　army　were　certainly　most　generous　and　liberal。　　All　this　he　admitted；　but　always　recurred　to　the　idea　of　a　universal　surrender；　embracing　his　own　army；　that　of　Dick　Taylor　in　Louisiana　and　Texas；　and　of　Maury；　Forrest；　and　others；　in　Alabama　and　Georgia。　　General　Johnston's　account　of　our　interview　in　his　〃Narrative〃　（page　402；　et　seq。）　is　quite　accurate　and　correct；　only　I　do　not　recall　his　naming　the　capitulation　of　Loeben；　to　which　he　refers。　　Our　conversation　was　very　general　and　extremely　cordial；　satisfying　me　that　it　could　have　but　one　result；　and　that　which　we　all　desired；　viz。；　to　end　the　war　as　quickly　as　possible；　and；　being　anxious　to　return　to　Raleigh　before　the　news　of　Mr。　Lincoln's　assassination　could　be　divulged；　on　General　Johnston's　saying　that　he　thought　that；　during　the　night；　he　could　procure　authority　to　act　in　the　name　of　all　the　Confederate　armies　in　existence　we　agreed　to　meet　again　the　next　day　at　noon　at　the　same　place；　and　parted；　he　for　Hillsboro'　and　I　for　Raleigh。
  We　rode　back　to　Durham's　Station　in　the　order　we　had　come；　and　then　I　showed　the　dispatch　announcing　Mr。　Lincoln's　death。　　I　cautioned　the　officers　to　watch　the　soldiers　closely；　to　prevent　any　violent　retaliation　by　them；　leaving　that　to　the　Government　at　Washington；　and　on　our　way　back　to　Raleigh　in　the　cars　I　showed　the　same　dispatch　to　General　Logan　and　to　several　of　the　officers　of　the　Fifteenth　Corps　that　were　posted　at　Morrisville　and　Jones's　Station；　all　of　whom　were　deeply　impressed　by　it；　but　all　gave　their　opinion　that　this　sad　news　should　not　change　our　general　course　of　action。
  As　soon　as　I　reached　Raleigh　I　published　the　following　orders　to　the　army；　announcing　the　assassination　of　the　President；　and　I　doubt　if；　in　the　whole　land；　there　were　more　sincere　mourners　over　his　sad　fate　than　were　then　in　and　about　Raleigh。　　I　watched　the　effect　closely；　and　was　gratified　that　there　was　no　single　act　of　retaliation；　though　I　saw　and　felt　that　one　single　word　by　me　would　have　laid　the　city　in　ashes；　and　turned　its　whole　population　houseless　upon　the　country；　if　not　worse：
  ＇Special　Field　Orders；　No。　　56。＇
  HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI　IN　THE　FIELD；　RALEIGH；　NORTH　CAROLINA；　April　17；　1865。
  The　general　commanding　announces；　with　pain　and　sorrow；　that　on　the　evening　of　the　14th　instant；　at　the　theatre　in　Washington　city；　his　Excellency　the　President　of　the　United　States；　Mr。　Lincoln；　was　assassinated　by　one　who　uttered　the　State　motto　of　Virginia。　　At　the　same　time；　the　Secretary　of　State；　Mr。　Seward；　while　suffering　from　a　broken　arm；　was　also　stabbed　by　another　murderer　in　his　own　house；　but　still　survives；　and　his　son　was　wounded；　supposed　fatally。　　It　is　believed；　by　persons　capable　of　judging；　that　other　high　officers　were　designed　to　share　the　same　fate。　　Thus　it　seems　that　our　enemy；　despairing　of　meeting　us　in　open；　manly　warfare；　begins　to　resort　to　the　assassin's　tools。
  Your　general　does　not　wish　you　to　infer　that　this　is　universal；　for　he　knows　that　the　great　mass　of　the　Confederate　army　world　scorn　to　sanction　each　acts；　but　he　believes　it　the　legitimate　consequence　of　rebellion　against　rightful　authority。
  We　have　met　every　phase　which　this　war　has　assumed；　and　must　now　be　prepared　for　it　in　its　last　and　worst　shape；　that　of　assassins　and　guerrillas；　but　woe　onto　the　people　who　seek　to　expend　their　wild　passions　in　such　a　manner；　for　there　is　but　one　dread　result！
  By　order　of　Major…General　W。　T。　Sherman；
  L。　　M。　　DAYTON；　Assistant　Adjutant…General。
  During　the　evening　of　the　17th　and　morning　of　the　18th　I　saw　nearly　all　the　general　officers　of　the　army　（Schofield；　Slocum；　Howard；　Logan；　Blair）；　and　we　talked　over　the　matter　of　the　conference　at　Bennett's　house　of　the　day　before；　and；　without　exception；　all　advised　me　to　agree　to　some　terms；　for　they　all　dreaded　the　long　and　harassing　march　in　pursuit　of　a　dissolving　and　fleeing　army…a　march　that　might　carry　us　back　again　over　the　thousand　miles　that　we　had　just　accomplished。　　We　all　knew　that　if　we　could　bring　Johnston's　army　to　bay；　we　could　destroy　it　in　an　hour；　but　that　was　simply　impossible　in　the　country　in　which　we　found　ourselves。　We　discussed　all　the　probabilities；　among　which　was；　whether；　if　Johnston　made　a　point　of　it；　I　should　assent　to　the　escape　from　the　country　of　Jeff。　Davis　and　his　fugitive　cabinet；　and　some　one　of　my　general　officers；　either　Logan　or　Blair；　insisted　that；　if　asked　for；　we　should　even　provide　a　vessel　to　carry　them　to　Nassau　from　Charleston。
  The　next　morning　I　again　started　in　the　cars　to　Durham's　Station；　accompanied　by　most　of　my　personal　staff；　and　by　Generals　Blair；　Barry；　Howard；　etc。；　and；　reaching　General　Kilpatrick's　headquarters　at　Durham's；　we　again　mounted；　and　rode；　with　the　same　escort　of　the　day；　before；　to　Bennett's　house；　reaching　there　punctually　at　noon。　　General　Johnston　had　not　yet　arrived；　but　a　courier　shortly　came；　and　reported　him　as　on　the　way。　　It　must　have　been　nearly　2　p。m。　　when　he　arrived；　as　before；　with　General　Wade　Hampton。　　He　had　halted　his　escort　out　of　sight；　and　we　again　entered　Bennett's　house；　and　I　closed　the　door。　　General　Johnston　then　assured　me　that　he　had　authority　over　all　the　Confederate　armies；　so　that　they　would　obey　his　orders　to　surrender　on　the　same　terms　with　his　own；　but　he　argued　that；　to　obtain　so　cheaply　this　desirable　result；　I　ought　to　give　his　men　and　officers　some　assurance　of　their　political　rights　after　their　surrender。　　I　explained　to　him　that　Mr。　Lincoln's　proclamation　of　amnesty；　of　December　8；　1863；　still　in　force；　enabled　every　Confederate　soldier　and　officer；　below　the　rank　of　colonel；　to　obtain　an　absolute　pardon；　by　simply　laying　down　his　arms；　and　taking　the　common　oath　of　allegiance；　and　that　General　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　Genera