ies；　the　distribution　of　the　arms；　and　the　resumption　of　peaceful　pursuits　by　the　officers　and　men　hitherto　composing　said　armies。
  Not　being　fully　empowered　by　our　respective　principals　to　fulfill　these　terms；　we　individually　and　officially　pledge　ourselves　to　promptly　obtain　the　necessary　authority；　and　to　carry　out　the　above　programme。
  W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General；　Commanding　Army　of　the　United　States　in　North　Carolina。
  J。　E。　JOHNSTON；　General；　Commanding　Confederate　States　Army　in　North　Carolina。
  Major　Hitchcock　got　off　on　the　morning　of　the　20th；　and　I　reckoned　that　it　would　take　him　four　or　five　days　to　go　to　Washington　and　back。　　During　that　time　the　repairs　on　all　the　railroads　and　telegraph…lines　were　pushed　with　energy；　and　we　also　got　possession　of　the　railroad　and　telegraph　from　Raleigh　to　Weldon；　in　the　direction　of　Norfolk。　　Meantime　the　troops　remained　statu　quo；　our　cavalry　occupying　Durham's　Station　and　Chapel　Hill。　　General　Slocum's　head　of　column　was　at　Aven's　Ferry　on　Cape　Fear　River；　and　General　Howard's　was　strung　along　the　railroad　toward　Hillsboro'；　the　rest　of　the　army　was　in　and　about　Raleigh。
  On　the　20th　I　reviewed　the　Tenth　Corps；　and　was　much　pleased　at　the　appearance　of　General　Paines's　division　of　black　troops；　the　first　I　had　ever　seen　as　a　part　of　an　organized　army；　and　on　the　21st　I　reviewed　the　Twenty…third　Corps；　which　had　been　with　me　to　Atlanta；　but　had　returned　to　Nashville　had　formed　an　essential　part　of　the　army　which　fought　at　Franklin；　and　with　which　General　Thomas　had　defeated　General　Hood　in　Tennessee。　　It　had　then　been　transferred　rapidly　by　rail　to　Baltimore　and　Washington　by　General　Grant's　orders；　and　thence　by　sea　to　North　Carolina。　　Nothing　of　interest　happened　at　Raleigh　till　the　evening　of　April　23d；　when　Major　Hitchcock　reported　by　telegraph　his　return　to　Morehead　City；　and　that　he　would　come　up　by　rail　during　the　night。　　He　arrived　at　6　a。m。；　April　24th；　accompanied　by　General　Grant　and　one　or　two　officers　of　his　staff；　who　had　not　telegraphed　the　fact　of　their　being　on　the　train；　for　prudential　reasons。　　Of　course；　I　was　both　surprised　and　pleased　to　see　the　general；　soon　learned　that　my　terms　with　Johnston　had　been　disapproved；　was　instructed　by　him　to　give　the　forty…eight　hours'　notice　required　by　the　terms　of　the　truce；　and　afterward　to　proceed　to　attack　or　follow　him。　　I　immediately　telegraphed　to　General　Kilpatrick；　at　Durham's；　to　have　a　mounted　courier　ready　to　carry　the　following　message；　then　on　its　way　up　by　rail；　to　the　rebel　lines：
  HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI　IN　THE　FIELD；　RALEIGH；　NORTH　CAROLINA；　April　24；　1865　6　A。M。
  General　JOHNSTON；　commanding　Confederate　Army；　Greensboro'：
  You　will　take　notice　that　the　truce　or　suspension　of　hostilities　agreed　to　between　us　will　cease　in　forty…eight　hours　after　this　is　received　at　your　lines；　under　the　first　of　the　articles　of　agreement。
  W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General。
  At　the　same　time　I　wrote　another　short　note　to　General　Johnston；　of　the　same　date：
  I　have　replies　from　Washington　to　my　communications　of　April　18th。　I　am　instructed　to　limit　my　operations　to　your　immediate　command；　and　not　to　attempt　civil　negotiations。　　I　therefore　demand　the　surrender　of　your　army　on　the　same　terms　as　were　given　to　General　Lee　at　Appomattox；　April　9th　instant；　purely　and　simply。
  Of　course；　both　these　papers　were　shown　to　General　Grant　at　the　time；　before　they　were　sent；　and　he　approved　of　them。
  At　the　same　time　orders　were　sent　to　all　parts　of　the　army　to　be　ready　to　resume　the　pursuit　of　the　enemy　on　the　expiration　of　the　forty…eight　hours'　truce；　and　messages　were　sent　to　General　Gillmore　（at　Hilton　Head）　to　the　same　effect；　with　instructions　to　get　a　similar　message　through　to　General　Wilson；　at　Macon；　by　some　means。
  General　Grant　had　brought　with　him；　from　Washington；　written　answers　from　the　Secretary　of　War；　and　of　himself；　to　my　communications　of　the　18th；　which　I　still　possess；　and　here　give　the　originals。　　They　embrace　the　copy　of　a　dispatch　made　by　Mr。　Stanton　to　General　Grant；　when　he　was　pressing　Lee　at　Appomattox；　which　dispatch；　if　sent　me　at　the　same　time　（as　should　have　been　done）；　would　have　saved　a　world　of　trouble。　　I　did　not　understand　that　General　Grant　had　come　down　to　supersede　me　in　command；　nor　did　he　intimate　it；　nor　did　I　receive　these　communications　as　a　serious　reproof；　but　promptly　acted　on　them；　as　is　already　shown；　and　in　this　connection　I　give　my　answer　made　to　General　Grant；　at　Raleigh；　before　I　had　received　any　answer　from　General　Johnston　to　the　demand　far　the　surrender　of　his　own　army；　as　well　as　my　answer　to　Mr。　Stanton's　letter；　of　the　same　date；　both　written　on　the　supposition　that　I　might　have　to　start　suddenly　in　pursuit　of　Johnston；　and　have　no　other　chance　to　explain。
  WAR　DEPARTMENT；　WASHINGTON　CITY；　April　21；　1865。
  Lieutenant…General　GRANT。
  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　telegraph　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　Major…General　Sherman；　and　direct　operations　against　the　enemy。
  Yours　truly；
  EDWIN　M。　STANTON；　Secretary　of　War。
  The　following　telegram　was　received　2　p。m。；　City　Point；　March　4；　1865　（from　Washington；　12　M。；　March　3；1865）
  ＇CIPHER＇
  OFFICE　UNITED　STATES　MILITARY　TELEGRAPH；　HEADQUARTERS　ARMIES　OF　THE　UNITED　STATES
  Lieutenant…General　GRANT：
  The　President　directs　me　to　say　to　you　that　he　wishes　you　to　have　no　conference　with　General　Lee；　unless　it　be　for　the　capitulation　of　Lee's　army　or　on　solely　minor　and　purely　military　matters。
  He　instructs　me　to　say　that　you　are　not　to　decide；　discuss；　or　confer　upon　any　political　question；　such　questions　the　President　holds　in　his　own　hands；　and　will　submit　them　to　no　military　conferences　or　conventions。
  Meantime　you　are　to　press　to　the　utmost　your　military　advantages。
  EDWIN　M。　　STANTON；　；Secretary　of　War。
  HEADQUARTERS　ARMIES　OF　THE　UNITED　STATES　WASHINGTON；　D。C。　　April　21；　1865。
  Major…General　W。　T。　SHERMAN；　commanding　Military　Division　of　the　Mississippi。
  GENERAL：　The　basis　of　agreement　entered　into　between　yourself　and　General　J。　E。　Johnston；　for　the　disbandment　of　the　Southern　army；　and　the　extension　of　the　authority　of　the　General　Government　over　all　the　territory　belonging　to　it；　sent　for　the　approval　of　the　President；　is　received。
  I　read　it　carefully　myself　before　submitting　it　to　the　President　and　Secretary　of　War；　and　felt　satisfied　that　it　could　not　possibly　be　approved。　　My　reason　for　these　views　I　will　give　you　at　another　time；　in　a　more　extended　letter。
  Your　agreement　touches　upon　questions　of　such　vital　importance　that；　as　soon　as　read；　I　addressed　a　note　to　the　Secretary　of　War；　notifying　him　of　their　receipt；　and　the　importance　of　immediate　action　by　the　President；　and　suggested；　in　view　of　their　importance；　that　the　entire　Cabinet　be　called　together；　that　all　might　give　an　expression　of　their　opinions　upon　the　matter。　　The　result　was　a　disapproval　by　the　President　of　the　basis　laid　down；　a　disapproval　of　the　negotiations　altogether　except　for　the　surrender　of　the　army　commanded　by　General　Johnston；　and　directions　to　me　to　notify　you　of　this　decision。　　I　cannot　do　no　better　than　by　sending　you　the　inclosed　copy　of　a　dispatch　（penned　by　the　late　President；　though　signed　by　the　Secretary　of　War）　in　answer　to　me；　on　sending　a　letter　received　from　General　Lee；　proposing　to　meet　me　for　the　purpose　of　submitting　the　question　of　peace　to　a　convention　of　officers。
  Please　notify　General　Johnston；；　immediately　on　receipt　of　this；　of　the　termination　of　the　truce；　and　resume　hostilities　against　his　army　at　the　earliest　moment　you　can；　acting　in　good　faith。
  Very　respectfully　your　obedient　servant；
  U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieutenant…General。
  HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI　IN　THE　FIELD；　RALEIGH；　NORTH　CAROLINA；　April　25；　1865。
  Lieutenant…General　U。　S。　GRANT；　present。
  GENERAL：　I　had　the　honor　to　receive　your　letter　of　April　21st；　with　inclosures；　yesterday；　and　was　well　pleased　that　you　came　along；　as　you　must　have　observed　that　I　held　the　military　control　so　as　to　adapt　it　to　any　phase　the　case　might　assume。
  It　is　but　just　I　should　record　the　fact　that　I　made　my　terms　with　General　Johnston　under　the　influence　of　the　liberal　terms　you　extended　to　the　army　of　General　Lee　at　Appomattox　Court…House　on　the　9th；　and　the　seeming　policy　of　our　Government；　as　evinced　by　the　call　of　the　Virginia　Legislature　and　Governor　back　to　Richmond；　under　yours　and　President　Lincoln's　very　eyes。
  It　now　appears　this　last　act　was　done　without　any　consultation　with　you　or　any　knowledge　of　Mr。　Lincoln；　but　rather　in　opposition　to　a　previous　policy　well　considered。
  I　have　not　the　least　desi