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　desire　to　interfere　in　the　civil　policy　of　our　Government；　but　would　shun　it　as　something　not　to　my　liking；　but　occasions　do　arise　when　a　prompt　seizure　of　results　is　forced　on　military　commanders　not　in　immediate　communication　with　the　proper　authority。　　It　is　probable　that　the　terms　signed　by　General　Johnston　and　myself　were　not　clear　enough　on　the　point；　well　understood　between　us；　that　our　negotiations　did　not　apply　to　any　parties　outside　the　officers　and　men　of　the　Confederate　armies；　which　could　easily　have　been　remedied。
  No　surrender　of　any　army　not　actually　at　the　mercy　of　an　antagonist　was　ever　made　without　〃terms；〃　and　these　always　define　the　military　status　of　the　surrendered。　　Thus　you　stipulated　that　the　officers　and　men　of　Lee's　army　should　not　be　molested　at　their　homes　so　long　as　they　obeyed　the　laws　at　the　place　of　their　residence。
  I　do　not　wish　to　discuss　these　points　involved　in　our　recognition　of　the　State　governments　in　actual　existence；　but　will　merely　state　my　conclusions；　to　await　the　solution　of　the　future。
  Such　action　on　our　part　in　no　manner　recognizes　for　a　moment　the　so…called　Confederate　Government；　or　makes　us　liable　for　its　debts　or　acts。
  The　laws　and　acts　done　by　the　several　States　during　the　period　of　rebellion　are　void；　because　done　without　the　oath　prescribed　by　our　Constitution　of　the　United　States；　which　is　a　〃condition　precedent。〃
  We　have　a　right　to；　use　any　sort　of　machinery　to　produce　military　results；　and　it　is　the　commonest　thing　for　military　commanders　to　use　the　civil　governments　in　actual　existence　as　a　means　to　an　end。　I　do　believe　we　could　and　can　use　the　present　State　governments　lawfully；　constitutionally；　and　as　the　very　best　possible　means　to　produce　the　object　desired；　viz。；　entire　and　complete　submission　to　the　lawful　authority　of　the　United　States。
  As　to　punishment　for　past　crimes；　that　is　for　the　judiciary；　and　can　in　no　manner　of　way　be　disturbed　by　our　acts；　and；　so　far　as　I　can；　I　will　use　my　influence　that　rebels　shall　suffer　all　the　personal　punishment　prescribed　by　law；　as　also　the　civil　liabilities　arising　from　their　past　acts。
  What　we　now　want　is　the　new　form　of　law　by　which　common　men　may　regain　the　positions　of　industry；　so　long　disturbed　by　the　war。
  I　now　apprehend　that　the　rebel　armies　will　disperse；　and；　instead　of　dealing　with　six　or　seven　States；　we　will　have　to　deal　with　numberless　bands　of　desperadoes；　headed　by　such　men　as　Mosby；　Forrest；　Red　Jackson；　and　others；　who　know　not　and　care　not　for　danger　and　its　consequences。
  I　am；　with　great　respect；　your　obedient　servant；
  W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General　commanding。
  HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI　IN　THE　FIELD；　RALEIGH；　NORTH　CAROLINA；　April　25；　1865。
  Hon。　E。　M。　STANTON；　Secretary　of　War；　Washington。
  DEAR　SIR：　I　have　been　furnished　a　copy　of　your　letter　of　April　21st　to　General　Grant；　signifying　your　disapproval　of　the　terms　on　which　General　Johnston　proposed　to　disarm　and　disperse　the　insurgents；　on　condition　of　amnesty；　etc。　　I　admit　my　folly　in　embracing　in　a　military　convention　any　civil　matters；　but；　unfortunately；　such　is　the　nature　of　our　situation　that　they　seem　inextricably　united；　and　I　understood　from　you　at　Savannah　that　the　financial　state　of　the　country　demanded　military　success；　and　would　warrant　a　little　bending　to　policy。
  When　I　had　my　conference　with　General　Johnston　I　had　the　public　examples　before　me　of　General　Grant's　terms　to　Lee's　army；　and　General　Weitzel's　invitation　to　the　Virginia　Legislature　to　assemble　at　Richmond。
  I　still　believe　the　General　Government　of　the　United　States　has　made　a　mistake；　but　that　is　none　of　my　businessmine　is　a　different　task；　and　I　had　flattered　myself　that；　by　four　years　of　patient；　unremitting；　and　successful　labor；　I　deserved　no　reminder　such　as　is　contained　in　the　last　paragraph　of　your　letter　to　General　Grant。　　You　may　assure　the　President　that　I　heed　his　suggestion。　　I　am　truly；　etc。；
  W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General　commanding。
  On　the　same　day；　but　later；　I　received　an　answer　from　General　Johnston；　agreeing　to　meet　me　again　at　Bennett's　house　the　next　day；　April　26th；　at　noon。　　He　did　not　even　know　that　General　Grant　was　in　Raleigh。
  General　Grant　advised　me　to　meet　him；　and　to　accept　his　surrender　on　the　same　terms　as　his　with　General　Lee；　and　on　the　26th　I　again　went　up　to　Durham's　Station　by　rail；　and　rode　out　to　Bennett's　house；　where　we　again　met；　and　General　Johneton；　without　hesitation；　agreed　to；　and　we　executed；　the　following　final　terms：
  Terms　of　a　Military　Convention；　entered　into　this　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：
  1。　　All　acts　of　war　on　the　part　of　the　troops　under　General　Johnston's　command　to　cease　from　this　date。
  2。　　All　arms　and　public　property　to　be　deposited　at　Greensboro'；　and　delivered　to　an　ordnance…officer　of　the　United　States　Army。
  3。　　Rolls　of　all　the　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。
  4。　　The　side…arms　of　officers；　and　their　private　horses　and　baggage；　to　be　retained　by　them。
  5。　　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　obligation　and　the　laws　in　force　where　they　may　reside。
  W。　T。　　SHERMAN；　Major…General；　Commanding　United　States　Forces　in　North　Carolina。
  J。　E。　JOHNSTON；　General；　Commanding　Confederate　States　Forces　in　North　Carolina。
  Approved：
  U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieutenant…General。
  I　returned　to　Raleigh　the　same　evening；　and；　at　my　request；　General　Grant　wrote　on　these　terms　his　approval；　and　then　I　thought　the　matter　was　surely　at　an　end。　　He　took　the　original　copy；　on　the　27th　returned　to　Newbern；　and　thence　went　back　to　Washington。
  I　immediately　made　all　the　orders　necessary　to　carry　into　effect　the　terms　of　this　convention；　devolving　on　General　Schofield　the　details　of　granting　the　parole　and　making　the　muster…rolls　of　prisoners；　inventories　of　property；　etc。；　of　General　Johnston's　army　at　and　about　Greensboro'；　North　Carolina；　and　on　General　Wilson　the　same　duties　in　Georgia；　but；　thus　far；　I　had　been　compelled　to　communicate　with　the　latter　through　rebel　sources；　and　General　Wilson　was　necessarily　confused　by　the　conflict　of　orders　and　information。　　I　deemed　it　of　the　utmost　importance　to　establish　for　him　a　more　reliable　base　of　information　and　supply；　and　accordingly　resolved　to　go　in　person　to　Savannah　for　that　purpose。　But；　before　starting；　I　received　a　New　York　Times；　of　April　24th；　containing　the　following　extraordinary　communications：
  ＇First　Bulletin＇
  WAR　DEPARTMENT　WASHINGTON；　April　22；　1885。
  Yesterday　evening　a　bearer　of　dispatches　arrived　from　General　Sherman。　　An　agreement　for　a　suspension　of　hostilities；　and　a　memorandum　of　what　is　called　a　basiS　for　peace；　had　been　entered　into　on　the　18th　inSt。　　by　General　Sherman；　with　the　rebel　General　Johnston。　　Brigadier…General　Breckenridge　was　present　at　the　conference。
  A　cabinet　meeting　was　held　at　eight　o'clock　in　the　evening；　at　which　the　action　of　General　Sherman　was　disapproved　by　the　President；　by　the　Secretary　of　War；　by　General　Grant；　and　by　every　member　of　the　cabinet。　　General　Sherman　was　ordered　to　resume　hostilities　immediately；　and　was　directed　that　the　instructions　given　by　the　late　President；　in　the　following　telegram；　which　was　penned　by　Mr。　Lincoln　himself；　at　the　Capitol；　on　the　night　of　the　3d　of　March；　were　approved　by　President　Andrew　Johnson；　and　were　reiterated　to　govern　the　action　of　military　commanders。
  On　the　night　of　the　3d　of　March；　while　President　Lincoln　and　his　cabinet　were　at　the　Capitol；　a　telegram　from　General　Grant　was　brought　to　the　Secretary　of　War；　informing　him　that　General　Lee　had　requested　an　interview　or　conference；　to　make　an　arrangement　for　terms　of　peace。　　The　letter　of　General　Lee　was　published　in　a　letter　to　Davis　and　to　the　rebel　Congress。　　General　Grant's　telegram　was　submitted　to　Mr。　Lincoln；　who；　after　pondering　a　few　minutes；　took　up　his　pen　and　wrote　with　his　own　hand　the　following　reply；　which　he　submitted　to　the　Secretary　of　State　and　Secretary　of　War。　　It　was　then　dated；　addressed；　and　signed；　by　the　Secretary　of　War；　and　telegraphed　to　General　Grant：
  WASHINGTON；　March　3；　1865…12　P。M。
  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　General　Lee's　army；　or　on　some　minor　or　purely　military　matter。　He　instructs　me　to　say　that　you　are　not　to　decide；　discuss