assault, and communications were opened with the fleet, which furnished ample supplies to his army. Savannah thus became a marine base for future operations. Sherman announced in a brief note to President Lincoln the evacuation of the city. “I beg to present you,” he writes, “as a Christmas gift, the city of Savannah, with 150 heavy guns, plenty of ammunition, and 25,000 bales of cotton.” His army had marched 300 miles in twenty-four days, through the heart of Georgia, and had lived in plenty all the way. The value of this splendid achievement cannot be overestimated. On 12 Aug. he had been appointed major-general in the U. S. army, and on 10 Jan. he received the thanks of congress for his “triumphal march.” After the occupation of Savannah the question arose whether Sherman should come north by sea or march with his army through the Atlantic states. He preferred the latter plan. Schofield, leaving Thomas in Tennessee, was sent by rail and steamers to the coast of North Carolina with his corps (23d) to march upon Goldsboro', N. C., to co-operate with him. Sherman left Savannah in February, moved through the Salkehatchie swamp, flanked Charleston, compelled its evacuation, and entered Columbia on the 17th. Thence he moved on Goldsboro' by way of Winnsboro', Cheraw, and Fayetteville, opening communication by Cape Fear river with Schofield on 12 March, fighting at Averysboro' and Bentonville, where the enemy resisted his advance vigorously. At Averysboro' on the 16th Gen. Henry W. Slocum with four divisions attacked the intrenched position of Gen. William J. Hardee, and, turning his left flank, compelled him to fall back, while the cavalry, under Gen. Hugh Judson Kilpatrick, were attacked and driven back by the Confederate infantry of Gen. Lafayette McLaws on the road to Bentonville. At the latter point Gen. Johnston's force was attacked in a strongly intrenched position on the 19th by the left wing of Sherman's army, under Gen. Slocum, whose right flank had been broken and driven back. After an obstinate combat, the Confederates withdrew in the night. Sherman and Schofield met at Goldsboro' on 23 and 24 March as originally planned. Leaving his troops there, he visited President Lincoln and Gen. Grant at City Point, returning to Goldsboro' on the 30th. The interview on board the “Ocean Queen” is represented in the accompanying vignette copy of a painting by G. P. A. Healy, entitled “The Peacemakers,” the fourth member of the group being Admiral Porter. Sherman is shown at the moment that he said to Mr. Lincoln: “If Lee will only remain in Richmond till I can reach Burkesville, we shall have him between our thumb and fingers,” suiting the action to the word.
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He was now ready to strike the Danville road,
break Lee's communications, and cut off his
retreat, or to re-enforce Grant in front of Richmond
for a final attack. He would be ready to move on
10 April. Johnston at Greensboro' received news of
Lee's surrender on the 12th, and on the 14th sent a
flag of truce to Sherman to know upon what terms
he would receive his surrender. “I am fully
empowered,” Sherman wrote to him, “to arrange with
you any terms for the suspension of hostilities, and
am willing to confer with you to that end. That
a base of action may be had, I undertake to abide
by the same conditions entered into by Gens. Grant
and Lee at Appomattox Court-House, Va., on the
9th inst.” After considerable correspondence and
a long interview with Gen. Johnston, having in
view an immediate and complete peace, Sherman
made a memorandum or basis of agreement
between the armies, which was considered by the
government as at once too lenient and exceeding
his powers. It included in terms of capitulation
not only the army of Johnston, but all the Confederate
troops remaining in the field. By the 7th
article it was announced in general terms “that
the war is to cease; a general amnesty so far as
the executive of the United States can command,
on condition of the disbandment of the Confederate
army, the distribution of arms, and the resumption
of peaceful pursuits by officers and men hitherto
composing said armies.” In order to secure
himself against the assumption of power, the article
is thus continued: “Not being fully empowered
by our respective principals to fulfil these terms,
we individually and officially pledge ourselves to
promptly obtain authority, and will endeavor to
carry out the above programme.” It was an honest
effort on the part of a humane commander to
put an end to the strife at once. Perhaps affairs
were somewhat complicated by the assassination of
President Lincoln on 14 April, which created great
indignation and sorrow. It not only affected the
terms between Johnston and Sherman, but it caused
the latter to fall under the suspicion of the secretary
of war. On their arrival in Washington they
were promptly and curtly disapproved by a
despatch sent, not to Sherman, but to Gen. Grant, on
the morning of 24 April, directing him to go at
once to North Carolina, by order of Sec. Stanton,
to repudiate the terms and to negotiate the
whole matter as in the case of Lee. Gen. Sherman
considered himself rebuked for his conduct. It
was supposed that in the terms of agreement there
was an acknowledgment of the Confederate
government and a proposed re-establishment of the
state authorities and that it might furnish a
ground of claim for the payment of the Confederate
debt in the future. Such certainly was not its
purpose, nor does it now appear that such could
have been its effect. Sherman was a soldier treating
with soldiers, and deserved more courteous and
considerate treatment from the government
authorities, even if in his enthusiasm he had
exceeded his powers. On 10 March. Sherman set out
for Alexandria, Va., and arrived on the 19th. He
determined then not to revisit Washington, but to
await orders in camp; but he afterward, at the
