Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/977

made, and there then followed a mass meeting in front of the old Exchange hotel at Montgomery, at which speeches were made by Judah P. Benjamin, then attorney-general, and John H. Reagan, postmaster-general, and the sentiment enthusiastically expressed that as Lincoln had declared war, the Southern forces should march to Bunker Hill monument and demand peace. The reason why this view failed—a view that now seems sadly extravagant—is that another sentiment was widespread which was expressed to Mr. Groner by President Davis himself at their first meeting, at which Hon. Lawrence Keitt, ex-Federal congressman, and later Confederate congressman from South Carolina, was present. Having stated in response to a question, that he believed Northern sentiment to favor any compromise that the Southern States would accept and remain in the Union, but that the North was practically unanimous upon the point that if the States seceded and formed a separate government, any measures would be justifiable to bring them back into the Union, Mr. Davis replied to him, "This cannot be so. The people of the North should not take such action, in view of the unmistakable constitutional right of each State to secede and separate whenever it deems the cause justifies such action." Because of this general but mistaken confidence, the possible use of the South's cotton in the purchase of an adequate supply of munitions of war was neglected and a very large number of regiments were not sent to the front for lack of arms. Upon the removal of the Confederate government to Richmond, Captain Groner was assigned to duty in the war department as assistant adjutant-general and discharged important duties in connection with the organization of the troops. In the fall of 1862 he entered upon active service in command of a North Carolina regiment of cavalry, and was stationed on the Blackwater river, Virginia, where he had several skirmishes with the Eleventh Pennsylvania cavalry. During the first campaign in Maryland he commanded the Sixty-first Virginia infantry, at Warrenton, Va., and upon the return of the army to Culpeper Court House, he held Warrenton, in command of his regiment, a regiment of Virginia cavalry, a Mississippi infantry battalion, and two batteries, until the advance of McClellan compelled his withdrawal, when in obedience to orders he moved to the Rappahannock, opposite Falmouth, where he observed the arrival of the Federal army. Informing General Lee of the situation he was ordered, if he could not hold the ford, to rejoin the army on the line of the North Anna. But the Rappahannock was very high, the Federal army was consequently greatly delayed, Lee concentrated at Fredericksburg, held that line many months, and fought there two of the most successful battles of the war. Here Colonel Groner's regiment became part of Mahone's brigade, and upon the promotion of the latter to major-general, he on many occasions commanded the brigade. After surrendering at Appomattox, he rode into Richmond, and was the recipient of kind attentions from General Ord and General Patrick, provost marshal-general. At Norfolk, however, the general in command treated the Confederate officers with such indignity that Colonel Groner reported his conduct to General Grant, who promptly relieved the offender from command. At this time began his friendship for Grant, which continued with unabated warmth until the