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THE WEEKLY CONSTITUTION DECEMBER 27. 1S81. JOHNSTON’S JUDGMENTS. A STAHTLINO STATEMENT CON CERNING EX-PRESIDENT DAVIS. Be Xs Asked to Aeooont for More Than Two Millions of Dollars of Confederate Treasure—General Johnston Tells Some of the Secrets and Trials of His Campaigns. I’mt.ADEl.rniA, Pa., December 16,1881.—Not long ago I found myself upon u slow train on the rail road between Goldsboro, N. C., and Raleigh, the capital of the "tar heel” state. It was daytime, and I had gotten up early, and was consequently out of humor. A long, lank North Carolinian sat behind me, and every now and then would lean forward and coll my attention to some point of historic in terest, or wiTuld relate some ludicrous story which relieved the tedium of travel and soon bet tered my spirits. He tinally fell to asking questions, and his first was: "Say, stranger, I'll bet you war a yankco sol dier.” “Why do you think fo?” "You seem so mighty interested in the wa'. What did you belong to? War yon a footman, or did you Jiuc a critter regiment? We didn’t mind so much •bout them 'are walking men, but them critter sol diers war hell. Why, I have seen many a one on ’em that had got stealin' down so line that he’d milk afcow, on the keen run, into the mouth of a canteen without spillin' a drop.” "Thar s whar Joe Johnston and Sherman met be fore the final surrender, and whar all the deviltry was done," said my eccentric companion who hnd just given Ids unique estimate of the cavalry army of tiie federal service. He broke short off in the story In which I wns interested to point to a place not a stone’s throw from the railroad over which we were traveling. The spot is about six miles from Durham, N. C., that thriving town of several thousand inhabitants which has sprung up since the war, through the iudustry of a Mr. Blackwell, whom they say lias advanced from a poor teamster to be one of the richest men in the state. It is purely a tobacco manufacturing town, it has no other industry and seems to be content with its lot. It is really a striking example of what can ho done in the south by energy and pluck. Durham is the point where General Sherman stopped aa he came down from Raleigh by rail, and he there took to his saddle and rode across the country to meet General Johnston at the Bennett house—the place that my North Carolinian informant pointed out to me some miles down the road toward Greensboro. There is no business of life so weighty but that it has its lights as well as shades, but that it has its ludicrous as well ns serious sides. This fact was il lustrated In the important conference which pre ceded the final surrender of Jonston. The incident was told to me some years ago by a gentleman who bad it shortly after it occurred, from one of the principals. It wns at the second meeting between Sherman and Johnston; the terms of peace had been practically agreed upon the first day; there was only one serious difference, that was the exclusion of Jeff Davis and his cabinet from the terms of amnesty. General Breckinridge, Mr. Davis's secretary of war, lmd been brought in to represent the president’s position upon that ques tion. When the three were alone General Sherman took from one side of his saddle-bags] writing ma terials, and from the other, a bottle of spirits. The three took a social glass by way of introduction. It was pretty good liquor, which was a scarce article with the confederates in those days, and ns Breckin ridge was very fond of a drink, this introduction to the great general, who made “the march to the sea," was an agreeable one. The introduction over, General Sherman sat down to the table and began writing the famous terms of peace, which Secretary Stanton disapproved. Breckin ridge and Johnston sat near by, and every now and then Breckinridge's oyes would turn wistfully toward the bottle which sat near General Sherman’s elbow. The general, however, was intent upon his work, and ceemed oblivions to the presence of any one. At last he dropped his pen, ami grasped the coveted liquor. Breckinridge’s face at once lighted up with a. joyful expectancy,and dropping bis quid of tobacco from his mouth into his hand he tossed it briskly out of the door, and stroked liis heavy black mustache by way of preparation, and in evi dent anticipation of a renewal of the introduction. Sherman, however, was absorbed in his work. He simply poured a tablespoonful of liquor into the glass, drank it. set the bottle down, and went on with his writing without a word of recognition to cither of his companions. Breckinridge's cotintc- uaneo fell, he quickly arose from his seat, and with an evident shade of grave disappointment upon his face, walked to the window and looked sorrowfully out upon the beautiful evidences of spring time which greeted the close of the war. This reference to the terms of pence first made be tween General Sherman and Genera] Johnston affords a fitting opportunity to furnish the reasons why General Hhemiun treated President Johnson with perfect courtesy at the great military review in Washington soon niter the final surrender, when he took deliberate occasion to publicly insult Sec retary Stanton. It is a fact, doubtless stated in print here for the first time, and given upon indisputable authority. President Johnston took early opportu nity to assure General Sherman that he had no part in issuing the proclamation whicii, Sherman thought, offensively rejected the agreement he had made for the surrender of Johnston's arm v and the restoration of peace. He told General Sherman that he did not sign the proclamation, and knew noth ing of it until he saw it in the public prints; that the secretary of war had acted upon his individual authority in affixing his signature thereto. The president assured him that he approved his action, as it was based upon the views expressed by Presi dent Lincoln before his death. Ill the then excited state of the public mind he doubtless thought it best not to interfere \vith,the unauthorized action of the secretary of war, for it would have provoked a conflict, the result of which could hardly have been orcsccn. Reviewing those recollections of the important meeting between the two generals, who represented the remaining active forces after General Leo's sur render, recalls a very pleasant and instructive con versation l had with General Johnston not long since, when he gave me a very,vivid and striking narrative, not only of the meeting between himself and General Sherman, but of most of the exciting and important incidents whieh preceded it. This narrative from the lips of the greatest confederate soldier now living cannot fail to be of interest. "I was at a point not far from Columbia," said General Johnston, “when 1 received a telegraphic order from General Lee to take command of the army against which Sherman was operating, to con centrate it, and drive Sherman back. Onr armv was then marching in three columns, two of which were farther to the rear lliun -neitnan scenter. I obeyed orders so far as uniting the armv, but, of course, our force was not then large enough to seri ously interrupt General Shermans progress. It is doubtful whether it could have successfully re sisted any single column of hisarniy. We di 1 how ever make the best use of what force we had. As long as it was possible I kept upmy communication with General Lee, and we frequently conferred as to the plan of action. After the evacuation of Rich mond my communication with him was broken. Soon after I received a dispatch from Mr. Davis at Danville, Virginia, announcing the surrender: Danville, Vo., April 10, 1865.—General J. E. Johnston: A scout reports that General Lee sur rendered the remnant of his army near Appomat tox, C. H„ yesterday. Have no official intelligence of the event, but there is little room for doubt us to its correctness. General H. H. Walker is ordered with forces here to join you at Greensboro. Let me hear from you there; I will need to see you to con fer for future action. »<■■>* o Jekferson Davis. The following reply was sent: •RAl.Eic.it. April 11, 1865, 1:30 p.m.—His Excel lency, Jefferson Davis, Greensboro: Your dispatch received. Our infantry and artillery will be here to-night. Please order if I shall go to Greensboro. The enemy is beyoed Neuse river. In the direction of Goldsboro. I am not indispensable here. . , "J. E. Johnston." Before General Johnston sent the above dispatch Mr. Davis and a portion of his cabinet had arrived at Greensboro and Mr. Davis had transmitted the following dispatch: "Greensboro, April 11,1865.—General J. E. John ston : The secretary of war did not join me at Dan ville. Is expected her this afternoon. As your .situation may render best wil go to your head quarters immediately u ter the arrival o'f thesecre- tary of war. or you can come hen J In the former case our conference must be without the presence of General Beauregard. I have no official report Secretary ol war has not arrived. To save time, and have all information, it is probably oeltcrtbat you come here. In that event you will give the needful instructions to your second in command, and if circumstances warrant, suspend the move ment suggested in your dispatch of 3:30 pm., for a time, which will enable you to communicate from here with that officer, or to indicate that the line has been broken by the enemy so as to inter rupt communication. Jefferson Davis.” General Johnston returned the following reply: "6:00 p.m.. April 11th. 1865.—His Excellency, Jefferson Davis: Your dispatch of 3:30 p.m. re ceived. I will report at Greensboro as soon as practicable. Joseph E. Johnston.” "The morning of the 12th.” continued General Johnston, “found me in Goldsboro, the guest of General Beauregard. We carefully reviewed the condition of affairs, and agreed that. In view of the great disaster to our arras in the surrender of Gen eral Lee, the southern confederacy was overthrown. When we were summoned to the president’s office for consultation, we found him of an entirely dif ferent opinion. He Kt-emed to have no thought that the end was near, and went on giving informa tion as to the resources of the army, and mapping out plans for the future. He said in a few weeks lie could have a large army in the field, and pro ceeded to state his plans for a continuation of the war. Thcconference terminated without an opin ion, or information, being asked by him of any one present. The president seemed to have made up bis mind. and to be relying as usual upon his individual judg ment. General Breckinridge, the secretary oi war, had not tiieu arrived, but later in the day he reached Goldsboro and confirmed the report of the surrender of General Lee. 1 had a conversation with him later in the day, th which 1 expressed the conviction that the war was virtually at an end, and timt all the powers of government whieh re posed in the executive were destroyed except one— that was the tiower to terminate the war: and I ex pressed the decided opinion that this power should be exercised at once. I had not then expressed myself thus to Mr. Davis because he had given me no opportunity. At our conference he, rather to my surprise, gave information and opinions rather than songbt them. The conversation between Breckinridge and me, however, brought about a second conference, at which were present Mr. Davis and his cabinet, General Beauregard and myself. Mr. Davis asked my estimate of the relative strength of the available military forces of the two parties to the war. It was demonstrated that the armies of General Grant, General Sherman and General Can by aggregated something more than 310,000 available men, while the force at our command was not more than 25,000, all told. 1 took this occasion to say to Mr. Davis that, under the existing circum stances, it was his duty to exercise without delay the single function of government left in his hands, and open negotiations for peace; and that it would be the greatest of crimes to attempt to continue the war. the only possible effect of which would be to further devastate our country and to uselessly shed the bloo(l of our countrymen. General Breckin ridge, Mr. Mallory aud Mr. Reagan, ol Mr. Davis’s cabinet expressed themselves very decidedly against a continuance of the war, and thought it the president’s duty to make terms of peace at once. The president seemed considerably annoyed at these emphatic expressions against his views, and called attention to the result of the "Hampton Roads Conference,” which he said demonstrated that any termsoi peace he might offer would not be considered by the United States, or his authori ty to treat recognized. Mr. Benjamin sustained Mr. Davis, not only in his position, but in his scheme for continuing hostiliies, and made a dra matic speech in favor of prolonging the war. “I suggested to Mr. Davis, that military com manders frequently agreed to an arxnsistie.e, and initiated negotiations upon which their respective governments founded treaties of peace, and X pro posed that he should allow me to address General Sherman to this end. He rather objected to the latter part of the proposition, but suggested that I address General Sherman, asking a meeting to arrange the terms of an armistice. I suggested that the letter be then and there prepared; that Mr. Mallory should write It, and that 1 would sign and send it at once to General Sherman. The letter was written, and I dispatched it with all possible haste to General Hampton, who was authorized not only to forward it to General Sherman, but to arrange the time and place for the conference with any officer General Sherman might designate. X then left Mr. Davis and returned to my command, and on-the 16th of April received General Sherman’s favorable reply to my proposal for a.conference. General Hampton on the same day informed me that we were to meet at noon on the 17th of April at the house of Mr. Bennett, on the dirt road run ning from Hillsboro to Raleigh and about midway between the cavalry out-posts of tiie two armies. On tiie morning of the 17th, ac companied by my staff and about a com pany of cavalry I started for the place of meeting. I arri rived shortiy in advance of General Sherman, but saw him coming up the road as we halted, and 1 did not dismount until he rode np. We saluted as lie approached, dismount :d and walked into the house together. We were shown into a room that had been set apart for our use; the door was closed, and we were alone. The first thing General Sher man did was to hand me a telegram from the secre tary of war announcing the assassination of Presi dent Lincoln. He said he had received it by courier on his way to the conference, and that he had re frained from speaking of it, or showing tiie messuge to any one, lest it might create undue excitement among the troops, and lead to a mistaken impres sion that tiie crime had been incited or committed by the confederate authorities. I was therefore the first one in this section after General Sherman to receive the sad intelligence of Mr. Lincoln's murder. I expressed the conviction then that I have ever since held, that It was the greatest calamity that he offered me the same terms Grant had accorded to Geneaal Lee. I called his attention to the terms of my note, and that could have befallen the South. After the con vers tion, which the introduction of this subject provoked, the object of our meeting was brought up by General Sherman's remarking suggested that it did not contemplate a conference for surrender.but simply an nnnislice to permit the civil authorities of the two countries to negotiate terms of peace. He replied that the government of the United Suites did not recognize the existence of a southern confederacy and that he could not re ceive or transmit, any proposition addressed to the government of the United States by those claiming to he the civil authorities of the confederacy. He, however, expressed himself as exceedingly anxious to divert from the south such calamities as the con tinuation of the war would inevitably bring, and reiterated his offer of such terms as Grant gave to Lee. I reminded him that the position of our ar mies was vastly different from those of General Lee and General Grant: that mine was four days march from him, and that the distance could not be les sened, therefore I would not be justified In making a capitulation. After some further conversation I suggested that there were eminent precedents to justify us in going further than a mere suspension of hostilities. I cited several of them, and called his attention to the offers of Napoleon to the Arch Duke Charles, and again to other eminent military authorities who had negotiated terms of peace. Here began what to me was a very interesting part of the conference. General Sherman entered into the discussion of these military precedents with great interest. He evinced an earnest desire to pre vent further bloodshed, and to restore the union. When the question of authority to conduct negotiations to that end had been seit’.ed, we began to consider the terms which might be accorded to the southern states in view of their submission to theauthority of the United States. General Sherman had had along conversation with Mr. Lincoln, but a very short time before our meeting If hich furnished him with the basis for the terms of peace which we afterward agreed to. I have never had any doubt but that they were entirely in accordance with Mr. Lincoln's views, and would have been accepted and ratified by him, had he lived. It did not take us long to agree upon the terms, as expressed in the memorandum, which we signed at our second meet ing, with the exception of one clause; that was the one relating to amnesty for Mr. Davis and his cabinet. We spent most of the afternoon discusing this jjuestion, and at sun down bad reached no conclusion. General Sher man’s idea seemed to be to dispose of this question in some manner that would not jeopardize the rati fication of the terms of peace by his government, and hence the earnest consideration given to it. Ifwas after sunset before onr first conference was concluded.and we parted to meet the next morning at 10 o’clock. Immediately after we separated I telegraphed for Mr. Breckinridge, the secretary of war, whose confidential relations with Mr. Davis I thought would enable him to represent his position upon the amnesty question under consideration. Mr. Breckinridge came and, at Mr. Davis’s request, Mr. Reagan, the postmaster general, accompanied him. They joined at General Hampton'sjhead quarters shortly before daybreak on the 18th. 1 gave them a very full account of the first day's dis cussion between General Sherman and myself, aud the terms asdar as agreod upon. Mr. Reagan sat down and reduced them to writing, to facilitate the business of the second meeting. He included the articles for amnesty without excepting Mr. Davis or tiie cabinet. W.ien General Sherman and I met that morning I suggested to him the presence of General Breck inridge, and his close personal relations to the S resident of the confederacy, and proposed that he e admitted to the conference. General Sherman assented. When the memorandum as prepared by Mr. Reagan was handed me I read it to General Sherman who took it and immediately sat down at the table and began writing, holding the paper I had given him directly in front of him with his left hand. He had been writing but a moment when General Breckinridge interrupted him, and began makings speech upon the blessings of peace. General Sher man looked up from his work and gazed at him fixedlv until he had finishhd, when he took General Sherman about four or five days to communicate with the civil authorities of the United States and get a reply, but I did not receive Mr. Davis's approval of the agreement until the 21th of April, aud within an hour of the time f re ceived General Sherman’s announcement that his government disapproved of the terms, and that the armistice would terminate in forty- eight hours. Mr. Davis had - evidently been considering for all these.five or six days whether or not he would accept the terms of peace which the United States government rejected as too liberal. “When the agreement between General Sherman and myself had been signed every one that knew of it felt elated. Breckinridge was in great glee, and riding* back to General Hampton's headquarters took it for granted that thi war was ended. He made several business propositions to me, some of them of considerable magnitude. Before we had got three miles from the Bennett house on our re turn, he proposed that we buy the Greenbrier white sulphursprings in Virginia. This seemed to be his pet scheme, and he insisted that it would be a great money-making venture. I suggested that we had no tnorey.” •Not a bit of trouble about that,' he said; ‘tiota bit of trouble about getting the money; we can bor row it.’ ‘Where, and of whom?’ I asked. 'Oh, most any capitalist would be 'willing to back us,’ he replied. ‘There will be no trouble about the money.’ "Mr. Reagan was also pleased with the settle ment. and almost every one else except Mr. Davis. The armistice and conference had. however, been demoralizing -to onr troops, as they feared they were to be made prisoners of war. “Immediately upon receipt of the dispatches from General Sherman, announcing the rejection bv bis government of the agreement, and the eud- ingof the armistice within forty-eight hours, I communicated the fact to Mr. Davis. It was about six o’clock in the evening of the 21th when I sent the dispatch, aud in addition to giving thodhfor- mation I asked for instructions, and sug gested that the army be disbanded at. once to prevent further devastation and blood shed. 1 received a dispatch in reply, dated 11 p.m, oi the 21th, and signed by General Breck inridge as secretary oi war, and was, of course, by Mr. Davis's direction. It ordered me to disband the infantry with instructions to meet again at some given point farthersouth, aud directed that I join the president with all the available cavalry at my command and any other soldiers who could be mounted upon serviceable animals froi# the wagon trains, and all the light artillery I eould furnish serviceable horses for. This was the last order I ever received from the confederacy, and I felt im pelled from a sense of duty to refuse to obey it. I returned the following response by wire: April 25, 1805.—Hon. J. C, Breckinridge: "Y'our dispatch received. We have to save the peo ple. spare the blood of tiie army and save the high civil functionaries; your plan, i think, can only do the last We ought to prevent invasion, make terms for our troops, and give an escort of our best cavalry to the president, who ought to move with out loss of a moment. The commanders believe the troops will not fight again. We think your plan impracticable. Major General Wilson, of the United states army, has captured Macon with Major Gener als Cobb, G. W. Smith, Brigadier Generals Mackally and Mercer, and the garrison. The federal papers announce the capture of Mobile with three thou sand prisoners. J. E. Johnston General, "The talk about disbanding the infantry to meet at some given point I, of course, recognized as a subterfuge. The object was evident. The presi dent desired to organize a force, which could travel much faster than infantry, and the pamgrapt in the dispatch relating to a reorganization of the in fantry at some point further south, was simply to conceal the president’s purpose. My impression was at the time, and still is. that it was his inten tion to take this class of troops anti pusli south, and continue the war west of the Mississippi that he might wear the title of president a few months longer, and when he was finally forced to leave the country to have a respectable escort across the ltio Grande into Mexico. With my sense ol duty to the southern people I could not lend myself in command to any stich project. I felt that a con tinuation of the war was a crime, aud that to lead the victorious armies across tiie southwestern states in achose after Mr. Davis, and the force with which he proposed to surronnd himself to prolong the war, would be a fresh disaster to the people of the south which I did not propose to be a party to. This is the disobedience of orders on my part which Mr. Davis, in his so-called ‘History of the Rise aud Fall of the Confederate Government," alludes to when he says: “Had General Johnston obeyed the order sent him from Charlotte, and moved on the route selected by himself, with all his cavalry, so much of the infantry as could be mounted and the light artillery, he could not have been successfully K ursued by Sherman. His force, united to that 1 ad assembled at Charlotte, would, it was believed, have been sufficient to vanquish any troops whicii tiie enemy hud between us aud the Mississippi river. Hud the cavalry with which 1 left Charlotte beeu associated with a force large enough to inspire hope for the future, instead of being discouraged by the surrender in their rear, it would probably have gone on, and when united with the forces of from Genera! Lee. Secretary of war may be able to J instantiv dropped his eyes upon the paper without add to information heretotore communicated. The 1 even a sign of response, " ' important question lobe solved is at what point shall concentration be made In slew of the present IKisition of the two columns of the enemy, and the routes which they may adopt to encage your forces before a prompt junction with General Walker and others. Your more intimate knowledge of the data for the solution of the problem deters me from making a specific suggestion on that point. Later on the same day the following dispatch was received by General Johnston: “Greensboro, Acril llth, 1:30 p.m.—General J. E. Johnston: Y’our dispatch of 1:30 p.m., received. ign of response, and began writing as rap idly as possible. When the memorandum he had beeu writing was finished I found that it differed from mine only in being more in detail. The con ference was not continued long after tne terms were agreed upon. Colonel Dayton, of General Sherman's staff, was called to make tonr copies of the agreement—one for each of the presidents, one for General Sherman and one for myself. When they were finished and signed we separated. I transmitted a copy to Mr. Davis at once, and Gen eral Sherman sent a copy to President Johnson. Mr. Davis received his copy within a few hours. It Moivry. Forest and Taylor, in Alubamauud Missis sippi, have constituted an army large cuodVfco attract stragglers aud revived the drooping spirits of the country.’ “Because I did not lend myself to this plan of Mr. Davis’s for prolonging the war. he seems to think that I committed an offense against the south ern people. My information is that they take a different view of it. and I am thoroughly cotitent with their estimate of my conduct on that occa sion.” Mr. Davis left Charlotte soon after General Sher man gave notice that the armistice would terminate in forty-eight hours, and acting upon my authority as a militaty commander I proposed to General Sherman another armistice to negotiate for a settle ment of the difficulties upon the basis of the mill tary part of the agreement which his government had rejected. Soon after daybreak, on the morning of the 26th of April, I received a favorable reply from General Sherman, and set out at once for the Bennett house, where our first negotiations had been conducted. We met about noon and in a very short lime had agreed upon terms which put an end to the war within the limits of onr commands which are embraced within the same territory. "Is Mr. Davis a man of much military ability?’ “By no means. I do not regard him os qualified for high executive or military duties. His service as the executive of the confederacy demonstrated this fact. I do not believe that there is in the liis- torv oi the world another such example oi demor alizing control as that of Mr. Davis’s management of the affairs of the confederacy, ne is a man oi over weening vanity and great will power. I regard him even more of a failure as a military man than as a civil executive. He naturally has no under standing or conception of military operations on an extended scale, and yet is vain enough to think that he knows it all." I see that in h'S book he alludes to having left some money with you at Charlotte and that you distributed it among the troops.” , ‘‘Yes, that was an occurrence which I distinctly recall. On the l'Jth of April, after the conclusion of my first conference with General Sherman, I hastened to Greensboro, where my headquarters had been removed, and atrived there about day light. We did not sleep much in those eventful days. I there expected tojfind Mr. Davis, but he had removed to Charlotte. X found, however, a com munication from him in which he (directed me to obtain from the treasury agent a box of silver which he had left in his hands subject to my order. It was said to contain $39,000 in specie and Mr. Davis said that I should use it as my militaty chest for the armv. When I came to receive it, it was $1,200 short, which amount the treasury agent said the commissary general had taken from it. After the receipt of the first order directing me to take charge ot this money for the use of the army Mr. Davis sent a second order directing its return to him at Charlotte. Both letters were received by my adjutant general. Colonel Anderson, before my ar rival, ana were handed me together. I replied to Mr. Davis’s two notes and acknowledged the receipt of the money, but declined to return it as directed in his second note. I took the position in my re sponse that the civil authority of the southern con federacy had been destroyed, and that only the military part of our government had au existence. Therefore, I regarded it as very equitable that a share of the funds still left should be appropriated for the use of the army, especially as the troops had received no pry for many months and nothing of real value for years. I assured Mr. Davis that tiie monev would he nut to quite as good use and pur pose if I retained it, as if it were returned to; him. 1 directed this specie to be paid to the army, each officer and man to share and share alike, and it was so distributed.” “I had learned from General Beauregard that the president had a large amount of specie in his pos session. and I therefore wrote a letter urging that a portion of it be paid to the soldieis then in active service. My letter to Mr. Davis on this subject a as quite urgent, and I entrusted it to Colonel Mason, of mv staff, with instructions that he deliver it in person to Mr. Davis and wait until he got a reply. Colonel Mason went to Charlotte, delivered the let ter to him. but beyond a telegraphic acknowledge ment to me that the letter was received, no response has ever been made. Colonel Mason waited some time, and made several efforts to get a response from Mr. Davis in obedience to my instructions, but wns obliged to return without one. “What became oi this specie?" “It followed or preceded the head of the civil government ofthe confederacy to the south, about the lime Mr. Davis went in that direction.” “Have you any idea of the amount of specie Mr. Davis carried south ?’’ “Colonel Paul, an eminent artillery officer of the confederacy, and now a prominent lawyer of Rich mond, a man of high character, told me that he saw tbe specie before its removal from Richmond and after it had been loaded ready for transporta tion. He said that there was a car load of it. As he only saw it boxed ready for shipment he could, of course, give no information as to the amount in dollars and cents. General Beauregard, however, was in immediate command at Greensboro while the president was there, and doubtless had oppor tunity of knowing more accurately the amount of moneV with him than most any one except his im mediate jioiitical family. He iinformed me that he was convinced that $2,.500,000 in specie was taken from Greensboro when thecivil goverumentmoved. 1 have no doubt but that General Beauregard’s esti mate was within bounds. After Mr. Davis left Charlotte and moved south, a confederate officer told that while standing near a bridge crossing a said that he was in charge of the. president's money train, and wanted to see whether the bridge was ‘safe or not. The man in charge told the officer he had twenty wagon loads of specie in the train, which would be in perfect harmony with General Paul's statement that there was a car load when it left Richmond, and with General Beauregard’s opinion that there was $2,500,000 of it when it left Greensiioro.” "What became of the money?” “That I am unable to say. Mr. Davis has never accounted for it: and what is a strange thing to me is that the southern people have never hekl him to account for its disposition. The $39,000, he left for me the soldiers received. Major Moses, an attor ney. now living in Atlanta, has accounted for $20,000 more. A short time before the evacuation of Richmond the bankers of that city placed in Mr. Davis's hands $360,000 In specie, for tne defense of the city. There was never any service rendered for this money, but when Richmond was evacuated it was transported south with the specie belonging to the confederacy. A committee of Richmond bank ers was sent to recover it. At Washington. Ga., thev succeeded in getting between $110,000 and $120,000, but while transporting it home it was captured by Gen eral Wilson's cavalry and turned into the United States treasury, it is now there and in litigation. The Richmond bankers have been suing for its recovery all these years and it has never yet been decided to whom it belongs. Say $120,000 is there, and $39,000 in the military chest left at Greensboro for the army, and $20,000 accounted for by Major Moses. This would make $179,000 out of the $2,5u0,- 000, which General Beauregard and other good authority, estimates was on hand after Lee's sur render.” "Mr. Davis in his bosk says he does not remember anything about the circumstances of that money tra’nsaction with you?” Mr. Davis’s book is full of inaccuracies and in consistencies. It is doubtless the weakest publica tion that has yet been written upon the war. He appears to have been equally forgetful about many important matters connected with his administra tion of the affairs of the confederacy. He either forgets or misstates many oi the facts m relation to my campaign against Sherman before my removal from the command at Atlanta in 1861. 1 was a good deal amused to read of the long in terview between myself aud Ben Hill, prior to that time, which he related to you in such great detail. The interview in that form and to that extent never took place, but Hill has an elastic imagination, and is quite capable of putting words into my mouth. I do not think the talk between Mr. Hill and myself lasted longer than ten minutes. and it was of the most commonplace character. I see that he told you that I had informed him at that interview that I could hold Sherman beyond the Chattahoochee six weeks. I never had such a thought. 1 was at Ma rietta when we had the talk, and 1 had determined to make two stands between that and the Chatta hoochee river. One about midway between the two points, the one on the bank of that stream, and at the time of the interview with Mr. Hill my en gineer ollicers were at work fortify ing these points. How long these stands would be no human being could f iretell. They were also inspecting the heights about Attau- ta with a view of selecting the strongest points for a final stand against Sherman's advance. My plan was, after 1 crossed the Chattahoochee, to take up my position upon the heights, and fortify them strongly. I had some good, heavy artillery and Governor Brown had furnished me 3,000 militia and promised 10,000 more These troops I calcula ted to post for a show of strength upon Alie hills about the fortified works. After they were in good position I should have withdrawn the active forces within the city, and then moved out and struck Sherman upon either flank with my line still resting upon Atlanta as a pivotal point, so that in case of disaster I could have swung back upon the city into the almost impregnable position my fortifications afforded. I could there nave resisted almost any army that could have been brought against me. Sherman had not the forts: to carry' Atlanta by as sault, and I did not believe he could get it; could not have cut the Suite railroad, my line of comma- nicntioii, without uncovering his to his base of sup plies. While these plans were being consummated Mr. Davis was constantly sending me telegraphic inquiries as to my intentions for the future. His last dispatch, except the one removing me from command, was simply: What are your intentions? I returned the following reply: “Near Atlanta, July 16, 1861.—His Excellency, tiie President, Richmona Ya: Y'our dispatch of to day received. Tiie light, change in the enemy’s position made since my dispatch of the 14th to General Cooper, was reported to General Bragg, yesterday. It wits a report from General Wheeler that Scofield s corps had advanced eastwardly about three miles from Isham’s Ford, and en trenched., As the enemy has double our number we must be on the defensive. My plan of opera tions must therefore depend upon that of the enemy. It is mainly to watch for an opportunity to fight to advantage. We are trying to put Atlanta iti condition to be held for a day or two by the Georgia militia, that army movements may be freer and wider. ‘J. E. Johnston. “The dispatch is the one for which there has been so much search, and is the one which Mr. H1U told you was so evasive as to determine the presi dent to remove me. I considered it then as I do now, a fair statement of my purposes. I would not have given the president a detailed plan of my op erations had he been present. It is enough for me to know that General Lee was satisfied with my conduct, and urgently objected to my removal. Mr. Davis’s opinion I cared and care little for. There was no one who knew any thing about our military operations there who did not know that I intended to defend Atlanta to the last, as I regarded it the most important point in the south save Richmond anil the strongest of any. “There is nothing In the history of war that can equal many of the maneuvers of that important campaign. History does no record such marvelous ability to overcome obstacles and prepare the path way ior an army, as was exhibited oil many occasions by General Sherman’s engineers. It was just four dayctfrom the time they reached the Chattahoochee river, and pointed out the standing timber to the vigorous uxraeii be fore they had trains running across the river over a substantial bridge several hundred feet long, built of hewn timber. Agttin, in North Carolina they marched nine miles a day and corduroyed every foot of the road, a feat never before npproaehed in the history of army movements. General Hamp ton came to me one day and said that he had obstructed a cut on the North Carolina railroad in sutha manner as to prevent Sherman’s advance for some weeks, but we were never able to discern that it in any way interfered with his progress. I look upon the ability of the army under my command, with its meagre resources of everything to make successful warfare to resist Sherman’s march as well as it did, as an achieve ment worthy of their matchless valor and en durance. No soldiers ever suffered and endured more for their homes and country. None ever fought harder, or with greater bravery. Mr. Davis was a sorry chief for such soldiers.’ ’ F. A. B. Special dispatch to the Cincinnati Enquirer. New Orleans, December 21.—Relative to the statement attributed to General Joseph E. Johnston —that at the close of the was; Jefferson Davis made away with $2,500.000 confederate money—the En quirer correspondent saw Jefferson Davis -at the office of Payne, Kennedy & Co., on Barronne street, where a small office is assigned for his use during his brief visits to this city Mr. Davis, when asked to make a statement con cerning the assertion, replied: “I do not be lieve that General Johnston ever made a statement so absurdly false; and I am convinced,that if any such statement appears in print as having emana ted from him, that General Johnston will promptly publish over bis own signature ft denial of ever having made so notoriously false a statement.” The Enquirer correspondent stated to Mr. Davis that tiie editor of the Enquirer was particularly anxious that Mr. Davis’s reply should be as volumi nous as he chose to make it. To this Mr. Davis responded: “I know the editor oi the Enquirer very well but there is no other reply to make. ‘A short horse is soon curried.’ ’’ The Enquirer correspondent informed Mr Davis that he had seen General Beauregard aud Mr. E. Howard McCaleb, who had command of his escort during the last hours of the struggle, and that Mr. McCaleb requested him to revise his written state ment. to correct any errors of memorv which might unwittingly have occurred. Mr Davis declined to make any revision. Your correspondent then observed that General Sam IV. Ferguson, upon whose staff he had served during the war, had subsequently giten the writer a specific account of what occurred at the collapse. To this Mr. Davis replied: “General Ferguson was the last man with me be fore my capture.” In response to the interrogatory of the Enquirer correspondent, General G. T. Beauregard replied “When the surrender took place at Greeusbor- ough. N. C., Mr. Davis handed me $27 in silver, which was at once distributed pro rata amoug the men, each receiving $1.15. If there were any other money, 1 have no knowledge whatever concerning it. Mr. E. Howard McCaleb makes the following statement over his owy signature: “At Greeijsborough, N. C„ in April, 1865,1 had command of some forty or fifty Mississippi soldiers, members of Humphreys's and Harris's brigade: who were absent on furlough at the time of Gen eral Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court-house, and were returning to their regiments when ap prised of that event. I met there Colonel Burton now a prominent law yer in New Y'ork city, who re quested me to see tue president and accompany him and his cabinet on tneir journey southtferd. I consented. and next day we left Char lotte, North Carolina, and continued daily traveling southward on horseback through North Carolina and South Carolina, until we reached Washington, Ga There were in this cavalcade President Davis, Hon. John II. Reagan, postmaster general; Hon. S. R. Mallory, secretary of the navy: Hon. Judah P. Benjamin, secretary of state: and a portion of the time Hon. John C. Breckinridge, secretary of war: of the president’s stall'. Colonel Wm. Preston Johnston, Colonel John B. Lubback, Colonel John Wood, Major Jeff 1). Van Benthuyseu. quartermaster, and Captain Coe, Commanding the president’s guard, with a num ber of crippled and disabled soldiers, and Captain Given Campbell, with a company of Kentuckians, who attended the president until he was cap tured ot Chester court house South Carolina “My command guarded the wagons known as the gold trains, l heard at tiie time that there was about $200,000 in these wagons. General Ferguson’s brigade, of Wheeler’s corps, had also been detsoiled to accompany the president southward. At Wash ington, Georgia, after the assassination of President Lincoln and the offer of $100,000 reward in gold for the capture of Mr. Davis, he determined to disband his escort, thinking that smaller bodies of men could more easily elude the vigilance of the enemy, and that he would be able to join General Forrest if his troops were in a state of organization, and, if not, to cross the Mississippi, induce all the soldiers who had not surrendered to join Kirby Smith, aud there pro long the war to the bitter end. "When with my command at Washington, Ga., I called upon President Davis to bid him good-bye, be said to me: ‘General Johnston has surrendered this department without my knowledge or consent. There was no necessity for it. Meet me south of the Chattahoochee. We will go to Mississippi aud there rally on Forrest if he is in a state of organization. If not, we will cross the Mississippi river, induce all soldiers who have not surrendered to join Kirby Smith, and there we can carry on the war forever.’ He then directed me to go to Mr. John H. Reagan, postmaster general, who was then acting as secretary of the treasury, who would give me one mouth’s pay in specie for myself and men. I remember I received over $4,000, which I distributed among my men. The gold was in English sovereigns, $1.85, and the silver in Mexican dollars. All the other troops around Washington, Georgia, at the time were, as 1 was then informed, paid off in this, the remainder of the speci i left in the confederate treasury. I think Mr. John H. Reagan, who is now nmember of congress front Texas, will substantially corroborate this statement. The troops attending the president were disbanded at Washington, Georgia, and lie was captured a few days after, near Macon. "K. Howard McCaleb, Late Adjutant Twelfth Mississippi Regiment, Army Northern Virginia.” Joe Johnston Itxplulns. SOME MATTERS REFERRED TO IN THE BURR INTERVIEW. Washington, December 21 .—Calling on General Joseph E. Johnston at his very pretty home. No. 1023 Connecticut avenue, and sending his card in by a polite servant, your reporter was promptly ushered into the parlor, and very soni after the grand old hero came in with that gentle dignity and cordiality which has for fifty years past marked him as an examplnrof the ideal American gentle man. After a hearty shake of the hand and "Please be seated, sir,” your reporter said: “General, 1 have called on you this morning in au unusual role.” “Pray what is It, sir?” “Well, sir, the correspondent of the Cincinnati Enquirer in Washington—who, learning that I hud the honor to have known you personally and olli- ciully for thirteen years-requested me to cull upon you and deliver the Philadelphia Press, containing an article said to be an interview with you in Richmond on the subject of certain moneys which were supiioscd to have accompanied Mr. Davis in ills effort to escape to the Trans-Mississippi department, where General Hick Taylor was in command. You doubtless have seen the article referred to, sir?” “Not until this morning,” said the general, ‘and hen in one of the Washington papers.” “Please, general, do me the corn tesy. if entirely agreeable to you, to say if tiie interview as reported Is correct?” ‘Well,sir, before I proceed, permit me to say that already this morninga representative of a New Y'ork paper lias been here, and I said to him that any thing 1 bad to say 1 preferred to appear in Mr. Mc Lean’s Cincinnati Enquirer. Now, sir, I could not have said the direct things attributed to me in that interview, because i did not positively know them. I think it was in November (I remember it was a cold night) that I was introduced to tiie gentleman in ail omnibus going from tue depot to the hotel in Richmond, and, getting into conversation with him, one subject drifted into another, until, after entering the hotel, he said: ‘I would like to talk with you on thesubject of the mysterious disappear ance of that confederate specie that has now and again appeared in the newspapers.’ This all occurred in the public room of the hotel, and 1 dis cussed the subject as I have repeatedly done before —not fora moment supposing I was being inter viewed until we had finished—when he remarked something about publishing it, to which Isitid: "You will please permit jne to sec anything you have to say of this conversation before going to the newspaper. He promised to do so, and this is the first ihtimation I have had of it 1 certainly did not say that Mr. Davis had received any direct or indirect benefit from this money. This I could not possibly have known; but I did say, substantially, what he says iu reference to my sending my aid. Colonel, Mason to the secretary of war (this wns the source through which I commu nicated with the government), aud requesting him to use a portion of the specicjthen in pos“Cssirn of the confederate government to pay the troops off. as far as it would go. To my letter I received a telegraphic acknowledgement, hut after several days’ waiting, Colonel Mason returned to me very much disgusted, and said each day of his stay iu Richmond he was put off witli one or another excuse: and, being convinced tliat lie' eould accomplish nothing, realized tiie uselessness of his warming his toes around the reception room of the secretary.” A'nd then the old general, with a merry twinkle ot his eye, said: “If there had beeu no specie, would my aid have to wait such ajength of time to have been informed of the fact? 1 think not. Y’ou arc aware, of course, sir, that when Trenholm was called to the secretary ship of the treasury, almost his first act was to an nounce to the people his intention to collect and accumulate every dollar of specie possible, that it might form a basis, as used to be the case in the state banks issuing their own notes. For instance, the Virginia banks, on a foundation of each dollar in specie, were permitted to issue three dollars, and so on. It is further known to every intelligent man in the south that there was a large amount thus accumulated.” “What became of it, general?” “It was the undoubted opinion of General Beau • regard that at least $2,500,000 went south from Char lotte, N. C. The reporter made a mistake in the n umber of wagons. I said that the confederate officer told me that there were fifteen wagons. Three weeks, or thereabouts, before my surrender to General Sherman, a special detail was made from tiie navy, the sailors ranking as privates, with a few commissioned naval officers, aud were sent to Charlotte as an extraordinary guard for the mint wherein this specie was stored; and tiiese men were carefully selected as a guard for this treasure when it was removed, it being generally understood that their principal duty was to protect it against the irregu lar cavalry—such as linboden, Duke, etc.—which accompanied Air. Davis. These cavalrymen • re turned in a state of thorough disgust, when, after starting as an escort of honor, they found themselves suspected. These men had received about fifty cents each in coppers. In this interview I do not desire to give any names. I have been misrepresented so of.cn that it was imposible u> make corrections, and I have m t made up my mind if I shall or shall not write anything on the subject for the papers, if, however, I so decide, the Cincin nati Enquirer, that you represent, shall have i communication for publication in preference to c other piper. This published interview ueccssititl small creek, a man rode up and inspected it. He N. Harrison, private secretary of President Davis God rest his soul)..was as gallant and orave aman us ever drew a sword. He was captain of an artillery company, of which Jack McGill, once well known in Chicago, was first lieutenant. One evening in the month of December, 1865,1 was sitting with him over a bright tire in a second-story room in the city of Savannah, and we were talking over our battles, marches, fatigues, etc., when, turning suddenly to me. ho said: ‘B., I am going to tell you a little episode at _ (lie cud of the war which occurred to me. Being at Charlotte, N. when tiie thing collapsed. General came to me and said: Captain D., I have a very special duty which I have come to you to request that you will perform. It is nothing more :.or less than this. I have two or three wagons loaded wUh specie lieloiiging to the confederate government, and no one, not even the driver, isaware of it: and knowing you from your childhood,] have come to intrust it to your care. A request from such a source was ah order, and 1 sleeplessly guarded it until we reached Augusta The morniug after we reached there, just before day, this gentleman came to me and thanked me for my vigilance, and said lie and General would henceforth relieve me. 1 saw those wagons move out and di-appear on the old Savannah road: the two gentlemen ac companied them on horseback. I have never heard of the wagons since; but General ’s family (all . bands! are in Europe now, too poor, you know, to live here; and the general swells down the stream of live in a very dignified mid easy manner. Had they divided, I would not now be compelled to ask voutojoin me in spirits instead of champagne. To-day both of these generals are very wealthy, and correspondingly liappy.’ ” General Alexander HAS AN INTERESTING STORY TO TELL Louisville, December 21.—General E. I*. Alexan der. in an interview to-night, said that he was well satisfied that General Johnston lmd beeu intention ally m isquoted in regard to Jefl'ersou Davis and the specie of the Confederacy and Richmond banks; that, notwithstanding personalities. General John ston still possessed a full share of gentlemanly qual ities, that would prevent him making such absurd statements as those published in the Philadelphia Press. He said that Davis was possessed of the no blest instincts of which a man is heir, and tliat he would scorn the very thought of being implicated in either wronging the confederacy or t he banks at the time reported. The whole transaction," said the general, “as 1 have read it, is absurd, simply from the fact that at the close of the siege of Richmond all the money in the world could not have saved it, as it would not have made men, muskets or ammunition, lienee the money said to have been contributed by tiie Richmond banks is a myth. The entire story is ex aggerated as to amounts anyhow, I am well satis fied.” X understand. General Alexander, that your borne was at Washington, Georgia, when the war Yes, it was: and I arrived at home from the army on the 1th of May, 1865, in about two hours after Mr. Davis and his party had left” “Did you hear anything then about the specie al luded to in these reports?” “Y'es. There were two lots of specie, belonging to the Richmond banks, deposited in the vault of a branch of the old hank of the state of Geoigia at Washington. This, I think, amounted to $400,000; and there was also some confederate specie in tiie vault, but a much less amount than the banks had. I am satisfied that all the confederate coin that was brought to Washington was distributed to tiie soldiers before they were disbanded, except a small amount that was taken liy General Breckinridge to pay his ex penses across the Mississippi. Alter Breckinridge lmd readied a point a few miles away from Wash ington lie heard of the advance 'of some federal cavalry, and turned liis course toward Florida; and, in order to make his burden lighter, he sent a man back to Washington with two bags of the specie he had taken, and the- man threw them into the yard of the resi dence of General Toombs, where it was afterward found and turned over to the federal authorities. Breckinridge, however, got some of the money, but I can not say how much. He went to Cuba, at any rate, and tliat was the last I heard of him for some time. The next confederate valuables that I re member hearing of was $19,000 or $50,000 of bullion sent from Richmond in cars. It was on deposit for a short time at the branch of the Georgia state bank, but I do not remember who had charge of it. Y'et my recollection is that it was finally turned over to the federal authorities at Augusta. It was sent down to that city for that purpose. That Air. Davis got none of this money was evident to everybody, os he nor any of the members of his body-guard’had any money when captured.” •ITow long did tire money belonging to the Richmond banks remain on deposit iu Washing ton?” “Until August, 1865. Til that month a delegation of wealthy bankers from Richmond came down and loaded it in three wagons, with whicii they started to Abbeville: but while encamped over night near Danbury, a large squad of disbanded confederate cavalrymen, mostly Tennesseeans, made a mid into tiie camp, secured and tied tiie bank officers, and after piling them into a fence- corner, proceeded to rifle the wagons of flic con tents, and got away with all but about $30,000or J£0.000. Next day the robbers were pursued aiul some $80,000 were recovered and re turned to the vault at Washington, where it remained with the $30,000 left with the bankers, and finally this money was called for by and de livered . to General Wilde, of the United Stales army. This, 1 think, is the same money spoken of in litigation between the Richmond batiks and the United Stater. The robbers who raided tiie bankers camped near Danbury were, however, pursued by myself and a squad that was speedily organized for that purpose, and we captured someof ’them: but later on the guards iu whose charge wc placed them were tampered with, and they were allowed to escape, and with them, I think, went the rest of the Richmond bankers’ money. “Then, general, you are satisfied tliat the entire affair as reportiitl is a canard?” "Y'es, lam satisfied it is, so far as the honor of Jefferson Davis ip concerned. In fact, 1 know that lie never got .to convert either the confederate or Richmond banks’ money to his own use, and I be lieve that General Johustoh has been iutentionally misquoted.” Rome Kye-Witnesses ARE BROUGHT IN TO GIVE TESTIMONY. New Y’ork Times. s Before his capture by union soldiers, according to the published statements of General Joseph E. Johnston, Jefferson Davis received over $2,003,000 belonging to the confederate treasury the major portion of which he in no way ever accounted for. A reporter of the Times yesterday soughtjColonel Burton N. Harrison, who wns with Mr. Davis at the time of the capture, and asked him what truth there was in the insinuation of General Johnston that the president of the confederacy -converted the vast sum to his own use. “Mr. Davis never appropriated a pcnnybelonging to the confederacy,” replied Colonel Harrison quite warmly. “1 have the highest personal regard for General Johnston, but if he made the statement at tributed to him, he certainly has been misinformed. I urn inclined to doubt the accuracy of the inter view. As 1 was with Mr. Davis when he was cap tured. X «ran say of rny own knowledge tliat lie had no specie, which General Johnston Is made to say the money consisted of, andin fact no funds what ever with him. There were several wagons mid an ambulance in the train during tiie retreat south. Tiie ambulance belonged to Captain Moody, of Mississippi, and contained his private, property. The wagons were used to convey the luggage of Mrs. Davis and the rest of the family.” "But General Jonnston says tliat the specie train followed or preceded the head of ihe civil govern ment of the confederacy in the retreat. ’ “Tliat certainly is not so, and what is more, the funds of the confederacy were not placed iu the hands of Mr. Davis. They were handled entirely by George A. Trenholm, tiie secretory of the con federate treasury. There was some sjiecie in Au gusta or Washington, Ga., in charge of the treasury officers, a week before tiie capture of Mr. Davis, but exactly how much I do not know. I am sure it did not amount to$500,o00. Why, there was not$2,500,- 000—the amount alleged to have been in the train —in the whole confederacy. The south was scraped clean, and I might say scarcely a dollar left in it. The United .States government secured what there was. The government madeexhaustiveinquiriesin- tbis country and Englad.and if there had been $10 000 of con federate funds afloat thegevenunent would have found it out. The money question was thor oughly discussed in 1865, and 1 am prone to consider the reports of this late day little better than old women’s stories. Y’es, the confederate states were poor, very poor, and if they had possessed millions the r oney could not have been carried about the country. I can very easily proven* you how im probable the story is. At the time the train is said to have been en route the country was filled with soldiers returning home. They were iienniless, and little lietter than brigands. Now, do you suppose the train would have been permitted 'to pass un molested? so, sir. It would have been robbed.” “General Jonnston says that he sent a letter by special messenger to Mr. Davis requesting him to pay a poYtion of the money to the soldiers, butonly a telegraphic acknowledgement of its receipt was received,and no moneyAvas disbursed ” “I have no recollection of such a letter, and it seems to me improble that it was sent. General Johuston had an interview with Mr. Davis at Greeuesboro, where the train is said to have been made up, and it is very strange indeed, if he deemed the disbunsement necessary, tliat he did not urge it then. I have no knowledge that $39,000 was left at Greensboro for tiie soldiers, as stated, aud I feel confident that Mr. Davis left no such sum. About the $20,000 which Major Moses is said to have re ceived 1 know nothing.” “What about the statement that the banks of Richmond, Y'a., placed $309,000 in the hands of Mr. Davis for the defense of the city a short time before theevacuation?” General Jolinston says ttat a committee went after the train and at Washington, Ga, succeeded in recovering between $110,000and shall have my eferenceto any piper. TUIs published interview necessitates, however, my writing to General Beauregard und Colonel Paul.” As public attention is all agog over the specie af fair, I deem it a tit opportunity to write something in reference to tiie origin of the coolness that has for wars existed between Mr. Davis and General Johnston. As t m often the case, it may he traced directly to the ladies of their respt Clive households. General Johnston's wife was Miss I-illie McI-ane, of Baltimore, a lady of great beauty and commanding presence, and in her veins coursed the very bluest blood of old Maryland, while herhusband belonged to one of Virginia's best old families. They were young and rich. He was quartermaster-gen erul of the United States, and they were very tiatu rally the toast in Washington. On the other hand, Mr. Davis had married a second time (his first wife being u daughter of General Taylor); this time his wife being Miss Varina Xfoweli, of Natchez, Miss. They were married in that city. She was a bru nette, with dark, fine eyes, was very Spanish-look- ing, and she was enormously rich, being the daugh ter of a merchant of that city, but social history savs nothing of her pedigree. She was the wife of a’United States senator, an ex-secretary of war. These ladies were rival leaders of fash ion—Mis. Johnston, with all the pride of birth, etc., Mrs. Davis with money and Mrs. Davis as a hus band. The cal dr in fumed in Washington, and the bitterness was renewed when they appeared in Richmond. She was then the vyife of the. president, and Mrs. Johnston’s husband was a lieutenant general; and right here it is reported that Mrs. President Davis unde took to ignore Mrs. General Johnston This, of course, was not to be quietly borne. General Johnston was winning fame every day. Finally, so the gossips have it, Mr. Davis es poused the cause of his wife, and henceforth Gen eral Johnston was impeded at every point in his brilliant career. Many persons believe that had it not been for Mis. Davis's jealousy of Mrs. Johnston, no unpleasantness would now exist between the gentlemen. It was my good fortune to-dav to meet with a southern gentleman who served during the entire war in the armies of his section, and he, very natu rally was interested in the Da vis-Johnston inter- . „ .... view. In a few moments I discovered that he $120,000 of it, but while taking it home it was knew something about the confederate specie, also, I captured and turned into the United States treas- and, after a general talk, X asked him to give mean j ury. item for publication, which he unhesitatingly did. j "There was, I know, a' sum under control of the He began thus: ? officers of the confederate treasury raid to belong ‘ Poor Charley Daniel, of Savannah, (dead now— to the banks of Richmond, but how large It was X