of authority.  He executed with Reagan a convention which covered not merely the surrender of Johnston’s army but the preliminaries of a final peace.  This convention was of course made subject to the approval of the authorities in Washington.  When it came into the hands of President Johnson, it was, under the counsel of Seward and Stanton, promptly disavowed.  Johnson instructed Grant, who had reported to Washington from Appomattox, to make his way at once to Goldsborough and, relieving Sherman, to arrange for the surrender of Johnston’s army on the terms of Appomattox.  Grant’s response was characteristic.  He said in substance:  “I am here, Mr. President, to obey orders and under the decision of the Commander-in-chief I will go to Goldsborough and will carry out your instructions.  I prefer, however, to act as a messenger simply.  I am entirely unwilling to take out of General Sherman’s hands the command of the army that is so properly Sherman’s army and that he has led with such distinctive success.  General Sherman has rendered too great a service to the country to make it proper to have him now humiliated on the ground of a political blunder, and I at least am unwilling to be in any way a party to his humiliation.”

Stanton was disposed to approve of Johnson’s first instruction and to have Sherman at once relieved, but the man who had just come from Appomattox was too strong with the people to make it easy to disregard his judgment on a matter which was in part at least military.  The President was still new to his office and he was still prepared to accept counsel.  The matter was, therefore, arranged as Grant desired.  Grant took the instructions and had his personal word with Sherman, but this word was so quietly given that none of the men in Sherman’s army, possibly no one but Sherman himself, knew of Grant’s visit.  Grant took pains so to arrange the last stage of his journey that he came into the camp at Goldsborough well after dark, and, after an hour’s interview with Sherman, he made his way at once northward outside of our lines and of our knowledge.

On Grant’s arrival, Sherman at once assumed that he was to be superseded.  “No, no,” said Grant; “do you not see that I have come without even a sword?  There is here no question of superseding the commander of this army, but simply of correcting an error and of putting things as they were.  This convention must be cancelled.  You will have no further negotiation with Mr. Reagan or with any civilian claiming to represent the Confederacy.  Your transactions will be made with the commander of the Confederate army, and you will accept the surrender of that army on the terms that were formulated at Appomattox.”  Sherman was keen enough to understand what must have passed in Washington, and was able to appreciate the loyal consideration shown by General Grant in the successful effort to protect the honour and the prestige of his old comrade.  The surrender was carried out on the 26th of April,