I immediately approached you and asked you if it was true. You replied it was. I then asked you if there was no possible way to prevent it and fight out. Your reply was, "No; I have fought a against the surrender in the council, but my senior and junior in command overrule me. I can do nothing; I am powerless; the surrender has been positively determined on; had I my way I would fight the troops, I believe I could get them out." Your words are impressed upon my memory, and I think I give your very language.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. A. QUARLES,

Colonel Forty-second Tennessee Regiment.

This conversation was before the flag of truce was sent out.

Numbers 2. Reports of Brigadier General Simon B. Buckner, C. S. Army, commanding division, &c.

HEADQUARTERS CHAMBERLAND ARMY,
Dover, Tenn., February 18, 1862.

SIR: It becomes my duty to report that the remains of this army, after winning some brilliant successes both in repulsing the assaults of the enemy and in sallying successfully through their lines, have been reduced to the necessity of a surrender.

At the earliest practicable day I will send a detailed report of its operations. I can only say now that, after the battle of the 15th instant had been worn and my division of the army was being established in position to cover the retreat of the army, the plan of battle seemed to have been changed and the troops were ordered back to the trenches. Before my own division returned to their works on the extreme right the lines were assailed at that point and my extreme right was occupied by a large force of the enemy, but I successfully repelled their further assaults.

It was the purpose of General Floyd to effect the retreat of the army over the ground which had been won in the morning, and the troops moved from their works with that view; but before any movement for that purpose was organized a reconnaissance showed that the ground was occupied by the enemy in great strength. General Floyd then determined to retreat across the river with such force as could escape; but as there were no boats until nearly daylight on the 16th, he left with some regiments of Virginia troops about daylight, and was accompanied by Brigadier-General Pillow.

I was thus left in command of the remnant of the army, which had been placed in movement for a retreat which was discovered to be impracticable. My men were in a state of complete exhaustion from extreme suffering from cold and fatigue. The supply of ammunition, especially for the artillery, was being rapidly exhausted; the army was to great extent demoralized by the retrograde movement. On being placed in command I ordered such troops as could not cross the river to return to their entrenchments, to make at the last moment such resistance as was possible to the overwhelming force of the enemy. But a small portion of the forces had returned to the lines when I received from General Grant a reply to my proposal to negotiate for terms of