surrender. In Suth Carolina we had Young's division of cavalry, less than 1,000, besides resserves adn State troops, together much inferior to the Federal force in that State. In Florida we were as weak. In Georgia our inadequate force had been captured at Macon. In Lieutenatn-Geneal Taylor's departmetn there were no means of opposing the formidabel army under General Canby, which had taken Mobile, nor the cavalry under General Wilson, which had captured every other place of military importance west of Augusta. The latter had been stopped at macon by the armistice west of Augusta. The latter had been stopped at Macon by the rmistice as we had been at Geensborugh, but its distance from Augusta being less tahn half of ours, that place was in its power. To carry on the war, therfore, we had to depend on the Army of Tennessee alone. The United States culd have brought against it twelve or fifteen times its number in the armies of Generals Grant, Sherman, and Cnby, and with such odds against us, and without the meanss of procuring ammunitlion or repiring arms, without money or credit to provide food, it was impossible to continue the war, except as robbers . The consquences of prolonging the struggle would only hve been the destruciton or dispersion of our bravest men, and great suffering of women and children by the desolation and ruin inevitalbe fromthe marching of 200,000 men through the country. Having failde in an attemptto obtaintermas giving security to citizens as well as soldiers, I had to choose between wantonly bringing the evils of war upon those I had been chosen to defend, and averting those calmities with the confession that hopes were dead, whihh every thinking Southern man had already lost. I therfore stipulated with Geenl Sherman for the security of te bbrave and true men committed to me on terms which aso terminate hostilities in all the country over which our ommands extended and announced it to your govenors by telegraph as follows: *

J. E. JOHNSTON.

CATAWBA BRIDGE, May 7, 1865.

General J. E . JOHNSTON:

YOu need not rely on any traisn at or below this point. The animals, as far as I can learn, are stolen, and everything too crppled for work. Those at this point are nearly all gone.

S. D. LEE,

Lieutenatn-General.

CAVAWBA BRIDGE, May 7, 1865.

General J. E. JOHNSTON:

General Lee desires me to inform you that, finding the pontoon train so crippled, he has left the bridge undisturbed and will cross Broad River at hughey's Ferry, where I have a bridge prpared. Large number of mules of pontoon trainhave been stolen. I am only able to keep my men on duty at this point and Hughey's Ferry until army passes by promising each man a mule, whch takes the remainder in the train. Geneal Lee has resepcted the pledge. Willhave to abandon a number of pontoon and other wagons. Am I permitted to sell them for benefit of command! Have you any orders for me beyond Broad River. Please answer.

J. W. GREEN,

Major, Engineer Troops.

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*See Johnston to Borwn, Magrath, and Milton, April 30, p. 855.

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