Johnston, Joseph Eggleston (1807-1891) to Joseph E. Brown
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC04025 Author/Creator: Johnston, Joseph Eggleston (1807-1891) Place Written: Greensboro, North Carolina Type: Manuscript document Date: 30 April 1865 Pagination: 1 p. ; 25.5 x 20.3 cm. Order a Copy
Announces to Brown, the Governor of Georgia, the surrender of the last Confederate troops to Union General William T. Sherman. The surrender terminated hostilities in North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. Johnston states, "I made this convention to spare the blood of the gallant little army committed to me, to prevent further sufferings of our people by the devastation and ruin inevitable from the march of invading armies, and to avoid the crime of waging a hopeless war."
Greensboro: April 30th. 1865.
His Exccy. Jos: E, Brown.
Governor of Georgia.
Augusta.
The disaster in Virginia, the Capture by the enemy of all our workshops for the preperation of ammunition & repairing arms, the impossibility of recruiting our little army, opposed by more than ten times its number, or of supplying it except by robbing our own citizens, destroyed all hope of successful war. I have therefore made a military convention with General Sherman to terminate hostilities in North & South Carolina Georgia & Florida. I made this convention to spare the blood of the gallant little army committed to me, to prevent further sufferings of our people by the devastation & ruin inevitable from the marching of invading armies, & to avoid the crime of waging hopeless war.
J. E. Johnston.
General.
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