JOINT COMMITTEE ON THE CONDUCT OF THE WAR, AT THE SECOND SESSION THIRTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS. SHERMAN-JOHNSTON. MASSACRE OF THE CHEYENNE INDIANS. ICE CONTRACTS. ROSECRANS'S CAMPAIGNS. MISCELLANEOUS. WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 1865. 51.65 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES, February 20, 1865. Resolved by the Senate of the United States, (the House of Representatives concurring,) That in order to enable the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War to complete their investigations of certain important matters now before them, and which they have not been able to complete, by reason of inability to obtain important witnesses, they be authorized to continue their sessions for thirty days after the close of the present Congress, and to place their testimony and reports in the hands of the Secretary of the Senate. Resolved further, That the Secretary of the Senate is hereby directed to cause to be printed of the reports and accompanying testimony of the Committee on the Conduct of the War five thousand copies for the use of the Senate and ten thousand copies for the use of the House of Representatives. Attest: J. W. FORNEY, Secretary. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, March 1, 1865. Resolved, That this House do concur in the foregoing resolution with the following amendment: Strike out the words "thirty days" and insert the words ninety days in lieu thereof. Attest: EDWARD MCPHERSON, Clerk. By CLINTON LLOYD, Chief Clerk. SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES, March 2, 1865. Resolved, That the Senate agree to the foregoing amendment of the House of Representatives. J. W. FORNEY, Secretary. I certify the foregoing to be a true copy of the original resolution and the amendment of the House thereto and the concurrence of the Senate therein. J. W. FORNEY, Secretary of the Senate of the United States. SHERMAN-JOHNSTON. Testimony of Major General William T. Sherman. WASHINGTON, May 22, 1865. Major General W. T. SHERMAN sworn and examined. By the chairman : Question. What is your rank in the army? Answer. I am a major general in the regular army. Question. As your negotiation with the rebel general Johnston, in relation to his surrender, has been the subject of much public comment, the committee desire you to state all the facts and circumstances in regard to it that you deem of public interest, or which you wish the public to know. Answer. On the 15th day of April last I was at Raleigh, in command of an army composed of three armies-the army of the Ohio, the army of the Cumberland, and the army of the Tennessee. My enemy was General Joseph E. Johnston, of the confederate army, who commanded about 50,000 men retreating along the railroad from Raleigh, by Hillsborough, Greensborough, Salisbury, and Charlotte. I commenced pursuit by crossing the curve of that road in the direction of Ashborough and Charlotte. After the head of my column had crossed the Cape Fear river at Aven's ferry, I received a communication from General Johnston and answered it; copies of which I sent promptly to the War Department, with a letter addressed to the Secretary of War, as follows: "HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI, "In the Field, Raleigh, North Carolina, April 15, 1865. "I send copies of a correspondence begun with General Johnston, which, I think, will be followed by terms of capitulation. I will grant the same terms as General Grant gave General Lee, and be careful not to complicate any points of civil policy. "If any cavalry has started towards me, caution them that they must be prepared to find our work done. It is now raining in torrents, and I shall await General Johnston's reply here, and will prepare to meet him in person at Chapel Hill. I have invited Governor Vance to return to Raleigh with the civil officers of his State. I have met ex-Governor Graham, Mr. Badger, Moore, Holden, and others, all of whom agree that the war is over, and that the States of the south must resume their allegiance subject to the Constitution and laws of Congress, and must submit to the national arms. This great fact once admitted, all the details are easy of arrangement. "General U. S. GRANT and Secretary of War." "W. T. SHERMAN, Major General. I met General Johnston, in person, at a house five miles from Durham Station, under a flag of truce. After a few preliminary remarks, he said to me that, since Lee had surrendered his army at Appomattox Court House, of which he had just been advised, he looked upon further opposition by him as the greatest possible of crimes; that he wanted to know whether I could make him any general concessions-anything by which he could maintain his hold and control of his army, and prevent its scattering; anything to satisfy the great yearning of their people; if so, he thought we could arrange terms satisfactory to both parties. He wanted to embrace the condition and fate of all the armies |