Lee's surrender, there were probably 100,000 men under arms, in disorganized commands, to be sure, and dispirited by the tidings from Virginia and the Carolinas; but who can doubt that if they had remained uncorrupted and been joined by as many more from the East, there would have been force and resolution enough to have erected the declining fortunes of the Confederacy! It was hoped that most of the men who deserted at the last moment before the surrender east of the Mississippi, would try to get across the river. It was said that all the "exchanged prisoners" would come. Men of high official distinction hid their horses in the impenetrable swamps for three weeks after Lee's surrender, hoping to hear President Davis had crossed the river. Gen. Smith, at the head of the Department, resolved to defend it still, if he could. He did not feel justified to surrender without an order from the President. He resolved, therefore, to fight to the last extremity-that to yield where there was, as yet, no foe to receive the surrender, was too disgraceful. He rejected the demand for the surrender of the Department, and issued an appeal to the soldiers to stand by their colours.

The spirit of this resolution was that of a brave and conscientious man. In a circular letter addressed to the Governors of Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, and Missouri, and dated at Shreveport, 9th May, 1865, Gen. Smith wrote: "Since the evacuation of Richmond, the seat of government of the Confederate States has not been fixed, and it may be transferred to the western side of the Mississippi. It is impossible to confer with the President so as to meet the exigencies of the times, and questions of grave political importance beyond my military authority may arise, and require prompt decision. Intending to uphold the authority of the Confederate Government by arms, to the utmost, I yet feel that I should carefully avoid any appearance of usurping functions not intrusted to my discretion." He besought a convention of the Governors he addressed to indicate some policy to maintain with honour and success the Confederate cause. He exhorted the troops; he prepared an eloquent address to the army; he visited what remained of the Confederate forces at Shreveport; and he entreated the men to stand by their colours a little longer, in prospect of aid and countenance from the other side of the Mississippi.

But these appeals, with which he nobly filled the last measure of duty, and exhausted himself, fell upon doubting ears and despairing hearts. A frightful demoralization began to take place in the army. It was generally felt that the struggle was ended with Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court-House. Many of the Texas soldiers were disbanding and returning to their homes; the army was melting away; the Missouri officers, believing they would be expatriated by the enemy, had determined to withdraw with their troops, in a body, across the Rio Grande. Governor Allen, of Louisiana, strongly advised a surrender, and proposed acting for the Governors of the other States of the Trans-Mississippi, to go to Gen. Grant's headquarters, or to Washington City, to surrender the Department, since Gen. Smith refused to do so in his military capacity. By such different counsels the army was demoralized, and at last the disorder and turmoil were frightful. A recent narrator of these events says: "The wildest rumours prevailed throughout the country. Conflicting reports of Smith's resolution to fight on, and Allen's to surrender, produced great confusion of thoughts and tongues. The soldiers took the alarm, and began to disband by hundreds in open daylight. Their officers lost all power to control the men. The soldiers were infuriated with rage and disappointment. They had not been paid for a long time, owing, they believed, to the carelessness, negligence, cupidity, or rascality of the quartermasters. They now robbed all the government stores and dépots, distributing the contents as fairly and equitably as they could among themselves. The fierce, strong women, too, in some counties in Texas, gathered together in bands, broke into dépots of sugar and army stores, with weapons in their hands, helping themselves to cloth, coffee, sugar, and luxuries, to which they had long been strangers. The soldiers were much exasperated against Gen. Smith. They would almost have killed him, if they had been able, as innocent as he was of any crime against them or his country. He had done all he could, in such a rough state of affairs. Smith was sent for to go to Houston, to try and hold the army together there. He left Buckner in command at Shreveport. The army in Louisiana took the infection of disbanding. Buckner sent for Allen to come to Natchitoches to address Hay's troops, who were demoralized. Allen went immediately; he met the last division near Mansfield, marching home

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wards. He stopped them, addressed them, making a most pathetic appeal to them. At Hempstead, a party of twenty-five young men volunteered to escort and protect Gen. Smith to Houston. They did not consider his life safe on the high-roads. The Missouri troops remained faithful. They sent a deputation to Buckner and other officers, to inform them 'that they would not go either to Texas or Mexico; that they had fought for the Confederacy, were still ready to fight for it, so long as a man remained, but if the country was to be given up, they intended to surrender like soldiers, and their officers should stay with them!'"

It was in circumstances and scenes like these that Gen. Smith despaired of a prolongation of the war, and on the 26th May, 1865, concluded, through commissioners, the surrender of his army to Gen. Canby. This conclusion had become irresistible, even without the force of the enemy's arms. At Houston he issued a farewell address to his troops, in which he declared: "Your present duty is plain. Return to your families. of peace. Yield obedience to the laws. Strive both by counsel and example to property. And may God in his mercy direct you aright, and heal the wounds of our distracted country."

Resume the occupations Labour to restore order. give security to life and

The military character of Gen. Smith has scarcely been treated with justice in the popular and cotemporary records of the war. He was the victim of many rumours, growing out of the obscurity and comparative isolation of his department, and, at one time, he was absurdly and brutally accused in the newspapers of an attempt to negotiate a transfer of his forces to the Emperor of Mexico. He was also accused of speculations in cotton, etc., in which, doubtless, some Confederate officers did grow rich at the expense of the reputation of the Commanding General. No more faithful patriot existed in the armies of the Confederacy, and no purer man was in any of its public stations. Although Gen. Smith may not have had the highest genius of a commander, he achieved a most honourable sum of success in the war, and had many excellent qualities. He was a dashing soldier in the field; he was a man of personal courage and high probity; and if he had a fault, it was that he was too facile and yielding to the impudent and importunate demands of often unworthy subordinates. His character was

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very amiable, and in his appearance and manners there was nothing of the swollen port or harsh precision of the military commander. He was remarkable for his piety, and it was said that a few years before the war, he entertained serious thoughts of abandoning the profession of arms and studying for the ministry. His command in the Trans-Mississippi was a very difficult one, beset with many conflicting interests and private speculations, and constantly assailed by intrigue; and perhaps he was too gentle and retiring for a position so peculiar.

* A pleasant anecdote, related in the newspapers, illustrates the manners of the General. When he first arrived in his department he made his way to Gen. Magruder's office. But one staff-officer happened to be in, and, as young men sometimes will do, he was occupying a position more comfortable than elegant, with his back to the door, singing "Dixie." Gen. Smith interrupted him with: "Is this Gen. Magruder's office?" The young officer broke off his song only long enough to reply: "Yes, sir." Gen. S.-"Is the General in?" Officer-"No, sir." Gen. S.-" Will he be in soon?" Officer-"Don't know, sir." Gen. S.-"How long has he been gone?" Officer-" Don't know, sir." Gen. S.-"Where is he?" Officer-"Don't know, sir. It is not my work to keep him." Gen. S.-"Ahem! My name is Smith." Officer-"Yes. Good many Smiths about-several been to see the General." Gen. S.-"They sometimes call me Lieutenant-General Smith." Officer-"The deuce you say!" The officer turned a very rapid somersault, and disappeared in a twinkling.

LIEUT.-GEN. SIMON B. BUCKNER.

CHAPTER LXXII.

Services and promotions in the United States Army.-His connection with the "State Guard" of Kentucky.-Memorandum of a conference with George B. McClellan, concerning Kentucky's neutrality.-He refuses military service with either of the belligerents.-His conversion to the service of the Confederate States.-Commissioned a Brigadier-General.-Captured at Fort Donelson.-Running the gauntlet of Northern mobs.-A cutting remark to a Federal officer.Released, and takes command in Hardee's corps.-His disagreement with Gen. Bragg concerning the field of Perryville.-In command at Mobile.-Transferred to East Tennessee.-Important assistance in the Chickamauga campaign.—Another disagreement between Bragg and his officers.-Gen. Buckner transferred to the Trans-Mississippi, and commands the district of Louisiana.-Included in Gen. E. Kirby Smith's surrender.-A peculiarity of Gen. Buckner's character.-His high moral courage.

SIMON BOLIVAR BUCKNER was born April 1, 1823, in Hart county, Kentucky. He entered West Point in 1840, and having completed his term of education there, was assigned as brevet second-lieutenant to the 2d regiment of infantry, joining his regiment . at Sackett's Harbour, New York. In 1845, he was ordered to duty as assistant instructor of ethics at West Point, whence he was relieved on his own application, in May, 1846, and ordered to the Rio Grande. He took part in the most important incidents of the Mexican War, and was brevetted a first lieutenant for gallant conduct at Cherubusco, and a captain for gallant conduct at Molino del Rey. He was detached from his regiment on its return from Mexico, and remained on duty at West Point until 1850, as assistant instructor of infantry tactics. He then rejoined his regiment in Minnesota, and was subsequently ordered to duty on the Plains, being assigned to command a military post, Fort Atkinson, on the Santa Fé route, 360 miles from the nearest settlement. He gave protection to that route with only sixty men, although at