'And yet the war continues.'
'I have no control over that.'
'I think you do, sir.'
Lee shook his head and remained silent., 'I shall share with you the rest of the memo sent by the president.'
He looked over at Elihu, who nodded in agreement.
'We are to help you and your men return to Virginia. Even now my engineers are completing a bridge at Edwards Ferry. You can march out, once disarmed, and stack your colors before crossing the river. I suggest you then take your troops to Richmond and there disband them.'
He took a deep breath.
'The day after you return to Virginia, I will move my army across the Potomac as well, but advance no farther than the Rappahannock River, occupying the positions held by our armies prior to the Chancellorsville campaign. This I do as a military necessity to shield Washington, but also to position myself for an advance on Richmond.'
Lee nodded, looking straight at Grant.
'And then?'
'Sir, if the Confederate government does not seek a general armistice leading to their disbandment at the end of thirty days, I am ordered to drive straight on Richmond. I will also detach one corps to occupy Shenandoah Valley and, if need be, destroy any material of military worth.'
'Please, sir, define military worth?' Lee asked.
'The fall harvest, all barns, railroads, everything clear down the valley to Tennessee. I will do the same as I advance toward Richmond.'
'I see,' Lee replied, shaking his head. 'A new kind of war, isn't it, General Grant?'
'A kind of war that will become necessary if your goveminent does not see reality and disband. I will regret it, sir, but I will order it without hesitation.
'We do not need to play any bluff games with each other, General Lee. You have absolutely no forces left in Virginia, other than some militia. Once I start this next campaign I shall be in Richmond within the week.
'I regret to say this, but I am ordered to carry my campaign forward with full and absolute vigor. That means my army will live off the land as we advance. We will cut a swath fifty miles wide and destroy everything in our path.'
Lee sighed.
'General Grant, so far, this war has been fought with a certain degree of civility, with respect to the property rights of civilians.'
'That is war, this new kind of war,' Grant replied, and there was a sharpness to his voice. 'I do not like it any more than you do. It is the prayerful wish of our president that the terms of surrender granted here today will send a positive message across the South. We want peace, we wish it as much as you, and we can have it with honor. But if there are some who wish to continue the fight, then utter devastation will be the result.
'I am not sure that you heard the news from Atlanta today,' Grant said.
'No, sir.'
'Sherman has soundly defeated Bragg again, near Kennesaw Mountain. We received word that your president is finally relieving Bragg and replacing him with Joe Johnston, but it is too little too late. Sherman declares that his armies will start the bombardment of Atlanta within days; in fact, he is holding back until I authorize him to do so. He believes he can take the city in a matter of days.
'If your resistance continues, he has already suggested the plan to burn Atlanta to the ground, tear up the railroads, and then march from there straight to Savannah, again living off the land, destroying most of Georgia in the process.'
Lee glared at Grant.
'Sir, I saw a certain compassion in you this morning. Your words now challenge that first assumption.'
Grant leaned forward and stared at Lee intently.
'Sir, we are soldiers. We have seen nothing but hell the last two years. You know and I know your cause is lost. To me, the wasting of but one more life would be a sin. Yes, there has been a threat offered, but also a hope, a hope that you and I can work together to end this terrible slaughter and return peace to our land. Sir, I must repeat, any more deaths will be a sin, and they will rest upon your soul and mine.'
Lee, a bit flustered, took up the cup of coffee Elihu had offered and looked down as he took a sip. Then he looked up.
'I believe you,' Lee said.
Grant signed, sat back in his chair, and nodded his thanks.
'But I repeat, I have no authority beyond that of the Army of Northern Virginia,' Lee replied.
'Gentlemen, may I interrupt?' Elihu said and he leaned forward, placing his hands on the table.
Grant nodded his assent, and Elihu looked over at Judah.
'I hope you don't mind that I call you Judah,' Elihu said. 'The rules of diplomatic protocol forbid me from addressing you by your title since we have never recognized the legitimacy of your government.'
Judah smiled.
'Of course, Elihu.' 'The generals have had their words. I think you and I should now share a few thoughts.'
'And your thoughts are?' Judah asked.
'Your government declares that you are secretary of state. All know that you are the one who is always at the right side of your president Davis. You, more than any other, have the power to persuade him.'
'You confer upon me more power than I think I have,' Judah replied with a smile.
'Let me tell you the terms President Lincoln now offers.'
'Go on.'
'I carry with me an additional letter, which I shall turn over to you at the end of this meeting, outlining the terms, which are as follows.
'Your Confederate government is to vote to surrender to the government of the United States of America. It is then to vote full allegiance to that government and its Constitution. Then it must disband itself and go home.
'Upon doing that, a military armistice shall be declared and all armies of the federal forces will stop in place, except for two forces. General Grant's will occupy Richmond and Sherman's will occupy Atlanta.
'All troops are to surrender their arms to the nearest federal forces, sign paroles, and return home. State militias behind the lines are to report to their respective capitals, disarm, sign paroles, and return home as well.
'In return, and you will have it in writing from President Lincoln, there will be no arrests, no incarcerations, no trials, no retributions, no confiscations of property'-he paused- 'other than slaves.'
'Sir?'
'The Emancipation Proclamation shall become law across all twelve of the states in rebellion; all slaves at the moment of the surrender of your government are forever free.'
'A bit hypocritical,' Judah offered back. 'What about those states which remained in the Union, where slavery still exists?'
'I agree, and given some things I've heard about you, I think this is a moral issue for you as well,' Elihu replied. 'In his message to Congress, come December, the president will set forth several measures. The first is a constitutional amendment forever banning slavery and granting full rights of citizenship. Second, when your various state legislatures reconvene, those men, who have signed an oath of loyalty to the Union and agree to support the constitutional amendment ending slavery, will hold their seats and will then vote for senators and, for the present, congressmen to be sent to Washington. The one stipulation for those elected to federal office is that they must sign oaths of allegiance as well and an oath in support of the constitutional amendment banning slavery. That is their only requirement.
'The government will resume in January with full representation from the South.'
The room was silent for a moment, Judah taking the information in.
'No reprisals?'
