untiful luncheon
was spread, of which we partook, with joyous poppings of champagne corks
for accompaniment, the first agreeable explosive sounds I had heard for
years. The air of "Hail Columbia," which the band in attendance struck
up, was instantly changed by Canby's order to that of "Dixie"; but I
insisted on the first, and expressed a hope that Columbia would be again
a happy land, a sentiment honored by many libations.

There was, as ever, a skeleton at the feast, in the person of a general
officer who had recently left Germany to become a citizen and soldier of
the United States. This person, with the strong accent and idioms of the
Fatherland, comforted me by assurances that we of the South would
speedily recognize our ignorance and errors, especially about slavery
and the rights of States, and rejoice in the results of the war. In vain
Canby and Palmer tried to suppress him. On a celebrated occasion an
Emperor of Germany proclaimed himself above grammar, and this earnest
philosopher was not to be restrained by canons of taste. I apologized
meekly for my ignorance, on the ground that my ancestors had come from
England to Virginia in 1608, and, in the short intervening period of two
hundred and fifty-odd years, had found no time to transmit to me correct
ideas of the duties of American citizenship. Moreover, my grandfather,
commanding the 9th Virginia regiment in our Revolutionary army, had
assisted in the defeat and capture of the Hessian mercenaries at
Trenton, and I lamented that he had not, by association with these
worthies, enlightened his understanding. My friend smiled blandly, and
assured me of his willingness to instruct me. Happily for the world,
since the days of Huss and Luther, neither tyranny nor taste can repress
the Teutonic intellect in search of truth or exposure of error. A
kindly, worthy people, the Germans, but wearing on occasions.

The party separated, Canby for Mobile, I for Meridian, where within two
days came news of Johnston's surrender in North Carolina, the capture of
President Davis in Georgia, and notice from Canby that the truce must
terminate, as his Government disavowed the Johnston-Sherman convention.
I informed General Canby that I desired to meet him for the purpose of
negotiating a surrender of my forces, and that Commodore Farrand would
accompany me to meet Admiral Thatcher. The military and civil
authorities of the Confederacy had fallen, and I was called to
administer on