me in
Mansfield.

I was invited soon after, on the 14th of April, to attend a mass
meeting at Columbus to celebrate the success of the Union army.
I accepted the invitation and attended an immense meeting in the
open air on the capitol grounds, and there Samuel Galloway and
myself made addresses. Meetings were held, congratulations uttered
in the evening of that day. The whole city was in holiday attire,
ornamented with flags, and everywhere and with everybody, there
was an expression of joy. I retired late at night to my room in
the hotel, and after my fatigue slept soundly.

Early the next morning Rush Sloane, a personal friend, rapped at
my door and announced to me the news of the assassination of Lincoln,
and, as then reported, that of Seward. The change from joy to
mourning that day in Columbus was marked and impressive. No event
of my life created a more painful impression than this news following
the rejoicings of the day before. I returned to Washington and
attended the funeral services over the body of Mr. Lincoln, then
about to be carried on the long journey to his old home in Springfield,
Illinois.

On the 6th of May, in response to the invitation of my neighbors
in Mansfield, I made an address upon the life and character of the
dead President. It expressed the opinion and respect I then
entertained for him, and now I could add nothing to it. As time
moves on his name and fame become brighter, while most of his
contemporaries are one by one forgotten.

Soon after the death of Mr. Lincoln, the terms of the surrender of
General Johnston to General Sherman became the subject of a violent
controversy. On the 21st of April, Secretary Stanton issued an
order to General Grant to proceed immediately to the headquarters
of General Sherman and direct operations against the enemy. He
issued a bulletin in which he intimated that Davis and his partisans
were on their way to escape to Mexico or Europe with a large amount
of gold plundered from the Richmond banks and from other sources,
and that they hoped to make terms with General Sherman by which
they would be permitted with their effects, including their gold
plunder, to go to Mexico or Europe. The most violent and insulting
paragraphs were published in the newspapers, substantially arraigning
General Sherman as a traitor and imputing to him corrupt motives.
I felt myself bound at once, not to defend the terms of surrender,
but to repel the innuendoes