New pages of history.
In response to a request made of him, that he would write some personal reminiscences of the late
Chief of the
Southern Cause, with whom he was so closely identified, and whose most implicit confidence he enjoyed during the last days of the
Confederacy,
Mr. Clark has edited, for the perusal of readers of
The Times, the following absorbing story:
Partial histories of the evacuation of the
Confederate Capitol have been written by many, but few sketches have been given by those who followed the civil government in its retreat South until by surrender of its chief armies it lost the power to defend the country and protect itself from capture, when natural disintegration took place, executive power ceased, and all hope of the cause was lost, except by the most sanguine.
It was my privilege to be with the
President and Cabinet from the evacuation of
Richmond until within a few days of the capture of himself and family, a portion of his staff, and the sole Cabinet officer remaining with him.
As the government slowly fell to pieces, as quartermaster and commissary of the party, and member of his military family, I was naturally thrown nearer and nearer to his person, until below
Sandersville, Georgia, on the 6th or 7th of May, 1865, giving me my final orders, he sent me on with my train of supplies to
Florida, he said: ‘abandoning for the present everything on wheels,’ and left to temporarily join and protect his family.
The history of the capture of his party and family has been written.
