to give up the Confederate cause at this time; he departed
from Richmond, abandoned the Rebellion and went into retirement.(11)
Mr. Davis transmitted his commissioners' report to the Confederate
Congress, stating that no terms of settlement could be obtained
"other than the conqueror might grant." The last flicker of the
Hampton Roads conference was seen in a public meeting held at the
African Church in Richmond, February 6, 1865, at which bravado
speeches were made by Mr. Davis and others. Mr. Davis announced
a belief that they would "compel the Yankees, in less than twelve
months, to petition us for peace on our own terms."(12)

General E. O. C. Ord, commanding the Army of the James, about
February 20th, attempted to inaugurate another peace conference to
be conducted through military channels, aided by the wives of
certain officers of the two armies. To this end he secured, on a
trivial pretext, an interview with General James Longstreet, then
commanding the Confederate forces immediately north of Richmond.
Ord, in the interview, referred to the Hampton Roads' conference,
stating (according to Longstreet) that the politicians North were
afraid to touch the question of peace; that there was no way to
open the subject save through officers of the armies; that on the
Union side the war had gone on long enough, and that the army
officers "should come together as former comrades and friends and
talk a little." Ord is reported as saying that the "work as
belligerents" should cease; Grant and Lee should have a talk; that
Longstreet's wife with a retinue of Confederate officers should
first visit Mrs. Grant within the Union lines; that then Mrs. Grant
should return the call at Richmond under escort of Union officers,
and that thus the ladies could aid Generals Grant and Lee in fixing
up peace on terms honorable to both sides. Longstreet took kindly
to Ord's talk. Lee met Longstreet at President Davis' house in
Richmond. Breckinridge (then Secretary of War) was present. At
this meeting it was decided that Longstreet was to seek a further
interview with Ord and see how the subject could be opened between
Grant and Lee. Longstreet summoned his wife from Lynchburg to
Richmond by telegraph. About the last day of February, Ord and
Longstreet had another meeting at which Ord suggested that if Lee
would write Grant a letter, the latter was prepared to receive it,
and thus a military convention could be brought about. Lo