er a march of twelve
or fifteen miles, the Charlotte road, and were between that place and
the enemy. At daybreak next morning we moved on slowly. The enemy
reached the bridge over the Catawba after we had passed and had
partially torn up the bottom. At Charlotte we found a battalion of
General Ferguson's brigade of Mississippi cavalry.

On the next day, Mr. Davis and his Cabinet arrived, escorted by General
Debrell's division of cavalry, in which was Williams' Kentucky brigade,
commanded then by Colonel Breckinridge. In a day or two the town was
filled with unattached officers, disbanded and straggling soldiers, the
relics of the naval forces, fleeing officials and the small change of
the Richmond bureaux.

The negotiations were then pending between Generals Johnston and
Sherman. General Breckinridge, in his capacity of Secretary of War,
assisted at these conferences, but he was impatiently expected by Mr.
Davis. The latter, on the day of his arrival, made the speech which has
been so much commented upon. It was simply a manly, courageous appeal to
the people to be true to themselves. The news of the assassination of
Mr. Lincoln was received, during this period, but was almost universally
disbelieved. When General Breckenridge arrived, he brought the first
authoritative account of the Sherman and Johnston cartel. But two days
later, General Johnston telegraphed that the authorities at Washington
had repudiated it; that the armistice was broken off, and that he was
preparing to surrender. Then there was another stir and commotion among
the refugees. The greater part chose to remain at Charlotte, and accept
the terms granted General Johnston's army.

[Illustration: MAP OF ROUTE OF General Morgan's Cavalry, COMMANDED BY
Brig. Gen. B.W. Duke, _Through South Carolina into Wilkes Co., Ga., while
escorting_ PRESIDENT DAVIS.]

Mr. Davis, accompanied by General Breckinridge and the members of his
cabinet, quitted Charlotte, to march, if possible, to Generals Taylor
and Forrest, in Alabama. The five brigades of Ferguson, Debrell,
Breckinridge, Vaughan, and mine, composed his escort. At Unionville I
found Colonel Napier, with all the forces he had been able to save from
the enemy, and seventy or eighty men. This increased the strength of the
brigade to 751 effectives.

I asked and obtained promotion, well won and deserved, for several
officers. Major Steele was made Colonel; Captains Logan and Messick,
Lieutenant-Colonels;