General George H. Chapman to General Winfield Scott Hancock, Winchester, Virginia, April 18, 1865

Headquarters Second Cavalry Division, 

Near Berryville, Va., April 18, 1865. 

 

Brevet Brigadier-General Morgan, 

Chief of Staff, Winchester, Va. : 

 

General, — I have the honor to report that, agreeable to instructions, I met Colonel John S. Mosby, Confederate States army, commanding Forty-third Virginia Battalion, to-day at Millwood, under a flag of truce, to confer with him touching the surrender of his command and to conclude the details, should he have decided to surrender under the terms offered him. He declined to surrender at this time, for the reason that his command was not in immediate danger, and that he had not such information as yet as would justify him in concluding the ' Confederate Cause ' altogether hopeless. 

He expressed himself as anxious to avoid any useless effusion of blood or destruction of property, and desirous, therefore, of a suspension of hostilities for a short time until he could learn the fate of ' Johnston's army.' Should that be defeated, or surrendered, he said he should regard the 'Confederate Cause' as lost, and would disband his organization. He does not propose even in that event to surrender them as an organization for parole, but to disband the battalion, giving to each individual to choose his own course. He informed me he had already advised his connnand that those who chose to do so could come and give their parole. For himself he said he had no favors to ask. being quite willing to stand by his acts, all of which he believed to be justifiable, and in the course of my conversation with him, he remarked that he did not expect to remain in the country. I made an agreement with him for a suspension of hostilities for forty-eight hours longer, expiring at noon on the 20th, and a conditional agreement for a further suspension for ten days. These agreements are herewith inclosed, and I will inform Colonel Mosby of the action of the General commanding so soon as advised. I did not give him to hope that this agreement for a ten-days' suspension would be concurred in. I regret that I have not the pleasure of communicating the surrender of this force, but trust my actions in the premises will meet approval. The interview throughout was characterized by good feeling. Perhaps I ought, in justice to Colonel Mosby and his officers, to state an universal regret was expressed because of the assassination of the President. 

 

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

 

George H. Chapman, Brigadier-General.