Thepapersweredulysigned;wepartedaboutdark，andmypartyreturnedtoRaleigh。Earlythenextmorning，April19th，I
dispatchedbytelegraphtoMoreheadCitytoprepareafleet—steamertocarryamessengertoWashington，andsentMajorHenryHitchcockdownbyrail，bearingthefollowingletters，andagreementwithGeneralJohnston，withinstructionstobeverycarefultoletnothingescapehimtothegreedynewspapercorrespondents，buttosubmithispaperstoGeneralHalleck，GeneralGrant，ortheSecretaryofWar，andtobringmebackwithallexpeditiontheirordersandinstructions。
OntheirfacetheyrecitedthatIhadnoauthoritytomakefinaltermsinvolvingcivilorpoliticalquestions，butthatIsubmittedthemtotheproperquarterinWashingtonfortheiraction;andthelettersfullyexplainedthatthemilitarysituationwassuchthatthedelaywasanadvantagetous。Icaredlittlewhethertheywereapproved，modified，ordisapprovedintoto;onlyIwantedinstructions。Manyofmygeneralofficers，amongwhom，Iamalmostpositive，wereGeneralsLoganandBlair，urgedmetoacceptthe\"terms，\"withoutreferenceatalltoWashington，butIpreferredthelattercourse:
HEADQUARTERSMILITARYDIVIBIONOFTHEMISSISSIPPI，INTHEFIELD，RALEIGH，NORTHCAROLINA，April18，1886。
GeneralH。W。HALLECK，ChiefofStaff，Washington，D。C。