The Fall of the Confederacy. A75 
culations. Yet all this happened, and further, almost every 
incident of the contest disappointed anticipation. 
In four years we beheld the birth, the eventful life and 
the sudden death of the Confederacy. In the summer of 
1860 it was not even in embryo. It was born in 1861. In 
the summer of 1862 it was a power with a quarter of a 
million of men under arms. In the summer of 1865 the 
Confederacy had become historical. The world looked on 
with eager unfaltering interest. The stage was a continent, 
the actors were peoples and races. Upon the result of 
the conflict depended the fate of the United States, of 
Mexico, and indeed all the continent was to be directly or 
indirectly, immediately or hereafter, affected by the issue 
of a contest than which none more fierce, gigantic, and 
momentous was ever waged. 
By means of telegraphy, steam, and a press that may be 
described as ubiquitous, men were able to watch from day 
to day the short life of the Confederacy. Yet no one was 
quite prepared for the catastrophe when it came. The 
Confederacy was sick with a mortal sickness. She was in 
the death agony. So far there was no misconception. 
But no one thought that the agony was so shortly to ter- 
minate in sudden decease. 
For nearly four years the Confederacy was a considerable 
power. She equipped armies. She carried ona mighty 
warfare. Her flag was borne on the high seas. Her 
securities were quoted on the Exchanges of Europe. In the 
early spring of 1865 she was still in being. The second 
session of her second congress was being held in her capital. 
The illustrous Lee, though hard pressed was unconquered. 
True there were signs of weakness. The South, that is 
the generals, the statesmen, and the people of the country, 
were not deceived by the defiant tone of the Government, 
for they knew that the Confederacy was in the throes of 
dissolution. The soldiers were conscious that their lives 
were being offered up in vain. But surely no one imagined 
that the death agony would be so soon over, and that the 
instant of annihilation was so near at hand. No one ima- 
sined that in a few days the Confederacy would not only 
have fallen, but would be dead, buried, and altogether a 
thing of history. But it was so. Long ere that same early 
spring had ripened into summer, the Federal flag waved 
over Charleston, the Federal forces were in Richmond, Lee 
surrendered, the Confederate administration was fugitive, 
and the Confederacy was clean gone. 
