This would be incorrect.

SOURCE: Bradley, Mark L. This Astounding Close: The Road to Bennett Place. Chapel Hill & London: The University of North Carolina Press, 2000. Pages 243-244. This is an excellent book that I have on my shelf and I find myself pulling it out often to refer to for this period of the war. It is the source to turn to. The footnotes for the passage below are also interesting but I will not relate here.

"on May 9, [Captain Morris C. Runyan's Company G, 9th New Jersey] made a startling discovery. The captain entered an abandoned warehouse [in Charlotte, NC] expecting to find provisions or ammunition but instead uncovered stacks of U.S. flags and regimental colors and dozens of boxes containing Confederate documents. Learning that General Johnston was in town and had keys to the building. Runyan asked "Old Joe" to meet him."

"The next day, one of Runyan's soldiers informed the captain that "a little old man" insisted on seeing him at once. As Runyan admonished the private to learn the unknown gentleman's name, the "little old man" entered the captain's office. Runyan recalled that the man wore civilian clothes and had a "remarkably striking face." The visitor introduced himself as General Johnston. A startled Runyan apologized for the private's rudeness, but Johnston waved him off with the remark that the man was only doing his duty."

"Johnston informed the captain that the boxes in question contained papers of the Confederate War Department and admitted to hoping that the material "might have fallen into friendly hands." Runyan assured "Old Joe" that he appreciated the documents' importance and would protect them. Johnston had also reported the abandoned records to Schofield, who sent his quartermaster to Charlotte for the flags and documents, which filled eighty large boxes."

"The captain also deserves the thanks of countless Civil War historians for preserving a priceless treasure trove of source material."

SOURCE: Official Records. Series I, Volume XLVII/3. Union Correspondence, Orders, and Returns relating to Operations in North Carolina, South Carolina, Southern Georgia, and East Florida, from March 24, 1865 to June 30, 1865.

HDQRS. COMPANY G, NINTH NEW JERSEY VOLUNTEERS,

Greensborough, N. C., May 13, 1865.
Lieut. E. W. WELSTED,
Adjutant Ninth New Jersey Volunteers:

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report: In accordance with orders from Major-General Cox, I left Greensborough, N. C., with my company on May 5, 1865, and proceeded by railroad to Salisbury, N. C.; arrived there at 11 a.m. I left Salisbury at 5 p.m., and was transported by rail to within five miles of Concord, a station twenty-one miles from Charlotte, N. C. The next morning, May 6, I marched to Concord and telegraphed to Charlotte for a train. I received an answer stating that an accident had happened to the downward train, and that no train would run for a day or so. I immediately took up line of march and that evening encamped thirteen miles from Charlotte. The next morning I resumed the march and arrived in Charlotte at 5.30 p.m. I found the town filled with rebel soldiers; raids were made by mobs on stores that had been left by the rebels. Drunkenness and disorder generally had been the order of the day. I immediately issued an order assuming command of the post; also, another prohibiting the sale of all kinds of spirituous liquors. After my arrival good order prevailed. The following is the list of stores taken possession of and guarded by my command: Medical purveyor's establishment, containing a large quantity of medical stores--there being no surgeon in my command I had no means of determining the value of them; the rebel navy-yard, containing a large amount of machinery, iron, &c., most of which had been taken from the Portsmouth (Virginia) Navy-Yard; a number of boxes said to contain the records of the rebel War Department and all the archives of the so-called Southern Confederacy; also, boxes said to contain all the colors and battle-flags captured from the National forces since the beginning of the war; a quantity of naval stores and a quantity of commissary stores; a branch of the U.S. mint was found, containing the machinery connected with it, all in good order. On Friday, the 12th, Brigadier-General Thomas, of the Third Brigade, First Division, Twenty-third Army Corps, arrived, relieving me of command of the post. On Friday, at. 5 p.m., I received an order by telegraph to report to my regiment without delay. The next day, the 13th, I had my command placed on cars, and reported at regimental headquarters at Greensborough at 4 p.m. the same day.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

M. C. RUNYAN,
Captain, Commanding Company G, Ninth New Jersey Volunteers.

I hope this helps.

Respectfully,

Gerald D. Hodge, Jr.
M.A. Military History - Civil War Concentration
War Between the States Historian
Research - Preservation
Historian: 39th Georgia Volunteer Infantry Regiment