Page images
PDF
EPUB

THE FALL OF THE CONFEDERACY AND THE
ARREST AND IMPRISONMENT OF DAVIS.

The fall of the Confederacy was as sudden as complete. Even President Davis seemed slow to believe that the fall of RichHe was in no haste to remove the mond was so near at hand. State archives from the city. It was as late as the memorable 2nd of April, 1865, that he abandoned Richmond, and then only to go as far as Danville. It was here Lee expected to remarshal his "invincibles" with the hope of uniting his forces with those But Grant's of Johnston in the direction of Roanoke river. movements caused him to retreat in the direction of Lynchburg.

Gen.

It was at Danville Mr. Davis was informed of Lee's surrender. He immediately left for Goldsboro, North Carolina. Here he held a consultation with Gen. Johnston, and then moved southward. At Lexington he received a despatch, requesting the presence of Gen. Breckinridge, his Secretary of War. Sherman had submitted a proposition for the surrender of the forces under Johnston, who considered the terms too comprehensive for him to assume the repsonsibility of deciding upon them. Gen. Breckinridge and Postmaster General Reagan were On their arrival sent to meet Gen. Johnston near Raleigh.

Gen. Sherman submitted terms of surrender "on which an armistice was declared."

A very remarkable feature of the terms submitted by Gen. Sherman "was a declaration of amnesty to all persons both milParticular attention was called to this clause itary and civil." by Gen. Johnston, Breckinridge and Reagan. But Sherman replied, "I mean just that," and gave as his reason that it was "the only way to have perfect peace."

The authorities at Washington refused to approve these terms, and ordered the armistice to cease after a specified time. Davis remained in Charlotte until the hour when the armistice ended. He then resumed his journey southward passing through South Carolina to Washington, Georgia. His cavalry escort with which he had started from Charlotte was not heard of after ar

riving at Washington because, as he supposed, they had learned of the surrender of Johnston.

While here he learned that a Federal force of cavalry was thought to be approaching the town. But the news did not disturb him. He remained over night. He did not apprehend "any molestation from the Federal troops, even if occupying the same town.” He thought he was protected by the terms of Johnston's surrender which "he believed to be still in force all over the country East of the Chattahoochee River--the territory embraced in Sherman's immediate command.

Feeling assured that he was protected by Gen. Sherman's armistice, Mr. Davis did not believe "that any expedition could or would be sent for his capture, or for any other war-like purposes." He cited as an evidence of the correctness of his opinion that while he was in Washington "Gen. Upton of the Federal Army with a few members of his staff passed unattended over the railroad, a few miles from the place, en route for Augusta, to receive the muster rolls of the discharged troops, and take charge of the immense military stores there that fell into Gen. Sherman's hands by the surrender. Gen. Upton was not interfered with, the country being at peace, though nothing would have been easier had Davis been so inclined." For this reason Mr. Davis was not afraid of being captured, and did not conceal his movements. How prone a truly honest man is not to doubt the honesty of others!

Had not Davis yet profited by his knowledge of the intrigues at Headquarters in the District of Columbia? At this very time while his soul was so much at ease, an entire division of Federal cavalry was covering that district of declared peace for the purpose of his capture.

Mr. Davis left Washington in company with Gen. Reagan, his three aides, and an escort of ten mounted men. Receiving reliable information that bands of marauders were going through the country stealing horses and committing other depredations, he became alarmed about the safety of his wife and family, and determined to hasten to their protection, riding seventy miles without halt, reaching there just at daylight.

Finding "the region infested with deserters and robbers, he

traveled several days with his family who had a considerable train of wagons, furnished them by the Quartermaster at Washington. He evidently did not yet think it necessary to conceal either his person or his movements. He still believed when he had crossed the Chattahoochee he would be in danger of arrest and not before.

The very evening before his arrest he had planned to leave Mrs. Davis and the children to go to the trans-Mississippi Department, believing Mrs. Davis to be now safe. But just then one of his aides reported that a party of guerrillas or highwaymen was coming that night to seize the horses and mules of his wife's train. He, therefore, decided to remain another night. The place was Irwinville, It was now the 9th of May, 1865. 75 miles from Macon, Ga. One other night's protection in an emergency, and then a fond farewell, a God-bless-you and a But alas! the dawn race for the trans-Mississippi Department!

of another day told a different story.

It was just the day before (the 8th May) that Gen. Minty issued an order addressed to Lieutenant Col. H. N. Howland, commanding a brigade as follows:

"You will have every port and ferry on the Ocmulgee and Altamaha Rivers, from Hawkinsville to the Ohoopee River, well guarded, and make every effort to capture or kill Davis, the rebel ex-President, who is supposed to be endeavoring to (104 War of Rebelcross the Ocmulgee South of Macon." lion, 665).

On the same day Major Gen. J. H. Wilson wrote Gen. Upton: "the President of the United States has issued his proclamation announcing that the Bureau of Military Justice has reported upon indisputable evidence that Jefferson Davis, Clement C. Clay, Jacob Thompson, George N. Sanders, Beverly Tucker, and W. C. Cleary incited and concerted the assassination of Mr. Lincoln, and the attempted assassination of Mr. Seward. He, therefore, offers for the arrest of Davis, Clay and Thompson $100,000 dollars each; for Sanders and Tucker $25,000 each: and for Cleary $10,000. Publish this in handbills, circulate everywhere and urge the greatest possible activity in the pursuit. (104 War of Rebellion 665).

Here was Davis trusting implicitly in the armistice of Sherman. At that very hour an immense reward was offered for his arrest by the President of the United States, based, as he claimed, "upon indisputable evidence." But the time was short indeed when the evidence was both disputed and refuted.

Gen. Wilson also wrote Gen. Steedman: "Everything is on the lookout for J. D. His cavalry is dissolved, and he is a fugitive, but in what direction is not known. (104 War of Rebellion 666).

On the 10th day of May, 1865, Lieut.-Col. B. D. Pritchard, commanding the 4th Michigan Cavalry "captured at Irwinville, Ga., Mr. Davis with his family, his wife's sister and brother, Mr. Reagan, his Postmaster-General, Mr. Burton N. Harrison, his private Secretary, Col. W. Preston Johnston, and Col. Lubbock, of his staff, and Lieut. Hathaway; together with five wagons and three ambulances.

The mere statement of the foregoing facts, is proof positive that President Davis was not caught in an effort to "escape in his wife's clothing." It was the fabrication of a newspaper correspondent. Col. Pritchard in his announcement of the capture said nothing of any such endeavor on the part of Davis. Yet "Major-General J. H. Wilson in his official report to Mr. Stanton, the Secretary of War, on the 14th of May, makes the statement, saying he derived it from 'the captors.'

Why should Gen. Wilson make such a charge under the phrase "from the captors," when Col. Pritchard in his official report and correspondence makes no such statement? Col. Pritchard was the one man whose testimony should have weighed with Gen. Wilson. Yet under the indefinite term, "the captors" he makes the grave charge. The man traveling with a train of five wagons and three ambulances with his family and a number of others, without effort to conceal his identity, does not feel the need of disguising himself. Besides, James H. Parker, one of "the captors," and the first to recognize him, published in the Portland Argus (Maine) a full story of the capture while Davis was still in prison. In this story he writes:

"She (Mrs. Davis) behaved like a lady and he as a gentleman, though manifestly he was chagrined at being taken into

custody. Our soldiers behaved like gentlemen, as they were, and our officers like honorable, brave men, and the foolish stories that went the newspaper rounds were all false......I defy anybody to find a single officer or soldier (and there was not less than two regiments present) who was present at the capture of Jefferson Davis, who will say, upon honor, that he was disguised in a woman's clothes, or that his wife acted in any way unladylike and undignified on the occasion."

True Southerners place their honor above their lives. No English lord excelled them in dignity. No conditions could betray them into unbecoming conduct. It is a custom among newspaper men to add sensational features to their stories for publication, that they may be the more readable. This falsehood was the mere fabrication of a newspaper correspondent, and yet it was given more credence than the official report of Col. Pritchard.

When honesty is wanting, dignity is either lacking or clothed in borrowed light. Honesty of purpose was wanting in the proclamation of President Johnson and in the official report of Major-General Wilson. All the dignity that belonged to these two distinguished personages was borrowed from their high official positions.

T. H. Peabody, an eminent lawyer of St. Louis, was also one of the captors. In a speech to the Grand Army Post a few days after the death of President Davis, he also denied the whole story.

It was however, a sweet morsel to the President of the United States, to Major-Gen. Wilson, and to the Secretary and Assistant Secretary of War. Three days after the capture of Davis the Secretary of War, Mr. Stanton, wrote to the Rev. R. J. Breckinridge of Kentucky that "Jefferson Davis was caught three days ago in Georgia trying to escape in his wife's clothes." (121 War of Rebellion 555).

Twelve days after the capture of Davis the Assistant Secretary of War, Mr. Dana, ordered Gen. Miles to have Col. Pritchard to bring with him "the woman's dress in which Jefferson Davis was captured, (121 War of Rebellion 569). That dress was not produced, for the best of reasons. Had Messrs. Stanton

« PreviousContinue »