PA RT TAKE N BY WI S CO N s l N TR OOPS

HE NRY HARN DE N

BREVET BR I GA DI ER; GENE RA L; LATE CO MMANDE R

’ O E THE Fl kssr NJ EQGNSJ N CAVA QRJ

3 )

MA DI N I . SO , W S 1 898

A PR E F C E .

THE following account of the par t taken by the First Wisconsin Cav al ry in the Capture of Jefferson Davis was originally prepared substantially as it is n o w p r e C m sented , at the request of o rades of

h . R . t e . G A , and has already been given m before a nu ber of the different Posts . It has been p u t into its present for m for the r eason that it is believed it w ill be a pleasure to the surviving m e m bers of th e r m t an d egi ents, and to heir children friends to have the sam e for convenient perusal . My personal r ecollection has been r e freshed as far as possible by r e - reading the official records and r eports m ade at m b r the ti e , and also y letters and cor e s p o n d e n ce had w ith per sons wh o took part in the capture . I have endeavored t o m r ake it as cor ect as possible, and the 3 r e a ce 4 P f . m ore so on account of the very u n fo r tu nate collision w hich took place between the First Wi s consin and the Fourth a C a m w h Michig n av lry , ention of hic it seem s al m ost necessary to m ake in an y I narrative concerning the m at ter . have endeavored to tell a pl ain story in a pl ain wa an d I m y, as such sub it it to the j ud g m ent of m y co m r ades wh o took part with m e in th e struggle which occurred al m os t a gener ation since .

H E N R Y HA R N D E N .

m 8 1 8 8 . Madison , Nove ber , 9 (the s tory" of the Ganture of

3efters on D avis .

F TE R the defeat of Hood ’s N army at ashville , Tennes b see y General Thomas , 1 th 1 6 on the s and th of December, 1 86 4, the Un ion cavalry under Ge n eral W ilson p ursued the retreating rebels until the remnants of thei r army escaped across the Tennessee W il river i nto Mississipp i . General son e ncam ped his cavalry at Gravelly W Spri ngs and aterloo , along the li ne of the Ten nessee , p rep aratory to the commencement of his great raid through Alabama and Georgia , w hich resulted i n the rout of the 6 Tbe Captu r e of

rebel General Forest , and the scat terin g and cap ture of the greater part of his army , also the capture of Selman and Montgomery , Ala W bama , and Columbus and est

w u poi nt , Georgia , finally inding p w ith the cap ture of Macon , Georgia . The First W isconsin Cavalry com posed a p art of these forces , and bore a consp ic uous part i n all that w as accom plished on this , the great est and most successful cavalry rai d of the w ar . The rebel army w hich General Thomas defeated at N ashville w as the same that had opposed General Sherman from Chattanooga to A t lanta the p revious su mmer , and w as , at the ti me of the battle of N ashville , composed of about forty thousand of the best troops of the

w as confederacy , but so total thei r defeat and rout that w hen they ‘ e r s on D avis jfi . 7

n fi nally got across Te nessee , there w as only about t w elve thousand of W t h ir in fan t r . e y left General ilson , w ith the First , Second , and Third

D ivi sions of the Cavalry Corp s , and

t o three bat eries of artillery , ab ut s fifteen thousand m en , cros ed the Tenn essee river o n the 1 1 t h d ay of 1 86 w March , 5 , at Chi ckasa , Ala m ba a , arriving at Macon , Georgia , 8 2 0 1 6 . April , 5 W hile resti ng quietly i n camp about t w o m iles north of the city on

e Ma 6 1 86 I r e the ev ning of y , 5 , c e iv e d orders to rep ort at once to

m headquarters . I mounted y horse and rode o ver to headquarters as o r

dered . I there found General J . G .

Croxton i n command , i n the absence

of Gen eral Mc cook . The General i nformed me that it w as reported

w as that Jeff . Davis in South Caro

w a lina , maki ng his y south i nto ‘ 8 Tfie Capzu r e of

Georgia , that a portion of his cab

w as w h im i net ith , and that they w ere accom p anied by s ix or sev en h undred men ; that I had been se l e c t e d to co m mand a detachment of one hundred and fifty men from the Fi rst W isconsi n Cavalry to go and endeavor to c ut him o ff and capture hi m if possible ; that I m ust march w i mmediately and not ait for rations . I enquired if he thought on e hun dred and fifty men a s u fficien t n u m d ber to take on the expe ition . He

“ replied That i n the Op i nion of ”

W w as . General ilson , it He said that the escort of Davis w as greatly

z m w demoral i ed , and any ere leaving him ; that they w ould be poorly

w as armed , and it doubtful if they w ould fight at all , but if they should w fight , he ould risk our being able to take care of them . He also said the cou ntry through w hich our route jef er s on D avis . 9 l a w as w y very poor , and that it ould ffi be d i c ult to subsist a large p arty , and that w e m ust start i mmediately w and not ait for rations , adding , as

I l e ft him w as , that if there a fight and Jeff . Davis should get hurt , General W ilson w ould not feel very bad over it .

m I then returned to y cam p , and soon had a detail of one hundred and w fifty men selected , all ell armed and mounted , ready to march . It w as about sunset w hen w e passed through Macon , and c rossed the bridge o ver the O ch e m u lg e e river, and then took a li ne of march

r o x tow ards Savan nah . General C ton had furnished me w ith a large

m a w as p of Georgia , so that I able

to shap e ou r course correctly . Dur i ng the n ight w e came to a p lanta

w w as w e tion here there forage , so

halted and fed o ur horses . U p to 1 0 Tbe Captu r e of this time the men had no idea as to where we w ere goi ng or for w hat

w e p urp ose had been ordered out . W hen ready to mou nt our horses , I made kno w n the object of our ex i p e d t io n . I frankly told them t hat if w e encountered Davis and his e s cort they w ould greatly outnumber us , and were p robably the pick of the Confederate army ; that they w ould no doubt fight desp erately ; w that it ould be a battle to the death , f and that Je f . Davis m ust not be

w an allo ed to escap e i n y event , but

w e w as had never been hipped , I had no fear of being w hipped n o w All of which w as greeted w ith cheers . W e continued our march all night and the next d ay (May 7 th ) until

w w e near eveni ng, hen arrived at w D ublin , a considerable to n , sit u at e d on the w est bank of the Oconee ' e er s on D a is 1 1 jfi v .

ar river . I had sent out scouti ng p

d a e n ties d uri ng the night and y , to d e av o r to get i nformation i n regard to p arties w h o were conti nually crossing our road , to ascertai n i f some of the m might not be the w Davis party , but these men al ay s p roved to be from General John ’ s t o n s w h o h ar m y , , avi ng surre n dered a short ti me before to General

a Sherman , were going home on p role . These diversions caused our march to be so mewhat delay ed . Upon ar rivi ng at Dubl i n I noticed the people appeared considerably excited at

I cau s e d our presence , but it to be gi ven out that w e w ere establishing courier p osts betw een Macon and

Savan nah , a little p iece of strategy allow able i n a military campaign . W e bivouaced on a flat betw een the w to n and the ri ver . I had several 1 2 Th e Captur e of i nvitations from gentlemen to take u m p y quarters at their houses , and for some reason they ap p eared quite anxiou s I should do so ; all of w hich surp rised me , as I had never been the recip ient of such attention s b e fore . By some means I got an i nkling that a p arty w ith w agons had p assed

w d a through the to n that y , but to m y questions as to who they w ere I w got only evasive ans ers , but I finally concl uded it w as some sutler

’ from Johnston s army . The town w as ffi full of rebel o cers i n u n iform , and as they stood i n group s by themselves , talking , I thought thei r looks boded no good to us Po

l l it e l - y decli ni ng all i nvitations , I m ade m y bivouac w ith the com w mand , and bei ng weary ith thirty

t - six hours of du y , twenty four of wh ich had been Sp ent i n the saddle , n i 1 jef er s o D av s . 3 we threw ourselves upon the grou nd to sleep . For several months I had been served by an old colored man named

“ B ill . He had been a slave and o w ned by a staff o fficer of General w B ragg . He had ofte n aited upon w General B ragg as ell as h is master, but when the rebels were hustled out of Tennessee by General Rosen c r an s e 1 86 in 3, B ill got left behin d and fell i n with us , and I employ ed h im . He was as homely as a hedge hog and a p erfect ty rant over the

w as other , but he as true as idarkies w in t e lli steel to me , an d ithal very w gent . He happe ned to be ith us o n this exped ition . I had scarcely lai n dow n to sleep

“ ” when B ill came and touched m e .

“ ” “ Colonel , Colonel , he said , wake u p ; I have found a colored man who w o u “ W ill tell y somethi ng . ell , 1 4 Tlze Captur e of

” what is it ? said I . It w as dark as w p itch , but I could see the hites of

their ey es , and I knew they had

somethi ng important to tell . ff The man said Je . Davis had been

“ d a . Ho i n town that y I said , w

o u w w s f do y kno it a Je f . Davis ? ” t o u ? “ W wha makes y think so ell ,

“ he said , all the gentlemen called

hi m President Davis , and he had his

wife with him , and she was called ” Mrs . Davis . He said they had come over the

river on a ferry . They had a num w ber of nice wagons ith them , and

some fin e saddle - horses led behind the wagon i n w hich President Davis and his w ife rode He further said that they were going to di ne w ith Judge Rose (Judge Rose w as one of the gentlemen w h o had been so p e r sistent i n urgi ng me to sp end the

n ight at hi s house), but before they r i 1 jefie s ou D av s . 5

could get the dinner ready they heard s o m e t h in g th at made the party

leave i n a hurry , goi ng south on the

ri v er road . H e further stated that there w as another large p arty that

did not come over the river . I ques t io n e d w him closely , and his ans ers

w as app eared straight , but I fearful of a trick to sen d me o ff on some

“ - . o u side track I said to B ill , Do y

think he i s telling m e the truth , and that I ought to believe hi m ?” “ Sar

K u r n e l o u ti n , shoor , ; y can believe ’ ” t r o hi m ; he is telling y o u God s o f. It w ill be seen that if B ill had not been w ith us we w ould have know n nothing of Davis havi ng crossed our

w e w track , and ould have gone the w next morning to ard Savannah , and w Jeff . Dav is ould i n all p robabilities have escaped capture and got aw ay w i nto Cuba , i n comp any ith Judah 1 6 T/ze Captu r e of

P . Benjami n and others , or across K the Mississipp i to irby Smith . To get a little more i nformation I called u p a coup le of men and w ent dow n to the ferry and i nterview ed the ferry man as to w hom he had

d a brought over the ri ver that y , but

I could get nothing out of hi m . He w as either too stupid or ignorant , or

an in fo r too obsti nate , to g ive us y l mation of importance . I have a w ay s been sorry that w e d id not w thro the old scamp i nto the river , as m y sergeant w anted to do . As soon as we got back to the bivouac I called u p the men to sad H w dle for a march . L ieutenant e w itt , ith thirty me n , had been left back at some cros s - roads and had

e t u not y come p , so detailing Lieu

w - fiv e tenant Lane , ith forty men to re mai n at Dublin , and scout from

u there p and down the river , I with

1 8 Th e Captur e of gentlemen had been i n her house

and drank some milk , and she show ed me a little scrap of p aper

which she said they had dropp ed . I s aw it w as a p iece of a Rich mond p ap er of recent date . A bright lit b tle girl standi ng y , said she had h eard o ne gentleman call the other

w as Colonel Harrison , and the other add ressed as Mr . Presiden t . U p on m y i nquiring as to h o w they w ere w dressed , she said they ere al most

w as as handsomely dressed as I , w but thei r coats ere not alike .

m - Poi nting to y shoulder straps , I i n quired if they had such things on

“ N o h ad thei r coats , she said , they

b ut not , one had stars on his collar

and gold on his sleeves , but the

other had nothi ng , and neither one

’ w as l ike mi ne The child s d e s cr ip tion convinced me that one w as an officer of high rank and the other s 1 f efier s ou D avi . 9

w as Jeff . Davi s . So convinced I that I had really n o w got on th e

I w r o t e track of Jeff . Davis , that a dispatch and started a couri er with it

W w as to General ilson , but the man b captured y some confederates , taken i nto the woods , robbed of hi s horse and equip ments and left to

w a make his y to Macon on foot , w m hich he did , but not u nti l after y

return there . The bridge being rep aired we p ushed on agai n through the p i ne w oods . The wagon tracks could n o w o be plainly seen , but it s on commenced to rai n a regular p our do w n and the tracks w e w ere fol

w w W e lo ing e re obliterated . w ere n o w i n the great p i ne w oods of the w south , the soi l nothing but hite w sand ith scarcely an i nhabitant , and soon lost all track of the p arty ahead , but still p ushed blindly on . 2 0 Til e Captu r e of

I sent parties c ircling around to find the road , but they were unsuccess ful . They , however , fou nd a horse m an a nd brought hi m to me . I n

m reply to y q uestions , he said he

an knew nothi ng of y party , that he was only a poor c iti z en hunting some lost sheep . I noticed that he was ridi ng a fi ne horse . I told hi m that I w ould take h is horse and h e could hunt his sheep o n foot . At this he began to p lead e arnestly . I told hi m to quit ly ing and tell m e w here the w agons were that had been somew here near there the eveni ng before and I w ould let hi m go w ith his horse . H e then confessed he did know w here the p arty had camp ed over n ight , but it w as eleven miles aw ay and i n an other d irection entirely from that i n which w e were headed .

“ ” “ Guide us there , said I , and 2 1 f efir s ou D avis .

o u e y will have y our horse , otherwis ” y o u go home on foot ; to this he agreed . I n order that th is m an might not lose his w ay I had him ride betwee n two good m en with loaded carbi nes . He took us i n a westerly direction to w here the Davis p arty had been i n camp , but they were gon e .

According to p romise , I d ismissed the guide , a n d he l eft us i n a hu rry . W e found here a p oor plantation

w w e and a l ittle forage , hich app ro

r iat e d p from the owner . I i nqui red where the w agon p arty had gon e ; w he did not kno , but thought they w had crossed Gu m s amp , and that the rains had so raised the w ater that it w ould be i m possible for us to get through .

“ “ Get y our horse , I said , and guide us through to the other side of the swamps and we will go , 2 2 T/ze Captu r e of

otherw ise w e shall stay and eat y o u ” out of house and home . He the n quickly got his horse and led the

w a w w y through the s am p , here the water for miles was u p to the sad

dles .

w e Dismissing this guide , p ushed w on through those dense oods , ove r a fairly p lai n track unti l darkness th e com p elled us to halt for night . h Duri ng the n igh t t h e r e c ame up a w i terrible storm of ind , ra n , thu nder

and lightni ng, and . as if to add to

our already discomfort , several great trees came do w n w ith a crash i n our

w as near vici nity , but our weari ness such that we w ere disturbed but for

a moment . As soon as it w as light enough

Ma th to see , on the morning of y 9 , w e p ushed on i n a southeast d ir e c t io n u n t il w e O ch e m u l e e , struck the g

be river, the same we had crossed ' e er rz D avis 2 jfi s o . 3

w fore at Macon . Contin ui ng do n

w e the river some d istance , came to B a ferry . y our haste to get over , the boat was damaged so that only a half load of horses could be take n

over at a ti me . This d elay ed us a

o fu h o ur s w e couple , then p ushed on a fe w miles to a little to w n called

Abbeville .

B w e y i nquiri ng , learned that a p arty w ith wagons had p assed through the tow n duri ng the night and that they had gone towards I rw i ns

W e vi lle . halted and fed our horses and then started on the road to wards I r w in s v ill e J ust as w e w ere movi ng out w e s aw four soldiers i n

United States u niform , co ming w do n the road fro m the north . They i nformed me they belonged to the

Lie u e Fourth Michi g an Cavalry , t n

- ant Colonel Pritchard com mandi ng , and that the regiment w as near at 24 Til e Captu r e of

hand . Sending on our detachment

under Lieute nant Clinton , I rode ,

b m accompan ied y y orderly , to

m eet Colon el Pritchard . After in

t r o d u c in if g my self, I i nq uired he

an w had y ne s of Jeff . Davis . He

said he had not , but that he had bee n ordered with his regi ment to Abbeville to patrol the river and to p revent Davis from crossing . He also i nformed me that his orders w ere to encamp at Abbev ille and guard the crossings of the O ch e m u l

gee , and he gave me no i ntimation

n that he i ntended a y other course .

H e had left Macon since I had , but u p to this ti me had heard nothing of Davis . As his errand was the

m same as m i ne , I thought it y duty to give hi m all the i nformation i n m y p ossession , i n regard to the h im movement of Davis . I told that we had been on the track of

2 6 l e Captu r e of

w e horses . All had for rations w as

- a little damaged corn meal . W e l a w b e y do n to rest for a spell , but

o f da w e fore the break y , were i n i n our saddles again . At this ti me I felt confident that w e w ere in the near p rox i m ity to the Davis p arty , and had only halted so as not to come upon the m i n the night . I expected that Davis would cam p on the other side of a

w e at river ahead , and I thought if tempted to cross the ford i n the w dark , Davis ould take the alarm and escap e .

Ma l o th w ad y , p utti ng for ard an vance guard of a sergeant , George

w in s t r u c H ussey , and six men , ith t ions to keep a little ahead and to keep a sharp lookout for the enemy ,

W e w e moved on . had made but a mi le or so w hen our advance guard b w were fired upon suddenly , y hat 2 jefir s ou D a vis . 7

I judged to be tw enty or thirty m us w kets . Gallopi ng for ard at the head w of ten men , I m et the sergeant ith h is p arty comi ng back w ith several

of his men w ounded . He said they ’ had run i nto the enemy s p ickets and had been fired upon . I directed the sergeant to follow and the n

w e w dashed on , when ere m et with another volley , so close that thei r

th e fire came right i n our faces , and bullets rattled like hail o n the trees . I could j ust see the forms of the men on account of the darkness . Seeing that they w ere i n consider able force and determ i ned to stand

m their ground , I got y men i nto line

ad an d dismounti ng a p art , we v an c e d on the ene my . After givi ng us a thi rd volley w e opened fire o n the m and they then retreated into a swamp . 2 8 Tbe Captur e of

w as It now getting a little light . At this time a man called m y atten tion to about one hundred mou nted m en w h o were comi ng do w n on our

“ left flank . He said , Colonel , there is more than a h undred of them “ N coming . I said , ever mi nd

w w e t . boy s , we ill hip the m y Di r e ct in g Sergeant Horr , with ten men of Company A , to p ursue the party wh o had fired on us fi rst and retreated , a nd not to let them rally , I next turned m y attention to the n e w comers w h o w ere bet w ee n us

n w an d the light . The e comers op ened fire o n us as they app roached . Formi ng a line faci ng the ap

ro ach in w e p g enemy , op ened up on the m w ith our rep eati ng rifles (S p e n w ser carbi nes). They ere soon t throw n i nto confusion . I had lef p art of m y men under Lieutenant

Cli nton , mounted ; seei ng that the ‘ avis 2 jefier s on D . 9

w o r ene my ere i n confusion , I now dered Cli ntonto p repare for a sabre

Tw o charge . of the men heari ng m e and u nderstandi ng I had ordered w the charge , dre their sabres an d p utting sp urs to thei r horses , dashed

at the enemy . I called the m back not being quit e w ready , as I anted to give our foot men ti me to rep lenish their maga

s z ines . J ust as I w a about to giv e t the final order to charge , Sergean H orr came runn ing u p and said w e w ere fighting Un ion men . That h e had captured one of them and thu s ascertained the fact At hearing th is I rode i n front of our li ne an d “ w shouted to stop firing, hich soon

ceased on both sides . Riding for

w w as ard , the fi rst man I m et Col

o n e l Pritchard . So surp rised w as I that for someti me I could not reali z e

h b ut t at it was Colonel Pritchard , as 30 Tlze Captur e of

soon as I knew hi m , I asked hi m how it was that he w as there figh t i ng us . H e exp lained that after parting with me the d ay before at Abbe

w - fiv e d is t an ce an d ville , t enty miles , ascertai ning from me that Davis had a lready got across the river , and fi ndi ng that there w as another road

I r w in s v ill e to , he had selected one hundred and fifty of h is best men , b well mounted , and y marchi ng all n ight had arrived at I r win s v ille be fore day light . H earing that a p arty with w agons was cam ped out a little w way s from the to n , he had marched

w b . out to ard it , guided y a negro

He had sent t w enty - fiv e men around to the back of the cam p , and it was these men who had mistaken us fo r k enemies , had fired u pon us so rec lessly w ith such unfortunate results . H e said some of his men had j us t f r s on D avis jef e . 31 t aken possession of the cam p , which was only about fifty y ards a w ay . I

a i nquired if Jeff . Davis had been c p

r d w t u e . He ans ered that he d id n o t w h o know had been captured , as he had not been to the cam p him

. t w o self In this u nfortunate affair , o f w the Michigan men ere killed ,

n e f o o ficer and several men w ounded . Of the W isconsi n men three were w wounded , but none ere killed . Colonel Pritchard and I rode into

w w as the Davis cam p together , hich

w fe w j ust ac ross a little s ale , only a rods fro m w here our ski rmish took

s a p lace . The first p erson w e w in

w s a . . the camp Mr Joh n H Reage n , the Postmaster - General of the late

Confederacy , lately the United

States Senator fro m Texas . He

“ W o u said , ell , y have taken the old ” I s i “ . a d W g entleman at last , h o ” d o o u ? “ y mean He said , I mean 32 Tlze Captu r e of

” President Davis . Please poi nt

“ hi m out , said I . There he stands

said he , poi nting to a tall , elderly , and rather dignified looking gentle

a man , standing short distance

aw W e . u ay rode p , dismounted

w as and saluted , and I asked if this ” “ Y s “ . . e I M r Davis , h e rep lied ,

r e iden a i A a m P s t D v s . t this the

u f soldiers set p a shout that Je f .

Davi s was captured . U p to this ti me none of the men who actually arrested him , knew that he was Jeff . Davis . O ne sol “ W " dier said , hat that man Jeff . Davis ? That ’s th e old fello w that

’ when I stopped hi m had his w ife s ”

. w e shawl on About this ti m e , that is Mr . Davis , Colonel Pritchard and my self w ere the ce nter of a c i r cle , composed of soldiers and others of the Davi s p arty . I n the back ground some soldiers set up a song

id h e o sa , p inting to

m a s d a s n, tan i ng hort

and s a e if lut d , and I asked

“ " r . a s Ye s M v . D i , he r Ll E UT - . COL . HE R Y HA R DE N N N. F ir s W is co n s in Cav a r t l y . B reve B i t r g adie r G en e ral o f V o un ee r s 1 86 l t , 5 .

jef er s on D avis .

We w ill hang Jeff . Davis on a sou r ” apple tree , to the tune of Joh n w w B ro n , hich did not add to his

comfort i n the least . I n the cam p w ere t w o tents and w b eight ambulances , each dra n y w four m ules . There ere also sev

eral fi ne saddle horses . B esides

i ‘ r w . D av s t h e e . Jeff , ere Mr Reagan ,

Colonel Harrison , Mrs . Davis , her w ] sister , M iss Ho e , and a n umber of rebel officers from Joh nston ’s

army and a lot of teamsters , serv ants and others , but no fightin g

m en . It app ears that w he n the fighti ng

w as began , M r . Davis sleep i n g i n

his tent . Alarmed at the noise , he w hastily arose and thre a shawl , o r

- w d ressing go n around hi m , and e start d out , but meeti ng a sold ier , was stopp ed and ordered back i nto

w s his te nt . It a some ti me before 34 Tfze Captu r e of he could understand what had h ap p ened . H e heard the n oise of the

s aw sharp ski rmish , and the dead w w and ounded brought i n , an d kno in g that he had no fighti ng men w ith hi m , he could not understand w hat it meant , u ntil explai ned to hi m afterw ards . I entered into con versation w ith w h i m , but ith poor satisfaction to hi m w or to me I ould not call hi m Mr . w President , but al ay s addressed hi m w as Mr . Davis , hich see med greatly b to an noy hi m , and he retaliated y ” “ o u r o v e r n m e n t w speaking of y g , ith the greatest contem p t . I said to hi m that I came very near making his acquai ntance back at Dubli n , th ree day s before , and if he had ful fi lled his engagement t o dine w ith

J udge Rose , that I should have done w so . Up on this , he turned on me ith

" “ W great hauteur and said ell , sir, jefier s on D a vis . 35

I can assure y o u that if y o u had

m made y acquai ntance then , this thing w ould not have happened as w i t has . I had those i th me then , who w ould not have p erm itted th is

u t i ndign ity to have bee n p u pon me ,

w as w o u and it ell for y , si r , that y o u w ere not i n ti me to see m e ” w then . I re pl ied , that it ould have afforded me pleasure to have met h is friends and tried the questio n E f w with them . very e moments w w h e ould turn a ay from m e , but he w ould soo n come back to the tilt

w a again . H e nted to kno w if m y govern ment authori z ed m e to har rass w omen and chi ld ren through the country in the m an n e r I w as do

I r l i d w . e e as ing p no , that I not after w n w as om en and chi ldre , but I sen t after hi m . Then h is w rath arose agai n , and he poured out a torrent of

m w abuse agai nst y govern ment , hic h 36 Tfi e Captur e of was treating hi m w ith such in dig m ity . W hile conversi ng w ith hi m I s aw a cask of brandy p itched out of an ambulance and the head w as soon knocked i n and the soldiers w ere w run ning fro m all p arts , ith c ups and canteen s , so I called Colonel

’ Pritchard s attention to i t , an d said it ought to be stopp ed , as there m ight soon be trouble over it . The Colon el w ent over and tried to stop w it , but ith poor succ ess , I sus pect , as the condition of the soldiers soon

w w a sho ed . Mr . Dav is seei ng the y things w ere be ing thro w n out of the w agons , turn ed to m e and i nqui red

r w hich of u s w as the ranking o fii ce . As rank dep ended u p on the date of

w e w our com mi ssions , and ere both

- L ieutenant Colonels , I replied that

in I did not kno w . H e meant to

w o f w as quire hich us i n command ,

38 Tbe Captu r e of p ersuaded hi m to accompany her a little further than he had at first in tended . Mrs . Davis took him by the arm and tried to pac ify hi m .

“ She told him never to mi nd him , ” s that he w a not w orth mi ndi ng .

w as She also said , as she leading

w w e w hi m a ay , that she hoped ould not i rritate the President for some on e m ight get hurt . After m aking all allow ance for the

i n hu miliati ng position w hich Mr . Davis found himself placed at that t im e I , cam e to the conclusion that he

r e at l was a g y overrated man . H is

h is m an ner and all that he said , blaming his w ife and other c ircu m w w stances , all ent to sho that he h ad no real nobility about hi m . It ap pears that u p to thei r arrival

. w as e at Dubli n , Mr Davis a com p an ie d by his Cabinet officers and quite an escort of Texans , but they jef er s ou D avis . 39

w ere sep arated , the mai n part goin g do w n the east side of the Oco nee w river , hile the p arty of Mr . Davi s crossed to the w est side an d w ere

headed for M ississippi , the home of

Mrs . Davis .

Mr . Davis only intended to keep

d a t w o her company for a y or longer , then leave he r and make his w ay to Gen eral Ki rby Smith i n the lo w er

w ar M ississipp i , and conti nue the

some longer . In regard to w hat would have h ap w p ened i n case e had met Mr . Davis

at Dubli n , it is only p roblematical . The W isconsi n troop s w ere veterans selected from one of the best regi w ments i n the serv ic e , all ell armed , w mounted , and discip li ned , hile the confederates although i n greatly s u

w z p erior n u mbers , ere d isorgani ed w and discouraged . That they ere

brave men and desp erate fighters , 40 l e Captur e of

w no one ill dispute , but that the

m meeting did not take place , i n y

w as w f . opinion , ell for Je f Davis and

h is escort , for i n the language of

“ . w Mrs Davis , some one ould have ” got hurt .

h O O - w As to the p ski rt story , I k no

but very l ittle of it , but thi nk it w b gre out of the remark y a soldier , w that , hen he stopped hi m , h e had ’ s a his w ife s shaw l on . As I w noth in g and heard nothi ng of an y female apparel at the time I never took an y stock i n that story . After rest i ng for a short ti me and cari ng for w the ounded and bury i ng the dead , w e all began ou r return march to

w w e d a Macon , here arrived the y 6 Ma 1 2 1 8 . after , y , 5 I first made m y verbal report t o General W ilson and received from hi m his hearty approval of all w e had W w done . e then heard that a re ard a 1 jefir s on D vis . 4 of on e hundred thousand dollars had been offered for the capture of Da

u vis , a fact of which , p to thi s W ti me , we isconsi n men had bee n ignorant . The re w ard offered for the c ap ture of Davis w as first awarded to h the M ichigan regiment , althoug the greater part of the regiment was

- fiv e w twe nty miles a ay at the ti me , but the great i nj ustice of this w as so apparent that Co ngress a pp ointed a committee to i nvestigate , a nd this comm ittee reversed the a ward by givi ng to the men who were ac t u all y p resent , of both regiments , shares alike accord ing to rank and p ay . General W ilson received a share equal to that of Colonel Prit chard and my self . As the w ar w as then over and Colonel Pritchard and my self w ere

n soon mustered out of service , o 42 Tbe Captu r e of m ilitary court of inquiry w as ever held to determi ne the responsibility of the collision w hich resulted so d isastrously to se veral Union sol

W n d iers , b ut General ilso say s i n fi h is of cial report , that Colonel Harnden w as i n no w ay responsible as he had no means of know i ng that the parties i n his front w ere other tha n enemies . Over thirty odd y ears have passed and gone since the event narrated a bove took place , and many of the p artici pants have gone to thei r long homes , but the memory of the com rades are still fresh to me and gro w ing dearer as ti me rolls on . I w ill add one w ord more of tribute w to thei r p raise . For the hole seve n w day s of the expedition , not one ord

i w as of com pla nt or a murmur heard , although marching under the burn b i ng sun or i n the bli ndi ng rain , y r n a is jefi s o D v . 43 d a w an y or n ight , ith scarcely y food w to eat , ithout rest , u nti l it seemed as if human nature could stand no

e t w w more ; and y , eary as they ere , they w ere ready to face thei r e ne

m w w ies i n battle , ell kno ing them to be more than t w o to one of

themselves . Thei r only thought

was , it is duty . ’ In Major - General W ilson s official

w ar t report , made to the departmen ff i n regard to the capture of Je .

" “ Davis , he say s Upon receivi ng

w as notice that Mr . Davis making

w a t h e his y i nto Georgia , I ordered General commanding the Fi rst Di

vision , to detail one hu ndred and

m e m fr o m fifty his best regi ment , b f com manded y his best o ficer , to

go i n pursuit of Davis , and i n obe

d ie n ce r o x to the order , General C to n sent Colonel Harnden w ith a d e t ach m e n t from the Fi rst W isconsi n ” cavalry . 44 Tlze Captu r e of

It w ill be observed that one hu n d red and fifty men of the W isconsi n regiment w ere sent out to do the same w ork and to meet the same risks for w hich w hole regiments w ere i n other cases thought to be m eces

Ho w w sary . ell they acquitted themselves of the great r e s p o n s ibil ity is sho w n by the results they ac comp lished .

E T W Q U S I ONS A N S E R E D . A number of questions hav e bee n w asked ith respect to the capture , w h ich I will t r y to ans wer as best

I can .

I V/za t w as d on e w ith y efier s ou

D a v is ?

w as After he brought to Macon , he w as sent under guard by the w ay

V ir of Savan nah to Old Poi nt ,

w w as gin ia , here he kep t a p risoner

46 Th e Captu r e of p ants of light blue E nglish broad cloth ; taking all ci rcu mstances i nt o

w as consideration , he neatly dressed .

Wh o capt u r ed h im ? It was said and not disp uted at

’ e the ti me , that the soldier s nam

“ " w h o w as said halt to Davis , Mun ger , a corporal i n the Fourth Mich

n igan Cavalry , but he did not the know that i t was Davis .

How did th e h oop - s hir t s tory g et s ta r ted ?

W w e hen got back to Macon , General W ilson sent for me and made me tell him all about m y p u r suit and the in cidents of the capture of Davis . The General i nsisted upon every p articular as h o w he ap

e ar e d w h o w p , hat he said , he was dressed , etc .

After narrati ng all , I told hi m t hat I heard the soldier who halted e er s on D avis jf . 47

s a w o u t hi m y , that hen Davis came w ’ of his tent , he had his ife s shawl

w as o n . This remark of mine tel

e r a h e d w e g p north , and he n i t cam w back , i t had appare ntly gro n i nto

it s w ell kno w n p rop ortions .

Wh o w as t o N a m e f o r th e col

l is io n ?

s a Perhap s that i s not for me to y , but after the lapse of these many

y ears , and looking back across the

i z ntervening tim e , and reali ing that men m ay be mistaken i n thei r j udg

o w e ments , I feel that I it to his t o r ical truth and to the memory of the brave men of the First W iscon

w h o w w si n Cavalry , ere ith me , and w h o took p art i n this closi ng

w ar scene i n the , to once more care fully revie w the c ircumstances of t hat unfortunate collision , and to s ubmit to those w h o care to read 48 Th e Captur e of

t v his narrative , the e idence u pon the subject w hich I have been able t o gather from official rep orts and from the statements of those w h o w it were p resent , and p ersonally

m essed the facts . The official reports of the Union and Confederate armies have n o w

ut bee n p in p rint , and are access able to every one , and all corres p o n d e n c e and reports relating to this m atter are p ublic p roperty an d easy to be exami ned by an y o ne who cares to turn over the p ages of those voluminous records . Upon carefully r e - reading these reports and , fro m statements furnished me b y men who were with me , and w hich I subjoi n to this narrative , there are some thin gs w hich have

n o w become more clear to me , than w even at the ti me . One fact hich has w gro n up on me is , that it is more e er s on D avis jf . 49 than probabl e that the Command er of the Fourth Michigan Cavalry w w kne hen he left Macon , of the one hundred thousand dollars r e ward w hich had been offered for the capture of Jeff . Davis . In the l ight of the ev idence i t seems to me im p ossible that he should n ot have w w kno n it , and the action hich he took w ith respect to the cap ture has driven me to the u n w illi ng b e lief that for some reason he w as eithe r not un w illing that such a collision

w as Should take p lace , or that he grossly negligent w ith resp ect to p reventing it .

A S o th early as the 3 of Ap ril , General Grant had begu n to take

measures to secure , if p ossible , th e capture of the p resident of the

Co n fe d e r ac an d Southern y , had give n strict orders to have the Mississipp i river patrolled and guarded . Gen 5 0 Th e Captur e of eral Thomas had also taken meas ures to accomp lish the same end . Reports had begu n to come i n from d ifferent sources that Davis had been try i ng to escap e w ith several mi llions of spec ie . On the 2 d d ay

Ma 1 86 t of y , 5 , Presiden Johnson had issued a p roclamation , offeri ng a re w ard of “ one hu ndred thousand dollars for the arrest of Jefferson

w - fiv e Davis , t enty thousand dollars for the arrest of Clement C . Clay , ” an d others .

Ma 6t h W O n y , General ilson at

- Macon , Georgia , issued hand bills , a f ac- s im ile of w hich is p roduced i n

Cen t u r 1 8 0 the February y , 9 , i n the

“ article u pon The Pursuit and Cap f ” ture of Je ferson Davis , offering a re ward of one hundred thousand dol w lars i n gold , and these ere p osted t h i n Macon as early as the 7 , and widely distributed throughout all is 1 jefir son D av . 5

that region . Colonel Pritchard did not leave Macon u ntil eight o ’clock th on the eveni n g of the 7 , and after these hand - bills must have bee n thoroughly distributed throughout that w hole vici nity . In this I am confi rmed by the

W . statement of Clark Seely , of W Company D , First isconsi n Cav al r w y , hich is hereto an n exed .

w as w Seely ounded i n the collision , and was sent back in the ambulance of the Fourth Michigan , and upon the road to Abbeville u pon the very d a y of the collision , he heard some of Colonel Pritchard ’s com mand

w h o w w asking ould get the re ard ,

’ and u pon Seely s question they in formed hi m that there w as a re w ard of one hundred thousand dollars for ’ Davis s cap ture . The c ircumstances of the collision itself see m scarcely able to be ex 5 2 Th e Captu r e of

an p lained upon y other theory . I venture to call attention to t w o state ments m ad e by General W ilson r e

sp ecting this matter . In General

’ W ilson s report to General John w 1 1 86 Ra li ns , dated January 7 , 7 , he used thi s sign ificant language t e ferrin g to m y meeting w ith Colonel Pritchard " “ Colonel Harnden havi ng i nformed hi m that he had force w enough to cop e ith Dav is , Colonel Pritchard determ i ned to march an other road leadi ng to Irwi nville by

Wh h e a more circ uitous route . y

d id n ot s en d a co u r ier on th e t r a il p u r s ued by Co l on el Ha r n d en t o n o

t th e l a t ter o h is in ten t ion s h as ity f ,

a i ed w n o t bee n expl n . This ould p robably have p revented the colli sion w hich afterw ard occ urred be tween his regiment and that of Colo w e nel Harnden , and ould not hav

5 4 Th e Captu r e of

any special p recaution w as take n by

hi m to p revent the collision , and the differences i n his reports seem

very marked , as the necessity for making excuses for his negligenc e

be cam e more apparent . I n his rep ort of May 2 5 th to the

W ar " “ Secretary of , he say s Sharp fi ri ng w as comme nced betw een the dismounted forces u nd er Lieutenant

w w as Puri nton , and hat supp osed at the ti me to be the rebel forces

guarding a trai n . The firing w as about one hundred rods i n rear of w the ca mp , an d across a narro

all sw am p . I im mediately ordered m y forces forw ard to the scene of

the firing , leavi ng only a force suf fic ie n t to guard the ca m p and p ris

oners . On arriving on the ground , I fou nd m y men engaging a force of dismou nted men w h o w ere concealed

behi nd trees , etc I at once formed ’ e er s on D a is jfi v . 5 5 m y men i n li ne , dismounted them ,

w w h o thre out a line of skirmishers , w w ere ad vanci ng handsomely , hen I became apprehensive that w e w ere contendi ng w ith some of our o w n men , from the determi nation dis p lay ed on their p art and the p ecu

ia r o o th eir r l r ep r t f fir ea m s . I ordered m y me n at once to c eas e w fi ri ng , and rode out to ards o ur opponents an d hallooed to them ,

w h o asking them they were , and re

“ c e iv e d W . the reply , First isconsi n

I n his report to General Mi nty , 2 1 86 J uly , 5 .

Speaking of the Davi s cam p , he

“ say s " I at fi rst thought that it W must be the First isconsin , but u pon further inqui ry , learned that w the party had tents and agon s , w hich I kne w w as not the case w ith

W th in kin the First isconsi n , but g t h a t th er e m ig h t s till be s om e m is 5 6 Th e Captur e of

t ah e r eg a r d ing th e ch a r acter of th e

a r t m f p y , I gave y o ficers strict or der s w ith reference to learning the character of all p arties before firi ng up on Lieutenant Puri nto n i n his ath davit on p age 5 2 9 of the same rec ords , speaking of Colonel Pritchard ,

" “ say s Giving me sp ecial orders , and caution ing me to ascertai n the character of all p arties and men whom I might meet before firing W upon them , as th e First isconsi n

Cavalry might be on the road . I n

I s u cce s s obedience to said orders , fully executed m y mission i n gai n i ng the rear of the camp w ithout dis ” c o v e r y . And he the n states h o w he carried w out that order , Sho ing that he used no efforts to make know n who he w as w as , although he exp ecting the

" 2 ds I . ffic R ec . Part , vol . 49 , p 5 3 , O ial or s jef er s on D avi . 5 7

First W isconsi n to be at that very p oi nt at that moment . He say s “ I had held m y p osition for an hour or more w hen I heard mounted men app roaching us from the rear , as we w ere then faci ng tow ards the W camp . he n they had app roached to w ith i n fifteen or t w enty rods of m y position I discovered that w there ere six or eight of them , when I stepped out in p erson an d halted them , an d received the reply “ ” w at first Fri ends , hen I ordered

w w r e one to ride for ard , hich they fused to do . I then asked them what com mand they belonged to ,

‘B G—d o u then they rep lied , y , y ’ w e are the men are looking for . I then told them that if we w ere the men they w ere looking for to come w w for ard , hen they i m mediately

fle d wheeled and , when I , supposing they must be the enemy , ordered 5 8 Th e Captur e of

m y men to fi re on them . Though one feels like commending the ki nd ness of Lieutenant Puri nto n i n thus e ndeavori ng to relieve his sup eri or f b o ficer fro m blame , y stating that he carried out the orders of Colonel

Pritchard , i n this blundering , negli t gen , an d almost disobedient man ner , still it see ms from the above conflicting state ments that Lie u t e n w ant Purinton , although illing to assu me the blame , is not i n reality the one responsible for it . Both he and Colonel Pritchard expected the

First W isconsi n at that very p oi nt . B oth of them s ay that they w ere looki ng for them to come . Both s ay that they w ere endeavoring and taki ng u nusual p ai ns , but neither c laim that they told or i n an y w ay disclosed their identity before firi ng , a n d acknowledge that they w ere at a place where they s ay they ex ' a s jefier s on D vi . 5 9 p e ct e d the Fi rst W isconsi n Cavalry to be at that very moment . Lieutenant Puri nton expected friends fro m that direction , not M enemies . y command expected enem ies , and not friends at the p oint where Sergeant H ussy w a s met and halted . He di d his d uty as a brave man and a skillful soldier . He retreated and did not give hi m self u p i n an unsoldierly w ay at the com mand to advance fro m the lip s of a supposed enem y .

The statement of Private Seely , hereto an nexed is singularly perti

" “ w e nent . He say s As soon as halted , the me n that were left at the ’ ferry , (a p ortion of Pritchard s c o m mand) cro wded arou nd and w anted to know h o w the me n ca me to fire W i nto the isconsi n men . Som e

" ‘w e w said ere ordered to fire , so we fi red , but we were sure it was 60 Th e Captu r e of

Union Cavalry by the rattle of thei r ’ sabers . I heard several s ay the same thi ng . The above statement corresponds with Colonel Pritchard ’s re marks i n

“ his rep ort , the p eculiar rep ort of ” their fire arms , and exp lain s the i mpression evidently made up o n w b General La Grange , as sho n y hi s

m endorsement up on y report , i n which he characteri z ed the affair as

“ An act hav i ng every app earance of u nsoldierly selfishness i n ap p ro p r iat in g by deception the fruits of another ’s labor and thus attaini ng an un earned success , resulting i n un necessary bloodshed and a sacri fice of li ves for w h ich no atonement

W m a can be made . hat y have been i ntended merely as an act of bad

w r e faith toward a fello soldier , l ” s u t e d i n a cri me . I t is p ai nful to think that the im

62 Th e Captu r e of

and exp erienced soldier should act , when challenged i n the dark by one

whom he believed to be an enemy . The memory of that sad collisio n has been w ith me through all these

succeedi ng y ears . Three of the brave men of m y com mand have carried thei r cripp led forms through life as the res ult of w hat might h ave been easily p re vented . And w though , it is ith deep regret , I feel j ustified i n calling attention to those p assages i n the o ffic ial records w hich seem to bear upon the question as

to w h o is to blame for the coll ision . It is a great p leasure to me to leave upon record a testi monial of m y respect for the bravery and the character of the men w h o comp osed W the First isconsin Cavalry , a regi ment w hich had a S plendid m ilitary w record , m uch of hich has never

w w n o w been recorded , and hich ill r n a is 6 jwf e s o D v . 3

w h o be soon forgotten , as the men comp osed the regi ment are fast r e c e iv in g thei r final d ischarge fro m

w as d uty . This regiment i n the

Second B rigade , First D ivision Cav a l r y Corps , Military Division of the

M ississi pp i , Army of the Cu mber

w as land . The corps com manded

- W by Major General James H . ilson ;

- b E . the division y Major General M .

c o o k b MC ; the brigade y Colonel O . b H . La Grange , and the regi ment y

- l Lieutenant Colone Henry Harnden . This regi ment w as raised by Pro

fe s s o r E w d ard Daniels , State Geol

gist , and he became i ts fi rst Colonel .

w 1 86 1 It ent i nto cam p i n July , , at

w as i Ri pon , and at first quartered n w the college buildings , and after ards q uartered i n tents at Kenosha until

it left the State . The regi ment , as w a hole , or i n p art , was i n bet w ee n fifty and sixty engagements with 64 Th e Captu r e of

b the enemy , and lost y death fou r

o hundred and three men . My w n

original company (L) lost forty - nine

me n . The first chaplai n , George w ' as . D un more , killed The first

. w as surgeon , Dr Gregory , also w killed , and among the killed ere i - L eutenant Colonel W m . H . Tor

r e N L ie u t e n y , Major athan Pay ne ,

an t . . J Phillips , Lieutenant Shel

don E V osberg . A n u mber of the f b o ficers di ed y disease , among E whom w ere Major Henry L . g

l e s to n g , Lieutenant Josiah Bent ,

W . Lie utenant Geo . Frederick ,

W . Lieuten ant i lliam S Cooper , Lieu W w tenant Charles . Cli nton ; hile

N . Lieutenant Charles Hoag , an d

Lieutenant Henry W . Getchell d ied of disease or wounds i n rebel p risons ;

a w as and Colonel O . H . La Gr nge taken p risoner and remai ned i n con

fin e m e n t for a long ti me . r s n D a is 6 jefi o v . 5

Of the forty - eight commissioned officers that w ent out w ith the regi

ment , only four of the original ones 1 were m ustered out with it July 9 ,

1 86 w w as 5 , hen the regi ment m us t e r e d out of service of the United

E d e fie ld . States , at g , Te nn Of the w t elve original Captai ns , there are only t w o or three y e t living . The m en see med to be p icked

men , and I recall m any i nstances of

their bravery and devotion to d uty . At the ti me of the collision with the

t w as f Four h Michigan , it di ficult to restrain the m from chargi ng up on a force apparently greatly superior i n e numbers , and I r mem ber when I gave Lieutenant Cli nton the

order to p repare for a saber charge , two of his men understanding that w I ordered the charge , dre thei r

sabers , gave sp ur to thei r horses ,

w a and were half y to the enemy , 66 Th e Captur e of when I called the m back to the ranks . I am i mp ressed with the belief that the i mp ortance of the capture of Jefferson Davis is someti mes over

in looked , as being reality the close of the war . After his capture there was no on e left of p romi nence or i nfluence i n the southern confeder ac y , who believed that the war could continue . All reports make i t clear that he had not y e t given u p hop e of i n some w ay carry i ng on hostilities further, and there were i n the south a great many men w h o w ould willi ngly have j oined hi m had W it been p ossible . ere it not for his capture , he very l ikely m ight have crossed the M ississipp i to General K irby Smith , and there have gath ered together the troops of the trans

Mississipp i , and have conti n ued the w ar for a long period , entaili ng a fu rt her great loss of life . ' 6 jefier s on D avis . 7

It i s w ell - kno w n that after his flight from Rich mond he refused to

w as consider his cause hopeless , and determi ned to conti n ue the w ar even E after his ge nerals i n the ast , at a

counci l , had decid ed that further

fighting was useless . It has alw ay s bee n p ai nful to me

to think that i n some respect , at

f w as least , Je ferson Davis p ersonally responsible for m uch of the sufferi ng of the poor men w h o starved to death

i n Andersonville and Libby p risons . Duri ng the months of March and 1 86 w w April , 5 , hen the south ould

have been short of p rovisions . if

- W w ever , Major General ilson ith his w Cavalry , and ith not less than fif teen thousand men a nd eighteen w thous and an i mals , p assed do n from

Alabam a to Selma , on the Alabama

river , thenc e east through to Mont

gomery , and on to Macon , Georgia . 68 Th e Captu r e of

W e o ff foraged the country , and lacked nothing i n the w ay of food for men or ani mals . W e found grai n e nough to feed our horses , and ham , w bacon , and s eet p otatoes for all

r e the men , and this , it must be

w as membered , only comp aratively a short distance from An dersonville , w here thousands of Union soldiers

im w ere starvi ng to death . I am p ressed w ith the beli ef that J e ffe r son Davis might have p revented f m uch of that su feri ng , and that he

an w as more than y other one man , resp onsible for the same .

[ s it t r u e a s s ta ted in s om e a , p

er s th a t s o m e Pen n s l v a n ia a nd p , y I llin ois t r oops w er e th er e ? w It is not true . There ere none but the Fi rst W isc onsi n and Fourth

Michigan Cavalry p resent .

7 0 Th e Captur e of what might be considered blood money ; but w hen it became certai n

w as that he not to be p unished , I went to W ashington and laid before Congress a clai m on behalf of the First W isconsi n Cavalry to a share

of the money . A com m ittee of Congress was ap f W o w . p ointed , hich Mr ashburn , of

w as Massachusetts , chairman , to

i nvestigate t h e w hole matter . After

d ue consideration , this committe e unanimously reported that General W ilson , Colonel Pritchard , Captai n Y eoman , and my self should receive three thousand dollars each , and that the balance should be divided a mong those w h o w ere actually p res ent and took p art i n the capture ,

a accord ing to rank and p y , the mem bers of each regi me nt bei ng treated alike I w as exonerated fro m all blam e for the collision . 1 jefier s on D avis . 7

W hen the bill as reported came before the house , every rep ublican , except the five members from M ich i gan , voted for it .

v r e I n closing th is narrati e , I am mi nded that as the colored man

w as o f p ri marily the cause the war , so it w as a colored m an w h o really brought it to a close . I refer to m y

w h o w as colored servant B ill , a n

h o w unusual character . Just he came

m to be y servant , I scarcely know . He attached hi mself to me quite

r e early in the last campaign , and mai ned w ith me u ntil the regiment w as m ustered out . H e w as en er

in t e lli getic , faithful , devoted and gent , far bey ond the average . H e

w w h o w al ay s kne to forage , and I could safely trust him to p rovide m e w ith something to eat , even though hams and chickens could not be 7 2 Th e Captu r e of

b found y other foragers . It w as he w h o brought to me the i nformation w ithout w hich the cap ture w ould have been i mpossible . It has bee n to me a source of regret that he di d not share more largely i n the

w w w as W re ard hich given . hen I l w as eft him , he made happy i n the p ossession of a n old mule and some means of transportation , and had already formed n e w p lans . I am thoroughly convin ced that had he not been along w ith me on that ex p e d it io n I should have know n noth ing of Jefferson Davis having bee n

d a through Dubli n on that y , and on the morrow I Should have crossed th e Oconee River , an d gone on to w ards Savannah , and Jefferson Davi s w ould have escaped capture , and very likely got over the Missi ssipp i

River to General Ki rby Smith . In p rep ari ng this narrative of the withou t which t he h a e ve b en impos s ible . I t t o m e a source of regret

w s re w ar d hich wa given . e f h im h e w as a l t , made h pp fl po s s e s s ion o f an old mule ‘ ’ e r r s ( w r q u a te k . l o p il i x Sl t a r 1 12 . s 3 i,

y " 6 . ’ Hundred W asancf llol Old W . ill 6 aid $ p t o any pe rs o n or pe r w h o w it and and d e iv e r J E F F N V I S t ’ l E RSO DA o any c xthe" auth i or t ie s of th e Gn ite d S tates ) v o r l a “ lit au w 0 " s e c ie r e o r te d ( 0 h m w i p , p w n yb . l l b e co dn e r q W " 1 0 Ga m e r s.

A HA N DB LL PC KE D U P m GE A A F E THE WA I I ORG I T R R .

[ F r o m a ed u ced F acs im i e in Th e Ce n tu r R l y . ]

Th e a tur C p e. can‘ only exp ress m y deep and fer vent regards and best w ishes for w w y our remai ni ng y ears , hile aiting for y our final summons w hen the general assembly shall once more r e form all the ranks of our old regi ment . S tat e m e nt of S e r g eant Hus s e y .

m was My na e is George G . Hussey ; I C m D r R a sergeant in o pany , Fi st egi was m W C . ent, isconsin avalry I one of a detach m ent of the First Wisconsin Cavalry under Colonel Henry Harnden D sent in pursuit of Jeff . avis, the Presi o f C n an d dent the Southern o federacy, was r was I present at his captu e . It on th e m Ma 1 0 1 86 orning of y , 5 , and before daylight t hat we wer e called to stand to

horse . It was then t hat Colonel Harn “ m e " r o u den said to Se geant Hussey, y will take six m e n and r ide a little in ad S vance, keep a harp lookout and report m e t o u we to any hing y see, for are u th e m w close p to ene y, and ill prob m m ably strike , the this orning , so be r very ca eful . March . I then led C w th e m out, the olonel ith ain col um n w follo ing close behind . It was quite dark and the track we were follow ing was only a trail through the pine [75 ] 7 6 Th e Captu r e of w W e w w oods . ent for ard about one m ile or so w hen suddenly out of the darkness “ m a n wh o m ca e the ch lle ge, Halt, co es ? w “ ” T there I ans ered , Friends . hen “ m th e d D m m ca e or er, is ount and co e w ” for ard and let yourself be known . I could just see the for m s of m e n about w wa an d t enty or thirty yards a y, seeing there was a large nu m ber of them I t o m m e n we spoke y to retreat, as turned I “ s h o ute d . our horses about, Go to hell At this they fired a volley which wounded m n T w three of m y six e . urning back e soon m e t Colonel Harnden co m ing u p on a gallop at the head of a squad of m n C we e . I told the olonel that had an d m run into their pickets, that so e of Th m y m e n were k i lled or wounded . e C “ wa olonel said , Get out of the y and ” m o t m m e n l e t us ge t at the . I then g y C l w out of the road , and the o onel , ith m e n w w a his , ent for ard at a g llop, but they soon r eceived a v o l l ey wh i ch checked m m m the for a o ent, the balance of the m e n m u C o t t m co ing p , the olonel g he into line an d then charged upon the e u e m m y, but before doing so, the ene y gave ' n a is f efier s o D v . 7 7

us the third volley, firing too high to We m b do us m uch harm . drove the e fore us into a swam p where one of them was r m we captured , and f o this prisoner learned to our great surp r ise that our w U op ponents ere nion soldiers, and of a the Fourth Michigan C valry . Th f wa e cam p of Jef . Davis s near at was f hand , and his capture ef ected th e Shortly after collision took place. Not having an y inti m ation of the pres U t ence of nion troops in hat vicinity, and after being so str ictly cautioned by C m the olonel to look out for the ene y, I feel that I should have been derelict i n duty h ad I obeyed the challenge to dis m ount an d gone forward and surrendered m m e n t m yself and , and hus let the colu n o g on into a trap and been slaughtered , as certainly would have been the case m we had our opponents been ene ies, as r r t o w had eve y eason su ppose they ere . I have s ince learned th at som e of the O f C ficers of the Fourth Michigan avalry, t w w a d hose that so ickedly ylai us, in s a t a th e was their report y , h t collision c aused by the i m proper conduct of the 7 8 Th e Captu r e of

sergeant in com m and of the advance of s W C an d im the Fir t isconsin avalry, his r w proper eply hen challenged .

N o w was m s m an if I bla able, I ub it to y w n u old soldier, hat should I have done der the circu m stances ? Colonel Har nden La w and General Grange, hose opinion I value m ore th an al l of the officers of th e i Fourth M chigan , say that I did ri ght and acted as a good soldier should have m Th e done under the circu stances . L m m a ieutenant in co nd of the party, wh o s o y u s a s recklessl fired u pon , s y in his r eport that he challenged when we w r w w an d e e eighteen or t enty rods a ay, pretends to give quite a conversation be m N o w c o n tween h im and e . I held no versation with h im except what I have an d at related , further it is not all likely a that any t lk such as he describes , could have been heard at a di s tan ce of eigh teen or twe n ty rods apart in a thick wood ; the idea that m e n could h ave been s een far w m so a ay, is si ply preposterous, and only told to t ry to j ustify h im in his w r w m antonly fi ing upon a party, ho he had every r eason to believe were U nion e er s on D avis jf . 7 9

n Th e w was i m e . collision hich thus n augur ate d resulted in the death of two th e a r w of Michig n soldie s, and the ound in m g of several of both regi ents .

E E . E G ORG G HUSS Y,

Late S er ean t Com an C g p y , F ir s t Wis con s in a a lr C v y .

II .

e m e n of lar k S tat t C W . S e e l e y .

E O F I N E O STAT M N S TA , K N COUNTY O F JAC SO . C W w lark . Seeley, being duly s orn on “ t " was oa h , says I a private sold ier of C m D W C o pany , First isconsin avalry V m olunteers . On the orning of May 1 0 1 86 was w m m , 5 , I ith the co and of

L - ieutenant Colonel Harnden . Sergeant m George Hussey, yself, and five others w r o r ere detailed to ide in advance, and

dered to keep a sharp lookout ahead , for the Colonel expected we would strike ’

. D m W Jeff avis escort that orning . e had m d m i w we w arche a le or so , hen ere halted by so m e one a few rods in ad ' “ wh o " Wh vance of us in the dark , said o ” m P w co es there H ussey ans ered , 80 Th e Captu r e of

W e w r Friends . ere o dered to dis m m w r w ount and co e for a d , hich Hus s e r r e y efused to do, and ordered us to

w we . we treat, hich did As soon as m th e n r oved , halti g pa ty fired a volley w n an d m into us, oundi g Gus Sykes yself, W f w and I think Ap ply . e retired a e r m m C w ods, and i ediately the olonel , i th

m m m . his co and , co ing as agreed u pon m r Sykes and I dis ounted he e, and the r We r est m oved on after the fi ing party . m n w da had no a bula ce ith us . After y light Sykes and I were pu t in o ne of th e t w th e captured ones, and sen ith Fourth W we o t th e Michigan . hen g back to m d a w C ferry the sa e y , here olonel Prit char d had left som e of his m e n the d ay

we m th e . T before , ca ped for night hese m wd r m e n ca e cro ing a ound , and asked h o w it happend that they fired into the m m w W isconsin m e n . So e of the ans ered “ " We w and said ere ordered to fire, so we we w t w U fired , but kne hey ere nion ’ cavalry by the rattle of the sabers ”

s a m . scabbards . I heard several y the sa e “ m m m " W At the sa e ti e so e one said ell , ” wh o will get the reward P and one of the

8 2 Th e Captu r e of t o the south to look out for and try and

. D w h o was intercept Mr avis, reported to be trying to m ake his escape after th e r L su render of General e e . At ’

P. M o clock . one battalion of our regi m ent started on the expedition . Ma 1 6 w W 8 m . e Sunday, y 7 , 5 , very ar

D . are out on hunt for old Jeff . avis W e we m a h im hope that y drop on . T ravelled all last night, reaching Marion d a m w at break of y, aking about t enty

m . w e t . L three iles No ne s of Jeff . y eft m r r co pany A to gua d cross oads, and w patrol the vicinity , ithout stopping only to feed horses and get dinner ; pushing D on to ublin , reaching there about ’ - fi M. m v e O P. clock , aking about forty m iles from Macon .

Ma 8 1 86 . C w Monday, y , 5 loudy, ith an d o w quite a rain at noon , light sh ers ’ m i n afternoon . Broke ca p at o clock t M. m A . , and on strength of infor a ion s gained , though not very conclu ive, started south on the Jacksonville road , w we m along hich pushed so e distance, gaining som e m ore confirm atory in fo r h m . t e ation Before noon , trai l left the ' e e n a i 8 jfir s o D v s . 3 m w s ain road , and took into the pine ood on an o ld r oad leading to the Poor R obin l m t o O cam u e e . C ferry , on the g river a e the place where the part ies cam ped last

n - W m night at oon to day . ent into ca p at night about twenty m iles from the R Poor obin ferry . T th C uesday , May 9 . ool and pleasant r m th e after the ain . Broke ca p at grey d a m of y and started on the trail , so e t i m es very indistinct through pine w w m s r r oods, and s a ps inde c ibable , each ’ ing th e Poor R obin ferry at o clock

- M. T ar A . ook one and three qu ters r s n m n u m hours in c o si g our detach ent, an ber about s eventy in all . Halted l hour to feed at noon at Abbevil e, and as a n just our bugle sounded the dva ce, six or seven m ounted m e n i n our u n i form s char ged by u s on another r o ad w m in W w s hich ca e here . e ere su pri ed m w t n so e hat, hinking that no e of our w in T forces ere the vicinity. hey proved

to be the Fourth Michigan . Our colonel stopped an d co m m unicated to th e n r C colo el of the Fou th Michigan , olonel r r w m P itcha d , hat infor ation he had 84 Th e Captu r e of

a D an d a g ined in regard to avis his p rty, an d asked the colonel of the Fourth w w an d Michi gan hat his orders ere, he inform ed our colonel that he w as to guard the fer ry and patrol the r iver to i r W guard against Dav s c os sing . e pu s hed w n D m m on , follo i g the avis trail , so eti es

an d . quite distinct, at others faint At ’

M. about o clock P. our Colonel m e called a halt, and gave orders to have m e n m an d t m e the rest on their ar s, old ’ w m n e . M. to ake the at o clock A , an d not sounding the bugle , to send a n m s ergeant a d six e n in advance . W Ma r o t h m ednesday, y , broke ca p at W ith Sergeant Hussey an d six m e n m two in advance . Had ade only about m iles when three volleys wer e fired on w two our advance , ounding or three of w was w m our m e n . For ard the ord fro o ur C an d brave olonel , it found a quick r m r we esponse fro every hea t, for thought of course that we had s truck th e cam p or

h - an d th e forces of the arc traitor , resolve m was was t o conquer or die . O ur nu ber only sixty - fiv e or seventy m e n Th e o r o n der was given to prepare to fight foot, e n s 8 jefir s o D a vi . 5

w r we w and at the order, for a d ent, at double quick to the front, in the face of a deadly fire fro m a supposed desperate T Th wa . foe . e firing s incessant hey w m m en had t enty to thirty dis ounted , the m r sa e that had fired on our advance gua d , w r d ell posted , and had cove ed behin w trees, but they ere soon dislodged , and w B driven like chaff befor e the ind . y this ti m e a larger m ounted force con t w w fron ed us, but ere soon thro n into confusion and were driven by our brave

boys half or three - quarters of a m ile into w w m w w a narro s a p or s ale, and ithin m fifty or sixty r ods of the Davis ca p . w e tw o r w Here took prisone s hich , to r t o our great surprise , p oved be the h w Fourt Michigan Cavalry . At hich , C we our olonel ordered firing stopped ,

could hardly believe our eyes, the light was n o w strong enough to disti nguish m their unifor s . O ur feelings could

hardly be described or i m agined . Sor r o w e t and regret, y not unalloyed , for t W . e Jeff and his train were cap ured . an d r e s o n s ibil had done our duty, the p ity of the collision m ust be on th e C0 1 0 8 6 Th e Captur e of

nel of the Fourth Michigan . I cannot r w explain it othe ise . His love of noto r iety had warped his sense of honor and j ustice He had selected about o n e h u n dred and fifty of his bes t m ount i m m e diate ly after lear ning what he did fro m C m to our olonel , and had deter ined snatch t h e pri z e fro m our grasp if pos s i b a r m ar h ad o t a ble, and y fo ced ch g ahe d ’ a h d n d . t and a of both us Jeff s rain , thrown the t wenty or t hi r ty m e n across ’ h w an m t e d . trail , bet een us Jeff s ca p , the m o n a a sa e that had fired our dv nce, and w l we w h ad hi e ere fighting , they captured ’ n t w n Jeff . , but I don t e vy their posi ion he h m w W e t e facts beca e kno n . had driven m m m an d h ad we the a half ile or ore , a not taken a prisoner an d thus found th t . w e w t o w n m e n we w ere figh ing our , ould have recaptured the train in less th an w m Th e s w t enty inutes . fight la ted t enty w o r e t m . t o or hirty inutes Our loss, thre w t wo r t wo s ounded , seve ely, and horse T t wo m e n an d a shot . heir loss, killed , m T h e nu ber wounded . object of the m ex pedi tion having been acco plished , th e w w e Jeff . captured , soon as ounded er e r s on D avis jfie . 8 7

a m we c red for, and so e breakfast gotten , started o n our way back to Macon v ia ” Abbeville . w in ad And I ould further state, that C m m dition to the foregoing, opied fro y m m t d iary, that i ediately af er the capture D in w t of Jeff . avis, talking ith the Four h m e n a m w i Michigan , I ch rged the ith fir ng w w o n u s w e n o t . , kno ing that ere Jeff ’ D m e n an d m avis , they ad itted that they w r n o n thought they e e firi g us, and I t m wh t further asked he y hey did so, and t a t o in reply hey said , th t they had obey s m w t orders . I then a ked the ha their o r w r an d m e i ders e e , they told that the r o r ders were to allow no one to approach m t an d t o n fro hat direction , fur her, our th e a w w e a return , after c pture, hen re ched m n Abbeville , fro there into Maco , the road was str ewn w ith h andbills offer ing the reward of o n e hundred thousand D s an d t dollars for the capture of avi , his w as the first infor m ation th at we had that ’ there was any reward O ffered for D avis

capture . This to m y m ind ex plained why the ‘Colonel of t h e Fourth Michigan ran th e 88 Th e Capt u r e of

r n risk and acted the pa t he did , in tryi g r z m to snatch the p i e fro our grasp . W . . V E O HARGRA ,

'

R i on Wis . p ,

E O F W I C I STAT S ONS N , O N D D U LA C C N F OU TY . W r . . n w O Ha grave, bei g duly s orn, on oath , says that the annexed and foregoing r is a true copy of the o iginal diary, kept by h im while in the arm y of the U nited States during the War of th e R ebellion a m e m ber of the First Wisco nsin Cavalry ; that the entries in said diary were m ade at the ti m e of the occurrences to which w w r they relate, and hile all the facts e e fresh in his m e m ory ; that he has care fully co m pared said copy with said orig r t inal dia y , and hat it is a true transcript r m w the efro and the hole thereof, as to w i the incidents to h ch such copy relates . W V E . O . HARGRA . an d w m e Subscribed s orn to before , h a 1 1 2 t d 8 . this y of October, 9 7 E D N P A . . U LA ,

N otar Pu blic Wi s con s in . y ,

90 Th e Captur e of inform ation Colon el Pritchard asked Colonel Harnden to take one hundred and fifty of his best m ounted m en to as sist in th e capture . Colonel Harnden r e plied that h e had enough to take Davis and his escort . Shortly after this con th e C r versation , Fourth Michigan aval y r C l started for the iver, o onel Harnden an d m yself going back as far as where our com m and had taken the trail of

D m . was avis, and rejoined the regi ent I w present at the collision , hich occurred between the First Wisconsin and the C im m e di Fourth Michigan avalry, and th e D ately after capture of Jefferson avis, in a conversation wi th th e orderly of C t m e olonel Pritchard , he old that there was a reward of one hundred thousand D dollars for the arrest of Jefferson avis,

m C. C t m r Cle ent lay, and I h ink so e othe s . This was while we were still on th e w ground here the capture took place, and this was the first t i m e that any of the First W isconsin knew anything of any m r eward havi ng been offered . In the sa e m e conversation , the orderly told that after Colonel Harnden and m yself had e i 1 jf er s on D av s . 9 left the place where the two Colonels i r i had the r conve sat on , that Colonel r Pritchard , after arriving at the iver w was here he to stay for orders, at once gave orders for one hundred and fifty of his best m ou nted m e n to charge down th e w r I r v in v ille w river to a ds g , to hich place Colonel Harnden had sai d Davis was n e t w D goi g, and g bet een avis and us, and check us while the m ain com m and m ca e along and capture Davis .

. . PP I J J A L NG , K ir s t s n l d Co. F Wi co s in Ca val r detai e , y , as or der or ol on el Har n den ly f C . Subscribed and sworn to before m e h d a 1 t t 8 8 . his 7 y of February, 9 W MPBE . C . O A LL , Cl er k Cir cu it Cou r t Mar s h a l l Coun , ty,

S outh D akota . 9 2 Th e Captur e of

A ffid av it of Gus . S s W y ke , Pr ivat e of

m an D Co p y . , F ir s t W is co n s in .

C E ATTL FALLS , W HI AS NGTON STAT E . W . . w Gus Sykes, being duly s orn on w ca oath , ith respect to the facts of the p “ r D " was tu e of Jefferson avis, says I one of the advance squad on the m orn i ng of ’ Ma 1 0 1 86 in D y , 5 , advanc g upon avis

m . we we we w ca p As re advancing , ere challenged by wh at proved to be the r C b w Fou th Michigan avalry , and y hat w e su pposed was the guard of the a m bu l l T w we w fo o wm . lances, hich ere g here was only o n e m an to be seen ; as he chal lenged , Sergeant George H ussey replied ‘ ’ Th e m an Fr iends . standing in the road ’ ‘Wh o ? said , are you H ussey replied , ’ ‘ w m e n s Som e of your o n . H u sey then ‘ r m e n tu ned to his saying, Save your ’ selves . Som e of the boys behin d us had partly t turned around . I hen sai d to Hussey , “ ” You are not obeying orders, for as I had been in charge of th e advance guard

94 Th e Captur e of

V I .

F r o m t h e N at io nal Tr ib u ne .

W H D . C. 2 1 8 6. AS I NGTON, , A pril , 9

‘ E . R C m D W ichter, o pany , First iscon

Ca . sin valry , St Paul , Minnesota, says “ 1 2 th In your issue of March , General Minty gives an account of the doings o f this Fou r th Michigan Cavalry during w the ar . I have no r eason to doubt but th at the boys of t hat regi m ent were as an w brave as y other soldiers, but hen any one of that reg i m ent clai m s cred it th e r D s for capture of Jeffe son avis, it ets m d n n w m y boo boili g, k o ing the circu

an d t L n - C stances, hat ieute ant olonel Pritchar d had two of his brave m en m ur w t o e m dered , and several ounded a co pl ish his ac t of treachery toward his fel l o w ffi C o cer, olonel H . Harnden of the W First isconsin Cavalry . Th e less they say about the capture of D th e t m avis bet er for the , for the blood m e n an d w of the brave killed ounded , in th e contest between the Fou rth Michi gan and the First Wisconsin is u pon C t 1 olonel Pritchard . For par iculars n jef er s o D avis . 9 5 refer yo u to th e official r eport of Colonel n Ma 1 1 86 Har den , dated y 3, 5 , endorsed L a co m by Colonel O . H . Grange, then m andi ng brigade and on file i n War f War D m W R ecord o fice , epart ent, ash ”

n t n D . C. i g o ,

i E D R I CH E . S gned , FR T R

V I I .

’ E n d or s e m e n t U p on Co l o n e l Har n de n s a f ff Da is R e po rt of t h e C pt u r e o J e . v .

Headquarters , Second Brigade, First M n D . . C D . avalry ivision , M , Maco ,

1 1 86 . Georgia, May 4, 5 R w r espectfully for a ded . Fro m this report it appears that Lieu

tenant - Colonel Harnden faithfully dis charged his duty and no blam e can at tach to h im in r elation to th e unfortunate collision between his detach m ent and C ’ w olonel Pritchard s, hich he had every m i reason to believe re a ned at Abbeville . w It is, ho ever, a source of painful regret that the satisfaction experienced in this consu m m ation is clouded by the knowl edge that an act havi ng every appearance 96 Th e Captu r e of

of unsoldierly s elfishness in appr opria " ’ ting by deception the fruits of an other s n labors, and thus attaining u earned suc r r cess, esulted in unnecessa y bloodshed and a sacrifice of lives for which no m m W m a atone ent can be ade . hat y have been intended m erely as an act of bad w w r faith to ard a fello soldier, esulted in m th e a cri e, and for this closing scene of r s ebellion , inglorious in it elf, but historic b r m f y ci cu stances, it is di ficult to repress a wish that accident had n o t afforded the Gover n m ent a R epres entative above sus

picio n . L E (Signed) O . H . AGRANG , l m an din Col on e Com g .

V III .

H. r an n r al 0 . LaG e Lett e r fro m Ge e g . Y W 1 6 S t . . 2 . 5 9 3 , N a ’

th F eb 1 8 8 . 4 y, 9 " G E N E RAL H E NRY HARN D E N

Ma dis on Wis . , D ear F r ien d " My r ecollection of the Davis capture is as follows " General “ m C a Wilson sent for e and said apt in , ’ m s Yeo ans, of General Alexander s couts,

9 8 Th e Captu r e of

“ w two b said , I ill send battalions, y dif fe r e n t m a t routes, to ke sure of ca ch ing am h im . I concerned for the safety of C m 1 5 aptain Yeo ans, he very venture ”

m . C m in so e General roxton then ca e , an d General Wilson told h im briefly the “ n w m m Can e s fro Yeo ans, and asked , you send a battalion for the pursuit ?” C wh o th e General roxton , in absence of Mc Co o k was m m General , in co and of “ th e r D t Fi st ivision , explained hat the horses of his brigade had been so used u p by the raid through Tu s caloos a that he d id not t hink a battalion in co n dition for a long rapid m arch could be selected ” W fro m the whole brigade . General il “ ’ ” s o n t o . said , all right , I ll send Minty “ t m e Ho w He hen asked , long before ” your battal ion will be ready t o m arch ? “ w m u r h I ans ered , In five in tes after I eac ’

m m r wa . ca p , and I ll run y ho se all the y th e m As I reached door to co e out, leav in h im an d C g roxton together , General “ W " L aGr an e ilson called out g , I think r w one of these pa ties ill capture Mr . w m l D . avis, there ill be so e ec at about it ’ D on t yo u want to go in com m and of e r s on D a vis jfi . 99

“ m n t ? r . both detach e s I eplied , If Mr ’ D a wn t avis had a brig de do here, I d like ’ d w h im to take the Secon and hi p , but I ll be da m ned if I want to turn constable th war after e is over . All this is very distinct in m y m ind because I wrote it w i m w do n in a letter at that t e, hich let

a - ter I h ve recently r e read . I think Generals Wilson an d Croxton wer e preparing your instructions when I m m left, and if you received the fro C i t was m roxton , to save ti e and because he was co m m anding our D ivision te m ’ o r ar il p y in Mccook s absence . w e m h az iz e th e But I ish to p fact, that [ des i n ated ou or th e du t g y f y , as I have n o W w r em em ber doubt General ilson ill . When y o u returned and sen t in your ad m m i m m irable and very odest report, I e diate l y endorsed it, and sent a copy through Division Headquar ters to th e C r orps Headquarte s, and another to save W delay direct to General ilson . Th e next m orning the General sai d to “ m e w C , You ere very severe on olonel Pritchar d in your endorse m ent of Harn ’ ’ w o u w w a den s report, on t y ithdra the p 1 0 0 Th e Captu r e of

pe r and m odify your endorse m ent? I “ Th e C replied , facts are severe on olonel m d r m n Pritchard , y en o se e t is true, and ” m it ust stand . After arguing ine ffectu ally to show m e th eunwisdom of d iffer c h ees a m ong ourselves n o w that the war was “ W o u over, the General said , ell , if y ’ I i o u C t ns st, don t y think olonel Pri chard ” ought to have a copy of the paper ? I “ h im b m replied , I sent a copy y the sa e ” Th m essenger wh o broug ht you r s . e “ W w o u General asked , hat ill y do if he “ calls you out ? I replied " I W ill hit h im an d m s fo r h im ai , have so e re pect t e r w ar d s m an wh o w w , but a ill do hat Colonel Pritchar d has done will never call anybody out . You know th e story of h o w your r e r with m en dor s em en t r po t y , finally eached the files o i the W ar Dep art m ent through w R . m m Fred . ichter I do not re e ber hen we go t news of the reward offered for D t s aw th e s avis, hough I think I po ters m m aking th e announce ent . General Wilson no doubt would recall i t all dis ’ l r m tinc t y . Possibly P itchard s regi ent wa m s th m w s ca ped acro s e river fro to n ,

0 2 Th e u r 1 Capt e .

o m m e n datio n w w ent to the files, or ent m m to hunt y endorse ent on your report, w I never kne or asked . In fact I never r ead the accounts of the controversy ove r the reward as published in the n e ws pa I was l aw A l pers, too busy reading at w an d bany . But one thing I kne then w n o w a kno , and th t is that your conduct was m an d anly, patriotic honorable, as m t beca e your character, throughout hat m m r t w co plicated atter, and I t ust hat ith o u m a health fully restored , y y long con tin ne to enjoy the estee m an d ho n or o f your fellow citi z ens and co m rades of th e volunteers . w i Al ays your fr end , L E 0 . H . AGRANG . Lis t of office r s an d m e n of t h e F ir s t W is

cons in Ca al r e n a e d in t h e ur s ui v y , g g p t

n a o n a is a d c pt u r e of J e ffe r s D v .

’ e n a n de n e u e n n - n e H ry H r , Li t a t Colo l . n n S e c n d e u e n n . . CO . . O P Cli to , o Li t a t , B

W e S e e n - . O . Hargrav , rg a t Major .

m e s n e m n K Ja J Apli , Privat , Co pa y .

u s n . S e e n m n A A ti M Horr , rg a t , Co pa y . d B e e m n Davi N . ll , Privat , Co pa y A .

W m B il l s b ack e m n A illia , Privat , Co pa y .

n e m n e m n Marti M . Col a , Privat , Co pa y A .

W m D e z e r e m n illia , Privat , Co pa y A . h n Hu n tam e r e m n A Jo , Privat , Co pa y . e Kl e in l e in e m n A Gottli b , Privat , Co pa y . d n e n d e m n S e . i y L o ar , Privat , Co pa y A

m e s Mc S til s o n e m n . Ja , Privat , Co pa y A

e e e m n . G e o . W S s . il b , Privat , Co pa y A ' h e n Pr iv a te Co m a A h s S e . C ri top r t i brook , , p y

e e S h e e e m n . H rb rt lt r , Privat , Co pa y A h n m n B e e . u e . S L t r L lair , rg a t , Co pa y B

e n T n S e e n m n . M lvi . Oli , rg a t , Co pa y B

h n S e e n m n . Jo Clark , rg a t , Co pa y B ’ T h m s u e s n Co m o a P . C lb rt o , Corporal , p y B . M r m n B m e s c Cr a . Ja H . y , Corporal , Co pa y

E z . S e w m n . ra H t art , Corporal , Co pa y B

B e ds e e m n . A e . lb rt L ar l y , Privat , Co pa y B 1 0 3 1 0 4 Th e Captu r e of

Th m s e m n e m n o a Col a , Privat , Co pa y B . w n F n n R s . e m n a o P ra kli , Privat , Co pa y B . S es e F n s e m n ylv t r airba k , Privat , Co pa y B . W m e m n illia Gill , Privat , Co pa y B . W m m es e m n illia Gri , Privat , Co pa y B . e w s c s n e m n L i Ja ob o , Privat , Co pa y B . n e L e v e r n e r e m n Ho or , Privat . Co pa y B . W m s e m n illia Mat ki , Privat , Co pa y B . I r a e e m n B Mill r , Privat , Co pa y . h n n e m n Jo L . Nola , Privat , Co pa y B . h n W n e m n Jo . Norto , Privat , Co pa y B .

W e n e s n e m n . a . rr P Ott r o , Privat , Co p a y B h e m n S e e n ue e . t p Poq tt , Privat , Co pa y B

W m S n e e m n . illia A . pa gl r , Privat , Co pa y B de t i fi l e m n B F e c S e n e d . r ri k , Privat , Co pa y

s e h S m h e m n . Jo p it , Privat , Co pa y B

W h e m n . e e . G org D rig t , Privat , Co pa y B

h n W n e e m n . Jo ag r , Privat , Co pa y B

us s e S e e n m n . e e . G org G H y , rg a t , Co pa y D

W h e e e S e e n m n . J . M . l r , rg a t Co pa y D

W S e s m n . G . . yk , Corporal , Co pa y D

n d m n . L . . P Po , Corporal , Co pa y D

s e h e s m n . Jo p My r , Corporal , Co pa y D

L aB or dl e m n . e e . G org D , Corporal , Co pa y D

e s n e e m n . N l o Appl y , Privat , Co pa y D

n de s n e m n . P . H . A r o , Privat . Co pa y D

n d n de i e m n . Do al Bra r , Pr vat , Co pa y D

m n . F . . u z e A B blit , Privat , Co pa y D

S u n e m n . J . . B rto , Privat , Co pa y D

THI S B OOK I S DU B ON THE LA S T DA TE S TA IMPE D B E L OW

A N I N I TI A L F I N E O F 25 CE N TS W I LL B E AS S E S S E D F O R F A I LU R E TO R E TU RN S B O O K O N TH D E D U TH P L TH I E AT E . E E N A TY W I LL I N C R E AS E TO 5 0 C E N TS O N THE F O U RTH DA Y A N D TO O N THE S E V E N TH DA Y O V D E R U E .