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Jefferson Davis “Attempted Escape in Disguise” with “A Gown & Hood on & Bucket on His Arm”

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Jefferson Davis “Attempted Escape in Disguise” with “A Gown & Hood on & Bucket on His Arm” Jefferson Davis “attempted escape in disguise” with “a gown & hood on & bucket on his arm” KEN LAW R ENCE On May 10, 1865, the Fourth Michigan Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army captured Jefferson Davis, members of his family, and his Confederate entourage near Irwinville, Georgia. Events of that morning — in particular, reports that Davis had attempted to escape capture disguised as a woman — proved to be the greatest embarrassment of Davis’s life. He and his admirers have sought ever since to deny and muddle them, in a permanent propaganda exercise that today we would call “spin.” Three contemporaneous manuscripts recorded the event. Two are in archives. One of them has gone missing. Here I shall present the historical evidence as the trio of participant witnesses recorded it at the time. Not surprisingly, details and interpretations occasionally diverge. Even after taking account of the Rashomon effect, Davis’ humiliation remains. Captain John Taylor Wood (1830–1904) John Taylor Wood was a Confederate naval hero who had EHHQZRXQGHGDVDQRI¿FHURQWKH&66Virginia (formerly the USS Merrimack) in the famous 1862 battle of the ironclads against the USS Monitor. He was Zachary Taylor’s grandson and Jefferson Manuscripts, Vol. 71, No. 4 (Fall) 327 328 MANUSCRIPTS Davis’s nephew. Wood devoted nine pages of his diary to the May 10 events. This is my transcription of his full narrative: May 10–/65 Unfortunate day! We camped last night near a stream with a narrow thicket & swamp on either side of it, as is the case with all streams in this pine region. Capt. Campbell with some of his scouts was in advance, there was no one in the rear, from which direction alone we might expect danger. The P. slept in a tent with Mrs. D., Miss Howell and the children occupied another, all others slept in the open air. I was with Col. Lubbock near our horses. At day dawn we were awakened by Jim the coachman, VD\LQJKHKHDUG¿ULQJRQWKHURDGWRZDUG$EEHYLOOHZHURVH were dressing, when from the opposite direction we heard shouts & the clattering of horses feet, in a few moments after over a hundred Yankee Cavalry burst into the camp; taken completely by surprise, QR UHVLVWDQFH ZDV RIIHUHG RXU UHYROYHUV ZHUH ¿UVW VHL]HG WKHQ horses, I held on to Tom for some times, a Yankee on one side of KLVKHDG,RQWKHRWKHU¿QDOO\KHWROGKLVFRPSDQLRQVWR¿UHRQPH if I did not let go, I gave him up reluctantly. I never rode as game DKRUVH$IHZPLQXWHVDIWHURXUVXUSULVH¿ULQJZDVKHDUGDJDLQ towards Abbeville, some of the Yankees moved across the branch LQWKDWGLUHFWLRQVRRQWKH¿ULQJZDVTXLWHEULVN NHSWXSXQWLO good daylight, some of the balls passing through the camp. Then WKHHQHP\GLVFRYHUHGWKHLUPLVWDNHWKH\ZHUH¿ULQJRQHDFKRWKHU the regiment which surprised us, had by taking the Jacksonville road, come in ahead of us at Irwinville, it was a Michigan Reg. under a Col. Pritchard; the other following us was a Wisconsin Reg. They Killed & wounded several of their own people. While this was going on, I went over to the P.’s tent, saw Mrs. D. told her that the enemy did not know that he was present & during the confusion he might escape into the swamp not more than 100 yards distant; she much alarmed said if we would engage the attention of some Yankees near the tents he could do so. Some time was lost, it was becoming more light, the enemy were posting their sentries JEFFERSON DAV IS 329 around the camp, when the P. came out of his tent with a gown & hood on & bucket on his arm, with Helen the mulatto nurse. They advanced some distance towards the stream, when one of the Yankee guards directed them in another direction as the balls ZHUHÀ\LQJZKHUHWKH\ZLVKHGWRJRWKH\SXVKHGRQ0UV'LQ her over anxiety saying from the tent, “they were only going after water”, “they were not afraid of the balls.” Another Yankee rode up, ordering them to halt, saying he knew who it was, recognizing a man, but not the P., still moving on, he ordered them to halt, pointing his Carabine at the P.’s head. Then Mrs. D. by her appeals, the children by crying, the servants by fear & howling betrayed all. Others rode up, the P. was obliged to make himself known. His attempted escape in disguise I regret exceedingly, only Mrs. D.’s distress could have induced him to adopt it. Seeing that there was no chance for the P. I determined to make the effort & so told Judge R. & Col. Lubbock, asking them to take charge of my saddle bags and clothes which I would leave. I walked around the camp some time before an opportunity presented, the Yankees in the meantime plundering the wagons, which they supposed contained treasure & this is one reason why they had followed me so closely. Ten of them attempted to steal my watch, but I saved it. However before I left, a guard was put over the wagons & stop nearly to the pilfering. Scanning the countenances of the enemy I at last selected one that I thought could answer my purpose & asked him to go to the swamp with me, hesitating, he did so & after waiting a little while, returned towards camp telling me to follow when I was ready, stopping him, I said I did not wish to return, that I would give him half of what was in my purse if he would let me remain, he consented & I gave him $40 in gold. Creeping a little further into the swamp I lay concealed for about three hours in the most painful position, sometimes moving a few yards almost “ventre à terre” to escape notice for I was within hearing of the camp on either side of the stream & often when they came down for water or to water their horses I was within a 330 MANUSCRIPTS Page 23 of the third volume (April 2, 1865 – July 10, 1865) of John Taylor Wood’s diary. Image courtesy of The Southern Historical Collection, the Wilson Library, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. JEFFERSON DAV IS 331 IHZ\DUGVRIWKHP7KHZDJRQVPRYHGRII¿UVWWKHQWKHEXJOHV sounded & the P. started on one of his carriage horses followed by a squadron of the enemy. I watched him as he rode off. Sad fate. I understood afterwards that he was very anxious for his favorite horse Kentucky, but some one had stolen him & he could not be recovered, with him I think he could have escaped. Sometime after their departure, I saw some one leading two abandoned horses into the swamp & recognized Lt. Barnwell of our escort, who alone escaped as I did, tho Judge Reagan & Col. Johnston I think attempted it. Secreting the horses, we picked up from the debris of the camp, parts of the saddles & bridles & with some patching & W\LQJ¿WWHGRXWRXUKRUVHVWZRDVVDG ZDUZRUQDQLPDOVDVHYHU man bestrode. Hungry & tired we gave a Mr. Fenn the remains of the camp for a dinner, he lived a mile distant at Irwinville, the &RXQW\VHDWRI,UZLQ&R$W¿UVWZHZHUHWDNHQIRU<DQNHHVDQG consequently treated with more consideration. He recommended us to Widow Poulk ten miles distant, an old lady rich in cattle alone, here we spent the night. I saved my haversack & all it contained, my overcoat & a small Derringer pistol that I picked up in camp, just on leaving, it had belonged either to the P. or Judge R. Wood escaped to Cuba, made his way to Canada, settled at Halifax, Nova Scotia, and lived there for the rest of his life. He became a prosperous Canadian citizen engaged in shipping and maritime insurance. For many years he was secretary-treasurer of the Halifax Pilot Commission. Wood never returned to the United States, but he corresponded ZLWKIRUPHU&RQIHGHUDWHFROOHDJXHVZKRKDGVHUYHGDVVWDIIRI¿FHUV to Jefferson Davis as long as he and they lived. Varina Howell Davis (1826–1906) Jefferson Davis’s wife Varina wrote her description of the May 10 capture in a June 6, 1865, 38-page letter to Francis Preston Blair 332 MANUSCRIPTS ± RI6LOYHU6SULQJ0DU\ODQG%ODLUZDVDQLQÀXHQWLDO Republican, father of Union General Francis P. Blair Jr. and Postmaster General Montgomery Blair. With Abraham Lincoln’s consent he had twice met with Jefferson Davis in Richmond in pursuit of a negotiated end to the Civil War. In her “Private and FRQ¿GHQWLDO´OHWWHUIURP6DYDQQDK*HRUJLD9DULQD'DYLVVRXJKW Blair’s intercession on behalf of her husband, who by then was FRQ¿QHG LQ D FDVHPDWH FHOO DW )RUWUHVV 0RQURH 9LUJLQLD 7KLV section described the capture: Just before day the enemy charged our camp yelling like demons. Mr. Davis received timely warning of their approach but believing them to be our own people, deliberately made his toilette, and was only disabused of the delusion when he saw them deploying a few yards off. He started down to the little stream hoping to meet his servant with his horse and arms, but knowing he would be recognized, I plead with him to let me throw over him a large waterproof wrap which had often served him in sickness during the summer season for a dressing gown, and which, I hoped, might so cover his person, that in the grey of the morning he would not be recognized. As he strode off I threw over his head a little black shawl which was around my own shoulders, seeing that he could QRW¿QGKLVKDWDQGDIWHUKHVWDUWHGVHQWP\FRORUHGZRPDQDIWHU him with a bucket for water, hoping that he would pass unobserved. He attempted no disguise, consented to no subterfuge but if he had, in failure is found the only matter of cavil. Had he assumed an HODERUDWHIHPDOHDWWLUHDVDVDFUL¿FHWRVDYHDFRXQWU\WKHKHDUWRI which trusted in him, it had been well. When he had proceeded a few yards the guards around our tents with a shocking oath called out to know who that was.
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