The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1865-05-18
The Old Arch Traitor JEFF Davis
Caught.

VAAt'N ''"'S - - We
Hon. +. NJ. Stanton:
The following dispatch announcing
the capture Of JEFF. Davis has just cen
handed me by Colonel M.ntz com
man,iny the 2l division:
LII MIcHlGAN
CAVALRY CUMBERLAND Ca, Nav
IL.
captain T. w. Scott Assistant Al.
intant General, 81 Division:
SIG | have the honor to report tina,
at daylight yesterday at Irw;nsville, !
surprised and captured jeff Davis and
family, together with his wife, sisters
and mother; his Post Master Genera
Regain; his Private Secretary Colonel
Harrison; Colonel Johnson Aide-de
Camp ON Davis staff: Col mel Morris
Lubbock, and L,etcnant Hathaway;
also several important names, land |.
train OF five wagons and three ambn
lanccs making most perfect success.
Had not q most painful mistake oc
cured by which the 18th Mich gan ard
lst Wisconsin came in conflict W.
should have done better. This mistake
cost rs two killed and Licu,cnan,
Bou,le wounded in the arm in the 4th
Michigan, aud four men wounded in
the LIST Wisconsin. This occurred Just
at daylight after we had captured the
camp. BY the advance Of tho lst Wis
consin they were mistaken for the enc.
my.
II returned to this point last night
and shall move ri CHIT on to Macon with
out waiting order. from you as di'ec.
ted feeling that the whole object OF he
is accomplished. 1t will
take me at least three days to reach
Macon and we are seventy five miles
out aud our stock mnc!, exhans' cd. |
hope to reach H,wkinsyille to.
night.
MACON Ga, My l3 $50 a. m.
Hon. +. NJ. Stanton:
Lieutenant Cnloa,l Harden comm an.
ding the lSt Wisconsin has Just nv.
rived from Irwinsvilic. he struck III,
trail Of Davis at Dublin Lauren>
county on the evening Of The 1,h and
followed him clio .cly nj. hit and i:,y
through Tho pine wilderness # A'ligr-
TOR creek and Green's Swamp IL, Cum
bcrlardsviIlc to lrwinsville. AT Cum
berlandsvi'le Col me! II .r.lcn met Col
onel Pritchard with one hundred and
fifty picked men AMI horses Of the 4th
Michigan. H,r len followed the trail
directly south VII le PritcharS having
fresher horses pushed down the Ocmu.
gee towards Hopcwcll and thence by
House creek To Irwin>vil'e arriving
there At midnight on The 9th. jeff
Davis had not arrived. From a citizen
Pritchard learned that nis party were
encampc.l two miles out Of the town.
He made disposition Of his men and
surrounded the camp before day. IIH
lee had campel at . afternoon within
ten miles from Davis: The trail being
too Indirect TO fpli"s he pushed OH at
; in tho NOR liz, nnG had gone but
little more than ore mile when his al
vance was fi,sd upon by the men Of tho
IT., Michigan. A fight cnsued both
parties exhibiting lie greatest deter.
mination. Fifteen minutes elapsed
before the mistak" wis discovered.
The 6yin. in the skirmish was the first
Warming Davis received. The captors
that he hastily put GA one nf
his wife's dresses, and started for the
woods closely followed by our men VIII"
at first thought him woman; but see
ing his boots while running they sus
PC ctei his sex at once. Tho race was
a short one and the rebel Presldo~t was
soon brought to bay. lie brandished
a bowie knife aud showed signs of bat.
lie i,wt yielded promptly to the pur
snasicn o! Colts rcvolvcrs without com
pelling the men To fire. lie expressed
great Indignation at the energy with
which lie was pursued saying that he
had belrvsl oar Government too
magnanimo~s 70 hn"t down women
and children. Mrs. Davis remarked to
Colonel Harden after the excitement
was over that the men had better not
provok. the President or he might hurt
some Of them. Regain behaves timselt
with dignity and resigratio~- The
party evidently were maxi4g for the
coast.
] II. WnsoS Brevet M"jor General.
sw Small silver chang" is getting
- be quite r'ra'y At Phila ac1rhi /.
Speed the day here.