, 1865-06-22
THE CAPTURE 0F.yEFF. DAVIS.
Official Report Of Lieut..
Col Harnden. -.
LIEIT. COL. pRITCH4RD HELD EEsPoN-
SlBLE FOB TEE hERDtR OF
HIS owl SOLDIERS.
A Charge Of Bad Faith and Unof6'
cer-llke Conduct.


NE1R Macon, Ga, May Is, 1855 +
GESERA:-1 have the honor to report
that In compliance With your orders Of the
9th inst. marched from Macon on the eve
ming Of that day With one Hundred and fifty
men OF lhe 1st Wisconsin Carnlsy aud pro-
cceded to Jeffersonynie, Triggs County, leav-
ing Lieut.. Hewitt with thirty men to watch
The csoss roads at that place. continued
the march to Thomas cross. roads. William
son county, where 7 learned that large
party Of rato1ed men from Gen. john
stems army bad lust passed that: point
on their way home. Some vera Armed
and others we're not, but oil we're mounted.
After feeding our animals continued On
to Deublin, Lawrence county, arriving there
about five o'clock p NJ, May 9Th, and ca.
cauped near the ferry across oconee River,
having marched distance Of fifty fire mules,
At Doublip learned from soma negroes that
tlaln Of light wagons and anbulauces had
crossed the ferry during the day, and were
moving on the Jacksonville road, attended
by an escort, and having some led horses.
La.er In the night A1so learned from smother
negro that JEFF. DAVIS and wife were with the
t1a,n. Here left Lieutenant Lane with
iorty.fye men " Guard the fetry aud patrol
| the roads, and with the balance Of my com-
| nard started At daylight In pursuit, TN the
Jacksonville river road. At Turkey Cectk
! bridge learned that this train had taken the
| Te1tatr road. aud from woman received
| description Of q man I thought must be JEFF.
Davis. From tlIs p3are I sent dispatch to
you, hut have sipce learned the carrier was
captured By the febcls, and taken thirty
miles into the pine woods, robbed of his
horse and then released. 1 fcund the trails
Of the wagons very fnuistinct, as the country
uoiri ablted. Here I Impressed a guide
| who had heard Of the wagons the cyening
tefore, ard who led us away. from the main
.oad eome e1evsn miles, to the place where
the train had encamrcd during the previous
hight, between tue to5k Ks Of Alligator Creek.
After having I'D the horses and taken o new
guide, We ag4iu s'attfd IN pursuit. It this
ihsm. Our way uow led y ACCESS the
main Alligator C:ees, aud through
the swamp to tie fo!d Of Green Swlmp
/ creek, Puluski county. where encamIed, 1t
bling then after dark and the .1a1 toe ;udls.
tinct to follow. Distance marched, this day
! forty miles. On the 9th Of May We started
ct fn'ee o'clock, q. NJ, marched to Sugar
| 0cnnfgee river, which We followed tloWn a
| ftW miles In the dense swanps to Browns
Ferry In crossing my command au Incident
happened to the 1trry-boat, cuusIng a delay
Of two hcurs. At this place I learned posi-
occupants Of one Of the anbulances In the
train which We were following. Proceeding
to Abbevg1lle, Wilcox county, fed the
horses, and learning that the tta'n had left
that place at ter o'clock, e H., A1ay otlD in
l sent forward my command Ia that
direction goipg myself to mcct Lieut.. Cot.
Pfftchnrd, who Itearited wns advancing with
the 18th Michigan Cavalry OF the Hawkins
vile ,o:4d- I infsnled The Colonel Of the
tain Thleh had teen 20 long pursuing, aud
that JEFF. Davis himself was undoubtedly &C.
ccmpanying them, or not very far distant,
Also, that my command had gone on toward
1ruinviils IN pursuit. Lieut.. Col pritch.rd
ttcn info1ntd d me that he was ordered to At
heyFille With his regiment to watch for JET.
his men, which declined, as my fc1ee was
sufficiently large aud I found 1t vsry diGicu1t
to obtain forage for the hcrses and subs!st.
ence for the mcn. Parting with Col. Pritcl,.
nd near Abheyyll1e, soon overlook NY com
Eand, and after marching some ten miles from
ing gEeund Of the train, SO recently lett That
tie tires had not yet gone out. continued
on In the dIrcction o. Irwinyille through the
Pine woods, until about o'clock p. NJ,
when halted and gfazed the horses, Layiag
be ieaay for an early start. at this time
felt certain that the train was near at hand,
but fearing that Il We came urpn them IN the
darkness Of the night, Davis and Others
might escape under cover Of the night,
waited until a. M, (Msy 10:b,) when ayasu
statted: After marching about one mile,
maaded by Sergeant Huseeg, was lalrcd By q
patty Of men contested behind trees. Sup
posing. Of course that We had run upau
The rcl.el plckets. the. Sergeant en-
deavored- tn retreat. :, when q hcary
seliey ", Vas "a etsd Sd uPsn the party. wana5in:
We were in the immediate vicinity OF The
,ebele, and having no inttmstion Of tha pres
ence Of Union troopsu understand from
Liz ut. Col. PrictLara that he was gong fato
camp at -Abbeyvi1!e, WHICH was ote:!t<enty
| miles IL our rear}, Immediately prepared to
drive them back upon the t1alo, aud capture
the command II possible. Advancing With
ten men to ASCERTAIN the position Of the force
! opposing Chr further progress; we were ag1in
met With another heayy yol!ey from tic same
unseen sou c.. then deploycd my small
force. and advanced rapidly forcing back ths
opposing force, when VIC captured prisoner
who proved to BE- 4 member Of the 4sh Mich
igan cavalry, Lieut.. Col. Prtrthard command
! ing.
| An firing Immediately ceased, when an ex,
PLANTATION showed that after parting with
Lieut.; Col. FEttchasd at Abbey vil!e, he se,
pushed rapidly forward on the r,rer road
thence by way of Horse Creek back to II.
winv!llc, arriving there before The train, then
cane out to Where It was encamped, one mile
from town and about two, miles frctn our en-.
caUpmcnt. He {Ltcut. Col. 'Pritchayd] had
! tent d small force, dfsmounted, around to the
rear Of the train, and as his force moved upon
the train from the IrwinrilA side. We en-.
cnunteEcd his disnountcd Eea within q
| short distance-on]y few hundred Ylsds ol
the rebel camp While the fight was goiue
on between my command and Lieut.. Col
Pz:tchard's, q portion Of his force captured
the train. Jrif. Davis ard hmilY. The
easuallles<. in my command were t1-cc
mrn -seytrc1y Wounded, several sii.ut-
ly wcn1Aed,- aud two horses killed. /
regret to learn that ths. 4th .Mich. had two
| y en- killed ana one officer severely wounded.
Il sincerely regret the unfcrtuoatc collision.
rtsuftirg z fn the death Of two brave aud noble
soldiers and the manning Of seyeral more,
but of the degree OF culIslbtlity which at.
tachss TO my conduct In TINS matter others
raCet decide.
+ After attending to the wounded as we'll a.
possible, transportation having been klndly
tu:nlshed By Lieut.. Col. Pzltchard in cap.ufed
aUbu3ancss. returned to Macon as tap;dty
as the condition Of MY horses would permit.
where a1riytd in the forenoon Of Afay 18th,
1866 :.....::
| -, l an, General, yerr obd't ser;'t,
l. HENRY aARSpEy,
| 1t. Col. comdg. 1st Wis. Cavalry.