The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-06-03


circumstantiaIly told, ii at i. is likely to stick
| fo- many years, like the cotton bale, story at
the battle Vi New Orleans, but there is rea-
Sun to fear ;hat VIXEN tic cool, calm, sober
historian goes iowurk on II, halt century
hence, lie will be compelled to sp1i this
| beautiful p. ttcoat story, as tie same rrient-
L.ss chronology las d,moljshd that about
:ie cotton bales.
! There arr certainly s-cll d.scre pancics in
the ryidence CT which the 'pcsiic1..t story"
is based; rs mist throw some doubt on its
! truth, d, lel.: anil u further exam iu;,llon OF
TIE witnesses can be Lad. Let us examine
a little.
The story first came from Gen Wilson,
who was not there himself, but must have
had it second hand. Afe:. mentioning an
, unfortunate collision, by mistake, between
the commands CT CD. Pr.tchard and Col.
Hardee, he says;
The firing wns the first warning Jeff.
| Davis received. The captors report that he
hastily pat on one OF his wiie's dresses and
started for the woods, closely followed 10y or
men, who at first thought Lln woman, bat
seeing his boots Wills, he was running they
suspected his sex. The race was short
oue and the r-bei President vas soon
brought 10 bay.
a New York Times correspondent, gives
this version:
'No alarm was given until the advance
quart, under com naud OF Capt. g. 5. Hud-
son, were WITHIN few rods vi rhe teut-all
being folded IN the arms OF Morpheus. A
rush WIS Immediately made, the tents sur
rounde,', and the enlir. party go3Jled with
| out difficulty
The New York Hs~a'Ts correspondent,
who claims to have been on the ground, gives
this versions:
Every thing was profoundly silent. JEFF.
WAS umdvub eddy dr. a. ing OF his iurne..
greatness, and tn entire party we're wr. pped
III the commandments u0ri.ce ui Morpheus.
when they were suddenly startled by The ellis
OF the soldiers, AID awoke tn late tao make
preparations tor even Il feeble resistance.
The correspondent then proceeds TO state
that guard was placed around the tent, and
after some delay Mrs. Davis and Miss. How
ell appeared at the door leading all arp"r-
emily dccrepit old lady, dressed In a iady's
morning ,craPper with tight hood on her
head and her face covered with 4 small relt
and = tin pail On her arm going for water.
\ Corporal raised the frock with the POINT Of
his sabre and discovered Jeffs boots, &c
An here cores the last statement on the
subject, in the shape of an associated press
''resised'' despatch from Washington
u The waterproof clos.k and shawl worn by
JEFF. Davis at lie time OF his capture were
presented to the War Department to-day by
%. Pritchard. The cloak was 1royn ds
shirt, and the shawl as hood. Under this
tcDlaLe atitTc J. d. wore full sat Of diab
and pair Of cavalry boots
Now here ar. certainly some strange dis
cyepaucie-. Gen. Wilson says DAVIS and
party had warning of the approach OF the
fedcr.l forces by the firing between the troops
of Pritcharl and II .rdec. The TINS and
-l7ratG correspondents say, every ,n!ug was
''Profoundlv silent, until the tcat was sur.
T u1drd. Wilson says, "D.ris ng. - one
o; his wife : dresses and started for The woods.
closely f,l,.wcd by aEr NAM" tAe Hrchi
.lan says, Dams was - - lie dr. Of The
tent With i ,sl.'s ror,.iag rraeper and
tight hood on, a. :. 'Iec-i,.ii OLD ,i!v," &c.
Wilson's "ci.ase" ~ Our men don, come in
well here a.! then lie last dcaps.c!l Says,
Davis Lad on hci'hcr one o. his :. witc,s
dresses nor "I.ly't r,orujn- wrapper"
bu; :. ''watcr prof clo.ii-.' (of jnis. -s.5bcrl