, 1865-06-26
JEFF. DAVIS HAD CONDUCT
I'm MEXICO.
FoEr Sxr1Ltsa, M1nn., june II, 1866

FoEr SMELLING, M1nn., june II, 15C5.
Editors st. Paul Pres:
name IN PRINT, but as I have inadvertently
become party to Very interesting piece Of
history. It becomes ME to sustain my position
In vouCh!ng for the Narrator of the story ra-
epecting JEFF. Davis, which has been called in
question BY A. b. O., in the New York World.
The facts are these:
an honest soldier tells IN apparent, truth
full stc1y Of the early acts Of notorious, lnfa-
NOUS tInftor-Jcflerson D2yta. These nets
consisted in dIsoheylng the orders OF a supe-
iior-rielattpg hts word OF honor when ar
lesiet--of running away-of being knocked
suing for mercyl The said soldier was on du-
II at the place where the difficulty occurred.
The o1Iicrr was Davis, Colonel Of the Mtss!s.
sfppt regiment. The conduct Of the officer In
resisting q lawful order Of his superior Is en-
1itely IN keeping With the whole career OF ths
man who. IN petticoats and boots, subse-
qnently ignomn,ousty surrendered to another
equally as brave rs the ons who apprehcn-
ded him years Dgo.
Mr.. John A. Dickson, the quad who fo,tu-
nately caught the running JeG-Who mar
rates all the circumstances respecting the
su1scfty, villainy and cowa1dfce which have
marked bis tack for years, could have no
mctiye-can gain no political power
ly cannot advance his pecuniarY interests In
Givirg to the public statement Of Iacts over
his own name, which he must have known,
iffalse, could easily hare been dfsproyci;
for the manner IN which the Pioneer CONES to
the rescua Of the reputation of the arch
traitor and murderer Of our prisonera--aye.
OF an accessory before the fact OF the asaiatua-
ton Of President Lincoln h:msel-ls conc1u-
sive evidence to IN intelligent public, that
escn IN g.. Paul to say. nothing abont Mr.
scoundrel as J1ff Davis has his friends. his
sympathizers and bis dcfeoders.
1t,s barely possible that Mr.. Dickson msy
be mistaken Us to the identity of the notorl-
Gus jeff. do not think 50. The fhe's rs
stated are no doubt indtsputaa1e- The mans
name was Davis. He WIS Colonel of M,s-
alleged. His conduct there IL entirely In
keeping with every subsequent act Of JEFF
Davis llfe, e:tn up up to tho time Of his In.
ca,cc1ation in prison, and the exhibition of
his petulant, peesisll temper, not only gives
strong probability to the correctness Of the
United States, who being mean enough to do
what JEFF. Davis Is alleged to have done, WAS
III instrument to murder freedom, and, like
Nero Of old, fiddle while the country that
cdncated him was burning!
Having thus wtitten In Justification Of my
act in vCuching for the reliability Of the Ru-
thor and the grounds fer my belief in the
ctnectnesa Of bis story, introduce the fol-
loving affidavit, which, to an Intelligent
mind, must prove conclusive.
AFFIDAVIT OF JduH A. pICKsoN.
Feztonslly appeared before me- this 17sh day Of
June. 1865, John a. Dickson, who On being duly
.1ess soldier Il the Mexican WIZ. aud enlisted
flom Illinois, IN Ccmpaoy @, 9th regiment. Was
Mexican campaign. The occurrence referred to
ina previous eommenlea'ion of nlne, md pub
rcnths aflef toe ba1t!o of Dnena viata, aud under
N, rettonal observation. The Davis alluded TO
BY me Was conze! OF Mississippi regiment.
pre-: and am now, that It was tho ventsola
def, the head and front Of the South I'm rcbel.
lion. l KNOW OF no other Colonel BY the name Of
% H., or q 10y W oteer lime. 4. Va. tho eassd Who
cauQbt him when he Was running awaJ, aud heard
the who:e conversation between the sald Davis
otter he was kroeEed down by sareeant Ptics-
s1sssnt Il ri fssS re- sv fat s y sy seqypsSd Y I'D
taken. ann more especially 90, from the fact that
the efair tcok place some fonsteen-{!t may be
tighten months after the battle in which Jettef:
Jefferson Davis as given by tho newspapers. nc
cofts czac'fJ with my remembrance Of the sane
man who set at defiance the order Of Gen. Wool,
and who subsequently, WAS Obliged to sue for
mercy to ssVe himself from severe punishment.
The tt'emcot may enlighttn the public a. to
s n;v
e4 ~ .es1 ii oS
M9s sa sss 10, s 9es u s d,
Of June, 1866. wv. A. MCCutLuN.
Notsfy Public, S11nn.
In conclusion, I would state, that, although
Mr.. Dickson Is comparatively a stranger
smong NJ, yet tie following will show In
what estimation he is held by thoss who know
him best. Other names could be added, butt
detln the following sufficient:
Fonr sSEL11so. Man., June II, 1865.
We haze known John Il. Dickson for some time
and NC have always found him a stta19htriotHsfd
man. We have never had reason 10 queaIon any
statement be has ma1e.
sere't II. N RANDALL,
SerC't1. D. CARR.
JACK DUscAs.
SAxGkk L. QGlS1,
JuAx FARRELL,
LUTHER II. BARI1ow,
RoB'r D1KK,
Now, u,5Ir. "A, B. c." Or the PIONEER edl-
tor can extract honey from lemon he Is
at liberty to squeeze from the above the
amount Of juice necessary to sweeten tcm-
pers, no doubt usually mild aud genial, but
fn the present case soured BIZ an undue zeal
In very bad cause.
Very respectfully youra,
THOMAS II. NEwsoS,
Capt. and c. s. U. 8. A.