Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1866-08-08
THE ASSASSINATION PLOT.
Jeff. Dayis's Alleged Oomolicity.


WASHINGTON July 2S. The following is
the report OF the } Judiciary Committee on
jeff Davis The Committee submit mass
of testimony, showing that the rebel author
tiles under the direction of Davis. declined
to give negro soldiers and their officers the
treatment due to prisoners of war. 1t is
shown that General Kirby Smith objected
TO the capture of negroes in arms, and a
letter from him to q neral Dick TAYLOR is
quoted, in which he says: l have been un-
officially informed that some OF your troops
have captured negroes in arms. [ hope
this may not be so, and that your subordi-
mates III command of capturing parties may
have recognized tie propifety of giving no
quarters TO armed negroes andtheir officers.
A me sage Of jeff Davis Is also quoted,
in which he proposes that Union officers in
command of negro troops shall; when cap
tured be dealt with as criminals engaged in
melting ser3ile Instruction With regard
to the maltreatment of Union prisoners gem
orally, it IS shown that JEFF. Davis declared
the Union troops incendiares and robbers,
who had forfeited their claims to be treated
as prisoners Of war. i- @ E
A great mass of testimony is adduced to
show that the prisoners were treated In ac-
cordance with the views OF Davis, as above
set forth The documents cited are all OF
rebel origin, and show that the prisoners at
the South were in frightful condition.
The facts were frequently brought to the
notice oft he Confederate authorities at Rich
mond, but without avail. T.tHH -.-
A letter from one Sabina Dismukes. dated
at Statesburg, s. g. .aCctober 18th, 1864, to
JEFF. Davis, says with regard TO the suffer
ing prisoners at Florence If such things
are allowed TO continue, they will most sure
Il, i
our country. 1t is a most horrible sin, that
them food and shelter, for Gods sake send
them back to Yankee land, but dom t st arve
the miserable creatures to death. - ~
The accompanying letter was an article
from the Sumter Wotchn.dn, giving the de-
tails Of visit made by the writer to the
prison at Florence. The account is most
horrible one. The prisoners are described
as being filthy, diseased famished and with
no hope of relief except by death Al! were
in rags, barefooted, and covered with YER
min. While the reporter was there rain
storm took place, and ne describes the avidi-
ty with which the prisoners welcomed 1t,
opening their mouths 70 catch the drops,
while one would wash off another with his
hands, and then receive from him the like
kind Office a1Hsnr So
\ great mass of similar testimony is sub
Initted all going TO show that Davis was
fully aware of the condition of the risoners.
Considerable space is devoted to the ma
chiuations OF Clement c. Clay Beverly
Tucker, Geo. n, Sanders. Jacob Thompson
and others in Canada during the'war, and
it is shown thar portion of therebel secret
service money was paid TO one Hysms, who
services IN conveying boxes OF
smallpox clothing to be sold in Washing
ton. In connection with these matters a
large numoer of documents are submitted.
In all of these schemes it is shown that
Davis was concerned, and the Committee I
argued that the fact is bar to the plea that
he and his associates were incapable of the
crime of assassination In futher confrma !
ton of this view, copies are given of letters !
from a foreigner named Dekalb. who pro- /
posed TO blow up the Capitol at Washing |
ton when Abe and his myrmidons and the
Northern Congress members we're assembled |
there. One of these letters is indorsed by |
Walker, rebel Secretary of War; s92
Another letter from one Parramor, stat
ing that he had found means of disposing |
of the leading characters in the North in an i
manner. bears the Endorsement |
from one Fl. C. Durham, directly proposing /
the assassination of Seward, Lincoln, Gree
ley, Prentice, ETC., written to jeff Davis. |
and referred by him to the rebel Secretary /
Of War, is produced. The Committee urge
that these letters prove conclusively that |
Jeff. Davis and his Cainet knew that plots
Of assassination were on foot. zEs
2 tef -l- -------- ~ =
Thereisla a. man in NeSs jersey who is sos
of countenances, that his wife IS
obliged to keep wafer stuck TO the end on /