The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-11-29
JEFF. DAVIS.
Ironing OF tho Prisoners at Fortress
MOnrOe--.A Correct Statement OF the
Facts.


Ironing OF tho Prisoners at Fortress
MGnrOe---A Correct Statement or the
Facts.
From The Nashville Courier, 18th
On the 23d of May, 1865, tho officer of
the day, Capt. J. TiLlOw, of the Sd Penn
sylVRnin Artillery, came INTO his prison
with two blacksmiths bearing a pair of
heavy leg irons coupled together by n
pOnderouS chain. Capt. Titlow, in a
manner fully sustaining his words, in
formed him that with great personal
reluctance, he came to execute an order
to put irons upon him. Mr.. Davis
asked whether General Miles had given
that order, and on being answered in
the affirmative, said he wished to see
General Miles. Capt. Titlow replied
that he had just left General Miles, who
was leaving the fort. Mr.. Davis then
asked that the execution of the order
should be postponed until General
Miles returned. Capt. Titlow said his
orders would not permit that, and that
to AN old soldier it wns needless to
say that an officer was bound
to execute nn order as it was given
him. Mr.. Davis told him that it was
too obvious that there could be no
necessity for the use Of such means to
render his imprisonment secure; and on
Capt. Iitlow's repeating that his duty
was to execute his orders, Mr.. Davis
said it was not such an order as SOL
dier could give, or should receive, and
he would not submit to it; that it was
evidently the intention to torture him
to death; that he would never tamelv
be subjected to indignities by which il
was sought in his person to degrade the
cause of which he was Il representative.
The officer of the day, with evident kind
feeling, endeavOred to dissuade him
from resistance. The officer of tho
n lND ,,,;, 1,
the officer of the day, to induce him to
yield. 1t was needless to show, what
was very apparent, that resistance
could not be successful, and Mr.. Davis
answer was that he was "a soldier and
IA gentleman; that he knew how to die"
and pointing to the sentinel who stood
ready, Snid, 'let your men shoot me at
once" He faced round with his bnck
to the wall, and stood silently waiting.
Ills quiet manner led tho officer to sun
pose that no resistance would be made
and therefore the blacksmith's were di-
rected to do their work. As one Ofthem
stopped dOwE to put on the letters.
MIR. Davis slung him OF so vio-
lcntly as to throw him on the floor he
recovered and raised his hammer to
strike, but the officer of tho day stop
ped him; simultaneously one of the
sentinels cooked and lowered his mus
ket, advancing on the prisoner, who
had turned to encounter this assailant
and thus did not see the purpose of the
blacksmith. Captain Titlow saw the
new danger, and promptly interposed,
telling the SentinelS that they were not
to fire; ordered the officer of the guard
TO bring in four of the strongest men OF
the guard without firearms, for the pur-
pose of overcoming, by muscular
strength, the resistance which was
threatened. Mr.. Davis had nothing
with which to defend himself, even his
penknife having been previously taken
from him. The contest was brief and
ended in his being thrown down, four
men being on his body and head. He
could not see the blacksmiths when
they approached to put on the irons,
but feeling one OF them, he kicked him
Oft against the wall. The smith recov-
cred, and with the MD which the other
men could give him, succeeded in the
second attempt to rivet one fetter,
and secure the paddock which held
the other. Mr.; Davis scornfully ask
ed his assailantS "if they called
themselves soldiers" and said, "the
shame is yours, not mine" The object
being effected, the officer of the dnv
withdrew the men he had brought in.
The prisoner lay down on the cot, COW
cred his irOned limbs with the blanket,
and felt only moro intense contempt
for the brutality with which he was
treated than when few minutes before
he had announced his belief that he was
to be tortured to death, and defied the
power which attempted to degrade him.
Of tho dramatic account published in
DR.. Craven's book, he said it could not
have been written by one who either
knew the facts, or had such personal
knowledge of him as to form a lust
idea of what his conduct would have
been under such circumstances. The
fact the added was that very little was
said either by Captain Titlow or him
self, and that whatever was said was
uttered in very quiet and practical
manner. For himself he would say, he
was too resolved and too proudly con-
scientiOus of his relation to n sacred,
though unsuccessful cause, for such ex-
clamatiOus and manifestations as were
imputed to him by DIR. Crnvens infor-
mant, and given to the public in his
book.