Daily clarion and standard. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1866, 1866-07-07
JEFFERSON DAVIS IN PRISON
Farther Extracts from the Diary oil tne
Post surgeon

August 23.-Called with Captain
Evans, Third Pennsylvania Artillery
officer of the day Prisoner a little
improved, febrile symptoms subsidIng.
Had no appetite for ordinary food, but
found the GOODNESS and moisture OF
fruits agreeable. Said he had con-
Guided not to lose any more spoons
for me, but would retain the one that
morning sent with his breakfast In
less things took a change, he would
not require it long.
This was an allusion to the desire
some of the guards had to secure
trophies of anything Mr.. Davis had
touched. They had carried away his
brier-wood pipe, and from time to time
taken five of the spoons sent over with
his meals from my quarters. The
meals were sent over by bright little
mulatto boy named Joe, who handed
them to the sergeant of the guard out
side the easement, who passed them
through the window to the lieutenant
of the guard in the outer cell. by whom
they were handed to the prisoner
through the grated doors of the inside
room, the keys of which were held by
the officer of the day. No knife and
fork being allowed the prisoner, lest
he should commit suicide" his food
had to be cut up before being sent
over-a needless precautlOn, it always
seemed to me, and more likely to pro
duce than prevent the act, by continu-
ally keeping the idea that 1t was ex-
pected before the prisoner mind 1t
was in returning the trays from Mr..
Davis to my quarters that the spoons
were taken-an annoyance Obviated
by his retaining one for use. This
only changed the form of trophy, how
ever; napkins that he had used being
the next class of prizes seized and
sent home to sweethearts by loyal
warIers at the gates.
Mr. Davis expressed some anxiety
rs to his present illness. He was not
one of those who, when in trouble,
wished To die Great .nvalids seldom
had this wish, save when protracted
sufferings had weakened the brain
Suicides were commonly of the ro-
buster class-men who had never been
brought close to death nor thought
about it seriously A good old Bishop
once remarked, that dying was the
last thing man should think
about and the mixture of wisdom
and quaint humOr in the phrase had
impressed Mr.. Davis Even to Chris
tians, with the hope of an immortal
future for the soul, the idea of physical
annihilation-Of parting forever from
the tenement of flesh in which we have
had so many joys and sorrows-was
one full of awe, if not terror. What
it must be to the unbeliever, who en-
tertained absolute and total annihila-
ton as his prospect, ne could not con
ceive Never again to hear of wife or
children-to take the great leap into
black vacuity, with no hope Of meeting
in brighter and happier life the loved
ones gone before
He had more reasons than other
men, and now more than ever, to wish
for some prolongation of life, as also
to welcome death. His intolerable
sufferings and wretched state argued
for the grave as a place of rest. His
duties TO the cause he had represented,
and his family, made him long to be
continued on the footstool, in what
ever pain or misery, at least until by
the ordeal of a trial he could convince
the world he was not the monster his
enemies would make him appear, and
that no wilful departures from the hu-
manities of war had stained the escut-
cheon of his people. Errors, like all
other men, he had committed but
stretched now on bed from which he
might never rise, and looking with the
eyes of faith, which no walls could
bar, up to the throne of Divine mercy,
it was his comfort that no such crimes
as men laid to his charge reproached
him in the whispers of his conscience
They charge me with crime, Doc
tor, but God knows my innocence. |
Endorsed no measure that was not JUS
titled by the laws of war Failure is
all forms of guilt in one, to men who
occupied my position. Should / die,
repeat this for the sake of my people,
my dear wife, and poor darling chill
dren. Tell the world l only loved
America, and that in following my
State l was only carrying out doc
trines received from reverenced lips
in my early youth, and adopted by my
Judgment as the convictions of ripper |
years"
Mr.. Davis spoke with intense earnest
ness the solemnity of a dying man,
though not then, in my judgment. in
any immediate danger His words, as
quoted, were taken down on my return |
to quarters, and are here given for |
what each reader may think them |
worth. They certainly impressed me
as sincere, and as if-whether true or |
not, judged by the standard of law
the speaker uttered them in the good |
faith of religious man, who thought
Heath might very possibly be near, if
not imminent and certain.
September WAS called at daylight
~ Captain Titlow, officer of the dav,
% see State prisoner Davis, who ap-
)eared rapidly sinking, and was be-
ieved in a critical condition. The
on his thigh was much in
famed, his pulse Indicating extreme
)rostration of the vital forces. The
.rysipelas which had subsidized now re
and the febrile excitement
an very high. Prescribed such RENE
lies, constitutional and topical, as were
Indicated but always had much trOu-
he to persuade him to use the stimu-
ants SO urgently needed by his condi-
ION. Let me here say, however, that
n docility and strict adherence to
whatever regimen was prescribed, Mr..
Davis was the model patient of my
practice. He seemed to regard the
loctor as captain of the patients
health, and obeyed every direction.
However irksome, disagreeable or pain
ul, with military exactness.
Mr.. Davis renewed his complaints of
he vitiateA atmosphere of the case "A
nate, declaring it to be noxious and \ :
from the causes before no.
iced Mould gathered upon his shoes,
howing the dampness of the place;
nd no animal life could prosper in an
that generated these
yphomycetous fungi From the ris-
ng and falling of the tides in the loose
Oundation of the casemate, mephitic
ungi emanated, the spores of which.
eating in the air, were thrown of in
uch quantities, and with such inces-
ant repetitions of production, as to
thoroughly pervade the atmosphere.
nterino the LUNGS and blood u-;+b ,