The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-11-05


ported they separated, Colonel hamdsn 10 reo,n ne
command. already an hour In ADVANCE ana
side or The Ocmulses Il viii Be- remsmbsrsd ~, Coa
mel PrtchArd had begun bis march from the vicinity Of
Macon on The evening Of May under verbal orders gwen
His particularly directed 70 the crossngso
the Ocmulges rver between Hawkinssls and Jacksoa-
vide the mouth Of ths ohoopes, with the object
ntercepng Davis and such rebel chiefs a. might
be making their out OF the country BY the
that region. He had not gone three miles be-
fore obtained such additional information regard 70
tue party convinced him that was his duty 10 Join
In the pursuit In this he was clearly right and had he
done otherwise would been censurable for negig-
ence and want Of enterprise Colonel Hamden having
informed him that he had force enough TO cope wnh
Davis Colonel Prtchard determined 10 march another
road leading TO Irwnsviils oy Giro uitous route
Why he did not send courier tho trail pursued BY
has not been explained. This would probably have
prevented the collision which afterwards occurred BE-
tween his regiment and that Of Colonel Hamden and
would rendered capture OF Davis less Ger
tain This is intended reflect upon the conduct Of
SIMPLY az Oversight s which might Oeourrsd 70
any confident and Jealous officer. In carrying cut
the plan which he had adopted Colonel Prtchsd
selected from his regiment seven officers sad
one hundred and twenty.eighs men. and At
four O'Clock began the pursuit, leaving
the balance OF his regiment under command Of
Captain Hathaway with orders TO picket the river and
scout the country In accordance with previous nsrio
tons The route pursued by Colonel Prcbard led
the river ncariy twelve miles TO point opposite VA
coxs mill. and thence southwest for q distance Of
eighteen miles, through pine forest TO Irwinsv1s
He reached this place A. n. Of the 10TH and by
representing his command rear guard OF Days'
party he succeeded IN learning from tho czens Ihse
the party he searching for had encamped that night
dusk about mile and half out the towards
Abbeviile. Having secured negro guide. ne turned
the head OF his column towards that place. and after
moving to within half mile Of the camp, halted and
d mounted twenty-five men under Lieutenant Purinton.
This party directed TO noselessy through the
woods the north side OF the camp for the purpose Of
gaming position in its and pres enng the possi-
they were directed TO begin the attack from wherever
they might be. while Colonel Prtchard would charge
upon the camp along the main road Lieutenant Parin-
ton having reached the point assigned him without
citing an ALARM the attack delayed till the inst
appearance Of dawn, at which time Colonel
co nsinusd hi hi. march p 70 within 0''0n' fs~
rods OF the camp undiscovered Having assured himself
and In q few moments had secured It's occupants and
effects, and placed guard OF mounted around the
camp dismounted senrles the tents and wagons
No resistance offered, because the enemy had
posted no sentres. and wcre therefore, taken COM
Almost simultaneously with the dash or Colonel
Pritchard and his detachment sharp firing began in the
direction OF Abbevie, and only short distance from
the camp. Tnis turned out 10 be engagement Boz
tween the party under Lieutenant Purnton and the do
tachment OF the First Wisconsin cavalry, which. y
seems, had followed the rebel trail the night before tin
II longer dstinguishabe in the dark, had gone
uo camp only two or three miles behind the party they
had been pursuing so long and had removed the pursuit
Both Colonel Pritchard and Colonel Hamden were in
formed that Davis had bsen reported as having with
him we'll armed body guard of picked mon
varously estimated at from ten to fifty. They
s eoen which ocsurs s
men OF both detschmcnts seemed inspired
by the greatest courage and determln nation. It was
several minutes before either party discovered they
lighting people instead Of the enemy In
this unfortunate affair two men Of the Fourth Michigan
killed aud officer wounded, while three men
OF the First Wisconsin severely and several
slightly wounded II is difficult, under the circumstances
as detailed to perceive this accident could have
been avoided. Colonel Hamden certainly had no
OF knowing and TO suspect that the party
whom he found in his front were any other taan the
plela IL lad
claims that he had cautioned Lieutenant Purinton par
tcuary to keep sharp look out for the FRS. Wscon-
sim which he know would approach from that direction
The hurry with which my command was subsequently
mustered out OF service and the absence Of the prn
cpal officers prevented investigation OF the details
or this affair aud the circumstances which led TO it ~
this late dav nothing be said OF them thaa
what 10 aincd in the c ial documents already sub
mitted, except that not the slightest blame in
tended to be cast by me upon Colonel Hamden as seems
70 nsvs oeen assumed oy INC commission convenea
prizs offered for the capture Of Davis
During tie firing Of the skirmish referred to the
Adiutant Of the Fourth Michigan, Lieutenant j. O.
Dickinson, after having looked the security OF the
rebel camp and sent forward number OF the who
whom his attention called by OF the .to
three persons dressed In female ATTIRE" who bad ap.
parenty just lett one OF the large tents by and
moving towards the thick woods He started ~
once toward them and called out "Halt," but, not
hearing him not caring obey, thoy continued to
move on. just then they confronted by three
men under direction Of Corporal Munger coming from
the opposite direction. Tue Corporal recognized OF
the persons Davis advanced carabne and demanded
his surrender. The three persons halted and by the
actions OF the two who afterwards turned out to he
women all doubt us TO the identity or the THIRD person
removed. The individuals arrested found
TO be Mss Howell, Mrs Davis and Jefferson DAVIS AZ
they walked back 10 the tent from which they had
tried 10 escape Lieutenant Dickinson observed thAs
Davis high top boots not covered by hts disguise
Munger
As tho friends OF Davis have strenuously de-
MED that he disguised q woman, il may
not be improper to specify the articles OF
womans apparel which he had upon HIM when first
| seen by Lieutenant Dickinson and Corporal Munger.
The former that he the three persons
dressed 10 woman's attire" and had "a black mantle
wrapped about bis head through the top - OF which
Fourth Michigan cavalry, who published account Of
the capture in the Aaaqis Monthly for September 1885,
states explicitly, upon the testimony OF the officers
present that Davis in addition his full OF Con-
lsderats gray bad on "a iady,s waterproof cloak.
gathered ~ the waist, with shawl drawn over the
head, and carrying tin pail
Colonel Prtchard in his official report that he
received from Mira Davis board the steamer Clyde
OF Fortress Monroe waterproof cloak robs'
which was worn by Davis as . disguise and which was
Identified oy the men who saw u on MN a. the limo o.
the capture He secured the balance OF the disguise
the next day II consisted OF SHAWL which was ideut-
fed In q similar manner BY both Mrs Davis and tho
doubt whatever that Davis sought avoid capture By
assuming the dress OF woman, that the ladies' Of
the endeavored TO pass him on upon his csptors -
In addition Davis and his family Colonel Prichards
detachment captured nj the time John II. Reagan,
rebel Postmaster General Colonel b. N Harrison pm
vate secretary, Colonies Lubbock and johnson aidos-
de-camp inferior officers
vats soldiers, besides hiss Howell, two waiting MAIDS
and several coored servants
As soon a. breakfast could be prepared Colonel
PrIchard, preceded by Colonel Hamden, began hs
march, with prisoners and wagons for Macon about
one hundred and twenty miles to the northwes OF Ir-
winsvlle The day he mot q courier with copies
Of the Presidents proclamation offering . reward Of
500 900 for the capture OF DavA This prociamation
had been received and promulgated by no 9th,
and hence the officers In pursuit OF Davis IN
way inspired BY the promise which It contained They
performed their part from higher Of duty and
100 much praise cannot be awarded Colonies Piichard
and Hamden and the officers and men OF thdr reg-
ments who participated 10 The pursuit CoonelPritch-
ard arrived 1t Macon the afternoon OF the Bib and
reported at once with HIS prisoners u corps badqusF
terS. Arrangements had been already made, uder
structions from the Secretary OF War; for orvardng
Davis to the North, via Atlanta Augusta and5avan-
main Colonel Pritcnard with detachment OF ns regi-
ment, directed to deliver his prisoner safely the
custody Of the Secretary OF War Il PLACED biz
charge the person OF Clement c. Clay Jr for whose
rest reward had also been offered by the Pssidenk