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

under whssIsr in person. and continued WIN then
was fiustrs.sd By ~ the s'' vis.nc. ' Of q:
rebel sscorl Al Washington, Ca the rebel authorities
troops and thss they could not pass that poa. w.hous
nght They halted and for . short time acted with
iresolaton In regard 70 their future course; Tho
cavalry force which had remained true TO Davis
estimated at i've brigades and probably numbering
two thousand men now became mutinous and declined
paid OF in coin which had been brought that point in
wagons Lieutenant Yoeman lost sight OF Davis at this
time but dividing his party into three or esr dsaen-
msnts sought again TO obtain definite informson OF his
movements but for twenty four hours was unsuccess-
fui. Persevsng in his efforts became convinced that
DAVIS had relinQushed his idea OF gong Into Alabama,
aud would probably Try to reach the Gulf or South
Atlantic coast and escape By Couriers were sent
with this information to General Alexander and By him
duly transmitted to at Macon. The same conclusion
bad already been forced upon mo by infotmauon
derived from. various other source. and from
babls. With railroad communications through most
Of Northern Georgia, and division OF four thou
sand national cavalry operating about Atlanta -, ~
would have been next to Impossible for party OF ~
giaves however small to traverse that region by the
ordinary roads This must have been clear to the rebels
From those circumstances became convinced that DAVIS
would either dee disguise and unattended endeavor
work southwark into Florida With the vew or
interceptng him in this attempt directed the CROSSINGS
or Ocmulgse be watched with removed vigil
lance all the way from the neghborhood oil Ansns TO
Hawkinsvile, and on the evening OF Mayo directed
Bgader General Croxton 10 select the best In
his division and send It, under It's best oincer with
orders to march eastward via Jenersonyile, 70 Dupun
on Ocones river, with the greatest possible speed
scouting the country well to the norhward and leaving
deachments at the most cross roads, with n-
srlctions 20 keep sharp look out for all detachments
OF rebels By these it hoped that Davis line
OF march would be inerseced and his movements dis
covered In which event the commanding officer Was in
faSsss SnoS be oysrtssp ana captured General
CroIton selected for this purpose First Wisconsin cav
airy, commanded BY Leuteoant Colonel Henry Hamden
onicsr OF spirit experience and resolution
During that day and the next the conviction that Davis
would try to escape into Florida became so strong that
for General Minty commanding Second division,
and person directed him to select his best regiment
and order I, to march without delay the southeast
ward aong tho right bank OF the Ocmalgee river watch
ing all the crossings between Hawkinsve and the
mouth Of the Ohoopee river. In case OF dis
covering the trail Of the fugitves they were
till they should overtake and cadtura the party
OF whom they were in pursuit General Minty selected
for thus purpose bis own regiment the Fourth Michigan
cavalry. commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin
ID. Prcnard, excellent and dashing officer In the
meantime General Upton, At Augusta, had sent me
despatch advising me to oer reward OF 500 600 FOR
the capture OF Davis urging that the Secretary OF War
would approve my acton and that would induce even
the rebels making the capture Not caring,
however to assume the responsibility OF committing
the government In this way, authorized him TO issue
proclamation Offering reward Of $780, 900 to DO paid
OF such money might be found IN the possession
of Davis his party Ibis done and copies scat.
throughout the country early the 9th OF May
As soon rs II was known at Atlanta that Davis cav.
airy escort had dsbandsd General Alexander with Ave
hundred picked mon and horses Of his command,
crossed TO the right northern bank Of the Chattahoo
chez river, occupied all the fords west Of the Atlanta
and Chattanooga Railroad. watched the passes Of the
Altoona mountains and the crossings OF the Etowah
river and with various detacn OF his small
mand patroed all the main roads that region dav and
night until he received news OF DAVIS capture in an
otner quarter.
The nnal disposition Of my command may be described
as foiows:-Major General Upton, with parts of two
regiments occupied Augusta, aud kept vglant watch
the country In that vicinity, and Informed by
telegraph OF everything important which camo under
his observation General Wlnslow, with the larger part
OF that DIVISION occupied Atlanta and secuted the
try In all directions from that place. General Aexan
der with i've hundred picked mon, pa'roled the coun-
try north OF the Cnasanoochec. while attachments
cupied Griffin and JonesDoro cosey watching the cross
ngs Of the Ocmugee and scouting the country to the
ward Colonel Eg leston commanding the post OF
Atlanta, had sent . detachment 70 West Point to
watch the Alabama line In that quarter
General Croxton, with the body Of the First div-
sion ia the vicinity OF Macon, had sent de achment
under direction TO the mountain region Of Alabama,
marching by the way Of Carroiton to Taiadega, and
another through Northeastern G ,orga towards Nor
Carolina and engaged in watching the Ocmu-
gee from right OF the Fourth division Macon and
In scouting the country his front and General
Minty, commanding the second division was scouting
ngs OF the 0cmulgee and had small parties at all the
important points on the Southwestern Railroad and in
Western and South weatern Georgia. Detachnents OF
the Seventh Pennsylvania cavalry occupied Cuhbert,
Eafaua, Columbus and cambridge and kept vig,lant
watch over the lower Flint and Cnnttahooclee While
General McCook with q detachment OF his division ut
Albany aud 100 between there and Tailaha ssee,
Florida was scouting the country tho north and east
ward we also had rail Geographic communicat
from headquarters at Macon with Atlanta Au-
gusta, West Point, .iicdgevlle Albany and Eu-
faua BY inspecting the map herewith II VIII be
that my force OF nearly Is, 600 cavalry. we'll
mounted and vgilan were occupyiuga we'll dohned aud
almost continuous line from KINGSTON, Georgia TO ITALIA
hassee Florida with detachments and scouts well out
Ia all directions u tue front and rear From this will
be difficult to perceive how Davis and his party could
possibly have hoped TO escape
From the time they were reported at Charlotte till
thor na capture was kept informed OF thor general
movements and was enabled thereby TO dispose OF my
command
morally certain. As reported by General Winsow, ru .
mors came In from ali directions by carefully weigh.
ing them the truth became sufficiently manif est to
enable act with confidence Il 10 to be regretted
now however, that the hurry OF events precluded the
Of written orders In nearly every instance in.
strucions gwen verbally the division command
ers and by them In turn transmitted verbally their
given preserved In the records pertaining to
the cavalry corps, Military Division Of the Mississippi,
on file in the Adjuant Generals otfics.
In pursuance OF my instructions 10 General Croxton.
heretofore recited Lieutenant Colonel Henry Hamden,
with three officers and hundred and fifty or the
First Wisconsin cavalry left sacon. Ga, the evening
towards dublin the oconee river. Al Jsnersonvie
Colonel Hamden left officer and thirty men, with
orders to scout the country IN all directions for reliable
Information In regard to the ronte OF Davis fight
With the balance Of his command he continued the
march all night, and the next day about p. N.
reached Dublin. During tho night and day he had sent
out aud small parties all the sdo roads in the
hope OF nnd the trail OF the psrty for whom he
looking Nothing OF importance occurred until after he
that place expressed entire Ignorance and indifference in
regard to the movement OF Important rebels but were
unusually profuss their offers Of hospitality Colonel
Hamden This together with the conduct OF the col
ored servants excited his suspicious though no gained
valuable intelligence tlil about midnight, at which
time he was informed by negro man. who went to his
camp for that PURPOSE that Davis with his wife and
family had passed through Dublin that day going south
the river road. The negro reported that the
party IN question had eight wagons with them, and
that another party had gone southward ON
the other side Of the Ocones river. His inform alton
TO have been Of the explicit and crcumstan
tiai character He bad heard the lady called "MrA
Davis'' and gentleman spoken Of - President
Davis" and said that Mr. Davis had not crossed the
river 1t the regular ferry with the rest Of the party but
had gone about three miles lower down and crossed on
small fiat boat and rejonsd tho party with the wagons
near the outskirts OF the town. and that they had all
gone towards tho South together. The colcrsd man
reported Mr. Davis as mounted on fne bay horse, and
told his story crcumstantaily that Colonel Hamdcn
could not help believing It. The ferryman was called
up and examined but either through stupidity or de-
sign succeeded In Withholding whatever he knew In re-
gard TO the case. But view Of the facts already
elected after detailing Lieutenant Lane and sixty men
TO remain at Dublin and the country In all d.
recons, Colonel Hamden at early hour In the morn
tuu hnw f..s, snAsn