Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1875-06-08
ReminiscenSes Of the Latte Gen
erai Breckenridge.

w hen the news OF the evacuation oil
Richmond and the capitulation Of the
remnaut o. Lee army at APponattox
Court House reached Gen. Brecken-
ridges headquarters it was determ
iued in a council Of war, at which
Gen. Joseph f Johnston presided,
that any further resistance to the
overwhelming forces Of the Federal
armies would be a useless efTusi0n of
blood On the part Of the Confederates,
who were already circumycnted by
the enemy and suffering far food. It
was at this period, about the middle
@? April, 1860. that General Brecken
ridge, after a perilous ride Of over a
thousand miles on horseback, evading
the era!cavalry in his fight through
North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama
and Florida, at last succeeded in
reaching the mouth Of the st. Johns
river, where he was joined BY Colonel
Wilson, Of the Florida Cavalry, ].
fayI Wood, ex-Cnmmaudar of the
Confederate privatcer, Tallahassee,
AID Captain 0'Too!e, all If whom,
together with his body servant, 2 ne>
gro boy. volunteered to accompany
MIN to Cuba. Securing . small boat
Of only oae ton burthen, aud bat
eighteen feet in length--the only
means Of transportation a. their COM
mand-these voluntary exiles brave
| " launched their little craft on the
treachcrons waters of the Gulf Of
| Mexico. After eight days of adven-
ture and alternate calm and storm,
during which their supply Of water
aud provisions gave OUT, they we're at
length hailed off Salt Key, on the
Northwest coast Of Cuba, by a brig
bound from CardcnaS to New York.
! Passing themselves off as fishermen
from Florida, they procured some
supplies and proceeded on their way
and on the lIth of'June, 1865. the
party reached the port of Cardenas,
in the island Of Cuba, without a
nautical instrument 10 guide them
over the jrackiesS waters III that fraIl
fishing boat. The party was Hospitality
received By the Spanish Governor OF
the place (Col. BardajI, to whom
| General Breckenridge presented his
sword and the arms Of the party.
These were immediately returned ,
and the hospitaltIes Of the city ten
dered th;m. The party renamed two
days at Cardenas. during which din
ner and serenade were given to Gen
eraI 3. by few American sympa-
thizers residing at the place. \
| special train VAS placed at their
disposal, and accompanied by the
writer AID guard Of honor deputized
by the Governor, the party proceeded
to Havana.
When the train reached Regla, on
the opposite side Of the bay, a large
number of people were at the depot,
anxious to catch a glimpse Of the
famous general Coyelerado The
ferry boat that took Us across Che bay
was never known to carry 50 many
passengers as she did On that occa-
SIGN. The tall, soldieriy figure Of
General b, clad in bis battle-wOrn
uniform of grey, lowered above the
crowd as he stood on The bow Of the
boat gazing at the magnificent
f spectacle presented by the thousands
of ships Of all natonalities, amonl
which we're the Confederate ram
; Stonewall. and ether smaller craft.
still floating the stars and bars. y
, wealthy Cuban planter, an acquain
tace Of the writer, extended a mos
cordial invitation to the General Il
make his headquarters with him whilt
+ in Havana. Many other pressing
/ invitations of similar character were
] extended, but General y. courteOusl
! declined TO accept any demonstrations
, either publicly or privately. Aftel
stopping about a wee9, at the lIote
: Cuvauo. he proceeded to Montreal to
= visit two Of his children, who were
at school there. From there he wen
/, to Europe, and returned 10 Kentucky
in 1867, where he lived quitely anc
unostentatioLsly until death closed
his honorable -areer On the 17th o