Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1877-08-03
Jeff. Davis Disguise.

The friends of Davis, Immediately
after his capture became known, strenu-
ously denied that he was disguised as
woman, and many good people, particu-
larly those of rebel proclivities, looked
upon this denial as settling the question
for good and all. 1t is therefore neces-
sary to detail the proof upon which this
story rests, as we'll as to specify the ex-
act articles of woman's apparel which
constituted the disguise. 1t is stated by
Lieut.. Dickinson, in writing, that the
rebel Chieftain was one of three per-
sons dressed in woman's attire" and
that he had "a black mantle wrapped
about his head, through the top of which
could be seen locks of his hair" Capt.
G. w. LawtOn, Fourth Michigan Cav
airy, who published an account of the
capture in the atlantic Monthly for Sep
tember, 1896, asserts explicitly, upon the
testimony of the officers present, that
Davis, in addition to his full suit of Con-
federate gray,~had on d" lady's water
proof Cloak, gathered at the waist, with
a shawl drawn over the head, and carry
ing a tin-pail" Col. Pritchard says in
his official report that he received from
Mrs. Davis, on board the steamer Clyde,
off Fortress Monroe, ga waterproof
cloak or robe" of dark or almost black
waterproof stuffwhich was worn by Davis
as disguise, and which was identified by
the men,who saw it on him at the time of
the capture. He secured the "other partn
of the disguise next day. 1t consisted
of a small black shawl, with red border
four or five inches deep, which was
identified in similar manner by Mrs.
Davis and the soldiers.
A convincing circumstance in this con-
ncctiOn should be mentioned. Col.
Pritchard, in looking over the wrappings
on board the steamer for the shawl in
question, picked out one like it, but not
the identical one, when little jeff, a
bright boy of seven or eight years, with
the artlessness of childhood said: THAT
isn't the shawl that my papa had on
when captured; this is the one" picking
up another. Various partisans and
friends of Davis still persist in denying
that he was captured in the disguise of 0
woman, but in their efforts to explain
away the story they have confirmed it in
all its essential parts. Col. Harrison, Of
his staff, inanewspaper article published
shortly after the capture, admits that
Mrs. Davis had thrown over him a
dressing. gown" Mr.. Pollard, speak
ing of the capture, makes the following
explanation:
I" He Davis was aroused in the early
gray of the morning by a faithful negro
servant, who had been awakened by the
sound of firing in the woods. The Pres
ident had not laid off his clothes, and in
a moment he had issued from the tent
where he had been sleeping. The woods
were filed with mounted troops, Hide
fined in the mist of the breaking morn
ing, and, noticing that they were deploy-
ing, as if to surround the camp, he quick
ly imagined their character and design,
and returned within the tent, either to
alarm Mrs. Davis or then to submit de-
Gently to capture. She besought him to
escape, and, urging him to an opening in
the tent, threw over his shoulders a
shawl he had been accustomed to wear. +"
Between the two explanations given
above nearly all of the truth has been
told, for Davis certainly had on both the
shawl and water proof, the former folded
triangularly and pulled down over his
hat, the latter buttoned down in front
and covering his entire person except the
feet. In addition to this he carried a
small tin pail, and was accompanied by
his wife and his wife's sister, one on each
side, both of them claiming him as a fe-
male relative, and both trying to impose
him upon the soldiers as such. The arti-
cles of the disguise are now in the keep
ing of the Adjutant-Ge of the army
at Washington, and am assured by him
that they correspond in all respects to
the description given of them. From
the foregoing it will be seen that Davis
did not actually have on crinoline or pet
ticoats, but there is no doubt, however,
that he sought 70 avoid capture by as
suming the dress of woman, OF that the
ladies of the party endeavored 10 pass
him off upon his captOrs as one of them
selves.-Gea. j. IL. Wilson, in PhiLa'
delphia Weekly Times.