The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1877-09-26
The FaIsehOPd in Reference 10
the Capture of President
Davis Corrected by Hon.
y. m. Regain. "A VIem-
Der of His Cabinet.

non Johh H. ReSdn IN the Phll1deiphla
Weekly Times-l
| There Is a statement in General VII
son s letter which is important only as
showing how the most minute facts can
| be mls-stated, where the error can by any
means cast discredit on Mr.. Davis He
states In substance that the ferryman
where we crossed the Ocmulgee river had
told Colonel Harnden that we had crossed
the river about l o'clock in the morning.
This, it may have been supposed, would
produce the belief that we were IN pre-
cipitate fight. Now, the truth is, we
reached that river just at dusk, and
crossed it before it was fully dark, and
that Mr.. Davis had made his regular
rides since leaving Washington, GA, in
the day and rested at night, with the
single exception of having rode across the .
country north Of the Ocmulgee river
part of one night to reach and protect |
his family, whom he had not seen for
several weeks, against threatened evil.
There is one statement made by General
Wilson which is so gross a perversion OF
the truth that [ must quote 1t at length ,
and state what did occur. He says
Shortly after the recognition of Mr. /
Davis by his captors, CJlonels Pritchard
and Harnden rode up to where the group
were standing. Davis recognizing them
| as officers, asked which of them was IN
command. As these officers were lieu
tenant colonies of different regiments,
belonging to different brigades Of differ
5 ent divisions, and had therefore probably
: never before met, except casually, much
, less compared dates of commissions, they
were somewhat taken aback at the ques
a ton, and hesitated whatanswer to make.
d Whereupon Mr.. Davis upralded them
t with ignorance, reproached them with
t unchivalrous conduct in hunting down
5 women and children, and finally declare
e with the air and manners of a bravo that
they could not have caught him buttOr his
desire to protect his women and children
V GLOW would you have prevented 1t, Mr..
k Davis?" said Colonel Pritchard. ''Why,
, sir, could have foughtyou or eluded you
d ''As for fighting uswe came prepared tor
a that" replied the colonel, "itwould have
saved US some trouble, and doubtless
l, you a good deal; but as for eludlng us,
st | don't think your garb is very we'll adapt
re ed to rapid locomotion." In relation to
ly this statement wish to say, with whatever
r of emphasis | can give my words that was
lis present at the time Mr. Davis and Colonel
re Pritchard recognized each other, as was
also Governor Lubbock, and that there
us IS not one truth stated in this ocbOle para
k graph. Colonel Pritchard did not come
ay up for some time after Mr.. Davis was
ev made prisoner When he rode up there
ch was a crowd, chiefly of Federal soldiers
he. around Mr. Davis. He was standing anc
a dressed in the suit he habitually wore
IN He turned toward Colonel Pritchard anC
TX asked "Who commands these troops !?
of Colonel Pritchard replied without hest
air tation that he did. Mr.. Davis said t.
a him: You command set of thleve
or and robbers. They rob women and chill
ed dren." Colonel Pritchard then said
HIS q Mr.. Davis, you should remember tina
a you are a prisoner" And Mr.. Davl
ted replied: " | am fully conscious of thai
the 1t would be bad enough to be tn
en- prisoner of soldiers and gentlemen.
am still lawful game, and would rathe
ely be dead than be your prisoner" L haV
de- often since thought and spoken of tn
uld scene and cOlloquy. l cannot have TO
hat gotten the substance of it. L think
repeat very nearly or quite the wore
an used. Not one word was said by NJ
by Davis about fighting or eludIng our pu
bile suers. Not one word was said by &c
saw Pritchard about saving any trouble. N
one WOru WAS Sdlu ABOUT MI laws S"A
for there was nothing in his dress or a
;1h. pearAnce to call for such remark. n
one word was said by Mr.. Davis abo
go. projecting his women and children
Ci"' He only pointed to the fact that thu
W. we've being robbed. | doubt if Colon
8 al Harnden had then reached where we wer
Ioh' but of this | do not profess to know
only know that a few moments befo
I ms his men were fighting Colonel Pritchard
VIE on the north side of the creek, near viii
ne &c we had camped, and that few or none
" the men from the other side of the ere
.. pe had then reached US. And 1 do L
l.'ie think General Wilson can have had
'ion authority of Colonel Pritchard for Il
l" ii statement, for he knows the facts as tn
ii1S are, and | cannot think would falls
,no them in this way.
as THE ORIGIN OF THE STORY.
&c Was this miserable falsehood abe
IIow Colonel Pritchard saying to Mr.. DAY
, ON " 1 don't think your garb is very "
o,n. adapted to rapid lOcomotion," inteno
~ to form another link in the chain of e
- dence to show that when captured \
bor Davis was disguised as woman? j
AANh L. xvh n =,