Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1878-03-14
(Cor. New York Herald. J

Innumerable stories of the flight and
capture of Jefferson Davis have been
published both North and South BY
writers in both sections. Until now.
however, Jefferson Davis own account
has never heen in print. The South
ern Historical Society Papers in its
March issue, will contain full mar
rative Of that memorable affair, writ
ten by Major w. T. Walthall, the
privat secretary of Mr.. Davis. 1t is
known here that the article was got
ten up under the eye of Mr.. Da' is,
and under his special supervision,
and tits therefore regarded as Davis
/ own account ofh his fight and capture.
The writer says:
On the evening of the second day
(Which was the 9Th of May) prepara-
tions were made for departure lmme-
diately after nightfall, when Col. w.
I. Johnston returned from neigh
boring village with the report that q
bandDf $50 men were 10 attack the
camp that night
Meantime his horse (Davis), al
ready saddleG, with bis holsters and
blankets in place, was in charge OF
his body servant, and he limshlf was
lying clothed, booted and even spur.
red, when a little after daybreak, the
! alarm was given That the camp was
attacked. Springing to his feet and
stepping out of his tent he saw NJ
once, from the manner in which the
ASSISTANTS were '!eploying around the
camp, that they were irained soldiers
| and not irregular bandiiti, and re-
turning he So informed Mr. Davis.
As we have said, the President was
already fully dressed. He hastily
tool; leave Of his wife, who threw
over his shoulders IA waterproof cloak
Or wrapper. either as a protection
/ troGi thG dampness al the early morn
my, IN the hope that il might serve
az partial disguise, OF perhaps with
woman's , ready and rapid thouehtfu full
ness of lis possible use for both these
purposes. Mrs. Davis also directed
n female servant. who WIS present, to
! take an empty ihtt1nt o.s.l .....,e--s a. ,,,,
RI, CrrOn oi III" aptihg, MS
| horse On shc other side at the camp,
being cat of E:on, }ccess by the inter
| position Of tue s= alants,
! He had advanced only few steps
| from the door Of the tent when he WAS
challenged by Il mounted soldier, who
presented lis carbIne aud ordered
| him To surrender The answer
was Il never surrender to u band OF
thieves" Ahe carbine was still pre-
sentl,i. tut the man refrained from
firing it is but fair to presume from
an unwillingness to kill his adversary
while the President continued to
advance. This vas not from desper-
alton Of fooiharly recllessness, but
of deliberate purpose.
Observing that the man, who was IT,
nelly mounted, was SO near As to hc
considerably above him, he had little
apprehension Of being hit, and be-
lieved hy taking advantage of the ex-
citemcnt Of he shot, he might easily
tip him from the saddle and get pos
session Of his horse. The feasibility
of this design was not to be tested,
however. for at this moment Mrs. Da-
Wis, seeing only his danger, and ami
mated by characteristic and heroic
determination to share it, ran forward
and threw her arms around his neck,
with some impdssloned exclamation,
which probably none of the parties
present would he able TO at cor
rectly. The only hope Of escape had
depended upon bringing the matter
to an inmediate issue, and seeing
that this was now lost, the President
simply said, Gods will be done, >
as he quietly turned hack and seated
himself upon Fallen tree, near which
a camp fire was burning.
A letter written by Col. William
Preston johnson, late aide to MIR.
DAVIS, 10 the writer of the article,
Major Walthall, contains this state
ment
LEXINGTON, Va, July Ii, 1877,
Mai. w. I. WaIthalt, Mobile, Ala:
My DEAR SIR Your letter has
Just come to hand, and | reply at
once. Wilson's monograph is writ
ten with very strong aninus, not to
say virus. 1t is IN no sense historic
al. IL bears upon lis face all the
marks of special pleading. He states
as matters of fact numberless circum-
stances which could not he OF his
own knowledge, aud which he must
have picked mp as rumor or mere aos-
sip. Single errors OF tins sort are
blemishes; but when they are group
ed and used as fact and argument
( they become, what you truly cali
them, .scalumny.
For instance, Mrs. Davis is repre-
sented as leaving Richmond with the
President. My recollection is that
she left some weeks befor hand.
Breckenridge left On horseback and
went to Gen. Lee, rejoining MIR. Da-
Wis at Danville. l do not doubt that
all the account OF the preparations
| for flight is purely fictitious. His