Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1879-11-20
JEFF DAVlS's CAPTURE.
A Conductor Tells Of the Part he Took
In IL.
Pittsburgh Chronicle.]


r. Lane, an OLD United States soldier, is
the conductor OF car No. II, Pits burgh and
Alleghaly railway. lie served his country
tour years and ten months, and has three
honorable discharges. lu TACT he has more.
| He will carry with him to the last day the
remembrance Of numerous incidents Of That
| terrible strife, chief among which is the meet
| ing and capture III petticOats, under the most
| try ing circumstances, OF jeff Davis, The
President Ut the ContedeIacy. Mr.. Lane is
about thirty years OF age, married and has u
family residing on Pennsylvania avenue,
AIleg hany. He has been in the employ of
the railway company nearly two years.
| This morning the writer introduced him.
| self to Mr.. LaLe, and mentioned the subj ct
| OF Mr.. Davs's capture. The following 1acls
! were related by the gentleman: He was a
member of Company M Seventh Pennsyl-
vania Cavalry, commanded by Colonel Prit-
| chard, which, with the Fourth Michigan
! Cavalry, WAS ordered to proceed after and
capture jeff Davis and his party The
| Michigan Cavalry went on the trail directly,
! while the Seventh Pennsylvania Cavalry
went round about. A report reached Col.
Prnchard while on the march, that Davis
! would cross the river at the forks OF the road
early on the morning of certain day. The
Seventh Sc, out to head him off, and arrived
near the road about o'clock, when the
morning light was just appearing. Back of
| The road they noticed camp, aud almost in
stantly v0lley OF guns rung out on the still
air from the camp. Thinking they had sur
pIised Davis and his men, the Seventh re-
turned the fire, brisk skirmish followed, and
the scene was intensely exciting.
Suddenly the soldiers noticed a rather
youngsh woman leading an apparently old
woman, while several children and one or
two other persons followed. The women
asked the guard of the Fourth Michigan
camp if she could take the old woman to the
spripg-house for 3 drink, and was answered
in the affirmative. The supposed old woman
wore an old sun-bonnet and dressing-gown,
the latter looped together in front. Day was
dawning, the light was clearer, and on the
way to the spriDg-house the old lady slipped,
the front of the dress, which was not looped
all the way down, was blown open: display
ing pair of long cavalry boots. The guard
saw the boots, leveled his gun and cried,
'Davis, haiti" He did so, and tearing open
his dress Davis said, ''Shoot me; kill me-"
In the meantime the firing had been going on
without interruption, and fully thirty saddles
had been emptied of brave soldiers by the
unfortunate mistake Of the commanders in
their hasty firing.
Davis tnrning to the guard and Lane, said
.Your men are killing each other, stop the
firing have no soldiers with me-only
the persons you see here" Lane placed his
hand on the shoulder of Davis and said:
''You shall not be harmed. There is no one
here who will hurt you" In little while
the firing ceased. and there was great sorrow
over the loss of the brave companies of the
two Union regiments, by the unfortunate
meeting in the dark, but considerable joy at
the unexpected capture. Mr.. Lane was as
signed to accompany Davis to Murfreeboro,
and sat beside and chatted with him all the
way there. He is positive as to the dress of
the Confederate chief. AS the writer was
about to leave Mr.. Lane, he said: 1--WE made
one mistake that morning. When Davis
barred his breast we should have shot him."