The Saline County journal., 1880-03-04
JEFF. DAVIS.
Who Captured HE Horse and Stole His
Money.

JEFF. DAVIS.
Who Captured HE Horse and Stole HI,
Money.
From the Detroit Free Press.
The fact that man who was one
Of the first to enlist in the Confederate
service, and who was for years IN ar
dent admirer of Jefferson Davis, not
only assisted in the capture Of the fii-
gifive President, but gobbled his horse
and stole his money, can be substantl-
ated by at least half a dozen residents
OF Detroit, who were members Of the
4th Michigan Cavalry. In the last
year OF the war James Lynde, a pri-
vate soldier in n Virginia regiment,
and stationed at Petersburg, deserted
10 the Union side. and after time en-
listed in the 4th Cavalry. He was an
Intelligent. active man, but deter
mined f0rager. The fact that he was
SOntherner and had fought for the
Southern cause did not interfere with
his robbing Southern people whenever
ne hal an opportunity. Ii was more
than his Captain could do to keep him
with his company more than three
days ont of the week, and he was new.
er known 10 draw saber in a fight. To
sum him up. Lynde had the reputa-
tion Of hummer and q shirk, but he
managed, as did hundreds Of Others,
to pull through some way and escape
punishment.
The 4th Cavalry were at Macon
when Davis fed from Richmond, and
II was the first regiment out i'm pursuit
Alter march Of two days the regi-
ment was divided into three dctach.
ments, two Of which held and guarded
river fOrds and the third pushed on
toward Irwinsville. No one had cer-
tain Information, and the chances OF
intereepting the fugitive were as good
with one as another.
The detachment which pushed OH
got its first information from n negro,
who had met the fugitivcs, but had no
idea who they were. Following up
the trail, il was pushed until the party
were found in camp. The hour was
late, but when it was ascertained that
n Wisconsin regiment was encamped
near by no time was lost in moving
for the capture. The Wisconsin men
had Numbered upon the Presidential
camp. having made no hunt aud fol-
lowed no trail. They had gone into
camp for the night, nos intending To
make move before daylight. As the
Michiganders advanced par: Of them
ran foul of the badgers, and "A sharp
skirmish took place, each losing a man
killed and wounded before the mis-
take was discovered. The balance Of
the 4;h cavalry swept forward into
Davis camp, and one of the first was
Lynde. Guided by chance of his
''gobblins" instinct, he halted before
the Presidents camp. Davis horse
was standing there, saddled and bri-
died, and Lynde dismounted from his
own steed, mounted the other and rode
directly into the woods When he ne
turned after an absence of quarter Of
an hour, Davis vas at his tent door,
and he pointed his finger nj Lynde
and called out :
Young man, that is my horse you
are riding!"
Lynde replied with an epI,het and a
curse, and was at once placed under
arrest by the officer in comnand. The
revolvers Were removed from the ho!-
sters Of the saddle, and Lynde was al
lowed to ride the horse hack to Macon.
He stated more than once that he
would kill the horse if not allowed tn
keep him. AT Mason ne found that
the animal would be- taken from him
and he made good his threat He took
q sudden fancy one morning TO clean
his rusty carbine, and while SO doing
he walked down 10 the feed-line where
the captured horse was munching his
allowance of hay. Lynde hung around
for time, and rs he started TO 90 he
threw his rarbine over his shoulder
A fash and report followed, and the
horse fell dead in its tracks, shot
dead through the heart. Lynde
claimed that ii was an accident, and il
had to go at that.
Why did Lynde ride iptO the woods
when he captured the horse? What
other reason did he have but TO 'plan:"
the gold found packed OH the saddle
for a flight. There was an interval
of ten minutes between the firing and
the appearance of the Michigan troop
ers. This time was occupied hy the
Davis party iR making ready for
flight, and, of course, they did not for
get the money. Lynde would answer
no question about ii. He had q '.-oft
thing" and he would moi divide.
When the regiment was mustered out
at Nashville he disappeared. Six
mOaths later he turned up in Detroit
with thousands Of dollars in his po--
session. He left here for Europe, was
gone nearly year. and when he re-
turned he was still flush with green
backs of the highest denomination.
The division Of the reward money
was q shame-faced fraud on Michigan
men. The detachment left at the ford
were counted out entirely, although
assisting. to guard and convey the
prisoners back to Macon, and, liz fact
constituting the guard which turned
Davis and his officers over To the Pro-
vOst Marshal. An Ohio regiment was
encamped four miles away when the
capture was made, and none of the
Wisconsin men were nearer than half
a mile. yet Congress divided the re-
ward between the three regiments,
and also permitted several scouts. who
We're fifteen miles away that night, 10
come in for shares. lfthe money had
been fairly divided, the ith Michigan
would have received every dollar OF IT,