The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1881-12-29
The Davis.Johnson Story

WASHINGTON, Dec922.-The Western
Associated Press correspondent to-day
questioned Representative Reagan, OF
Texas, about the Joe Johnston and JEFF
Davis affair, in which it is alles ed that
Johnston charged Davis with making
off, at the end of the rebellion, with the
coin reserve of the collapsed confedera-
cy. Reagan was postmaster general OF
the confederacy, and was also its last
secretary of the treasury. After the
evacuation of Richmond, and after Da-
Wis and his cabinet had left Charlotte, N.
C., Trenholm, secretary of the treasury,
became so i'll that he had to resign and
leave. Davis Immediately appointed
Reagan as Trenholm's successor. Rea-
gan says: THE charge, if it was really
made against Davis, is absurd and IN.
founded. For the last several years OF
its existence, the confederate states did
not have at any time as much as two
and. one-half millions of coin in this
country. All the coin we got was in ex,
change for cotton, ETC., was kept in Eu.
rope and drawn upon for sup.
plies at Washington, Georgia. When il
was ended the collapse had to come, the
money chests were opened and the major
part of the coin distributed pro rata
among the confederate troops there. be
lieve each man and officer got sixteen
dollars. That is what General Dibrel
SAYS, and he was there. The amount OIL
money there belonging to the confeder
ate states was about $50, 900 in gold coin
$35, 900 in silver coin and $50, 600 in sill
yer bullion, in the form of bricks.
don't know how much was paid out to
the soldiers, but Dibrell thinks it was
about 100000. hardly think that il
amounted to that much. The silver
bricks were put by the quartermaster il
an old warehouse and were subsequent
ly found and taken by the United State:
know how much, was put in tht
hands of two naval officers, who
were directed to go to Nashua anC
reach Europe if possible. They failed
and were captured and the government
got the money. This is the manner il
which the coin of the confederacy went
Mr.. Davis got none of it."
Senator Williams, of Kentucky, WHIT
commanded q remnant of a division
of cavalry, and was at Washington
Georgia, with his men when Davis cab
met disbanded, corroborates Reagan
account, and says: 81 got sixteen dol
lars of the money, the same amoun
each private was allowed. The soldier,
knew the chests contained money, anC
one day they made raid on them, in
tending to take the money and divide it
made a speech to them, advising then
to let the money alone, and they respect
ed my advice. The money was hauled
away from Georgia in wagons, but aftel
a day or two brought back, and in my
presence divided among the soldiers
A CARD FROM JOHNSTON.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 22.-General JOS
eph E. johnson has printed the follow
ing card in regard to the late interview
with him about the appropriation Of
confederate gold by Jefferson Davis:
Editor Of the philadelphia Press:
DEAR SIR was greatly annoyed by
reading an article in your paper of the
18th inst, headed General Johnston's
Narrative" and signed "F. A. B." Thi:
article Is evidently based on a converse
ton which did not take to be an inter
view. In that conversation, therefore, &
good deal was said which nothing could
induce me to say for publication, notably
what relates to confederate treasures a
Greensboro. Besides, this narrative i!
inaccurate; so much so that l will no
undertake to correct it, and contains let
tiers which not only did not come from
me, but which have not been in my pos
session for years; so beg you to pub
lish this, to relieve me of the response
bility for the narration.
Most respectfully,
J. E. JOHNSTON.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. 90, 1881.