Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-06-07
The Jefferson Davis Capture-His Ac.
count OF It.

the Rise and Fall of the Confederate
Government" gives the following &C
count of his own capture:
"After a short time was hailed by 8
voice which / recognized as that of my
private secretary, who informed me tina
the ,marauders had been hanging q
round the camp, and that he and 9th
ers we're on post around it, and were ex'
pecting an assault as Boon as the moon
went down. A silly story had got g.
broad that it was treasure train, and
asssa s0crn flames had:probably instigat'
ed these marauders, as it subsequently,
stimulated Gen. ]. III. Wilson to send
out large force to capture the same
train. For the protection of my family
travelled with them two or three days,
when, believing that they had passed
out of the region of marauders, deter
mined to leave their encampment al
nightfall to execute my original pur-
pose. My horse and those of my party
proper were saddled preparatory to q
start, when one of my staff, who had
ridden into neighboring village, re-
turned and told me that he had heard
that marauding party intended to at
tack the camp that night. This decid-
ed me to wait long enough to see wheth-
er there was any truth in the rumOr,
which supposed would be ascertained
in a few hours. My horse memained
saddled and my pistols in the holsters,
and l lay down, fully dressed, to rest
Nothing occurred to rouse me until just
before dawn, when my coachman, q
free c0lored man, who faithfully chung
to our fortunes. came and told me there
was firing over the branch, just behind
our encampment. stepped out of my
wife's tent and saw some h0rsemen,
whom I Immediately recognized as
cavalry, deploying around the encamp
ment. turned back and told my wife
these were not the expected marauders,
but regular troopers. She implored me
TO leave her at once. hesitated, from
unwillingness to do so, and lost few
precious moments before yielding to her
Importantly. My horse and arms were
near the road on which I expected to
leave, and down which the cav airy APP
preached it WIS, Therefore, impractica-
BILE to reach them.
I was compelled to start in the opp0-
site direction. AS it was quite dark in
the tent l picked up what was supposed
to be my raglan waterproof light
overcoat, without sleeves; it was sub
quently found to be my wife's, so very
like my own as to be mistaken for it as
I started my wife thoughtfully threw
over my head and shoulders shawl. I
had gone fifteen or twenty yards when
trooper galloped ap and ordered me to
halt and surrender, to which gave
defiant answer, and dropping the shawl
and raglan from my shoulders, advanced
hin, To Iouolod hio rhi OF
me. but I expected, if he fired, he wonld
miss me, and my intention was, in
that event, to put my hand under his
foot, tumble him off on the other side,
spring into his saddle and attempt to
escape. My wife, who had been watch
ing, when she saw the soldier aim his
carbine at me, ran forward and threw
her arms around me. Success de- ended
on instantaneous action, and recogniz-
ing that the opportunity had been lost,
1 turned back, and, the morning being
damp and chilly, passed on to fire be-
yond the tent. Our pursuers had taken
different roads and approached our camp
from opposite directions. They en-
each other and commenced
firing, both supposing they bad met our
armed escort, and some casualties re |
suited from their conflict with an imag |
mary body of Confederate troops. Dur
ing the confusion, while attention was
upon myself, except by
thoss who were engaged in pillage, one
Of my al es, Col. J. Taylor Wood, with
Lieut. Barnwell, walked eff unobserved,
His daring exploits on the sea had made
him on the part of the Federal govern
ment an object of special hostility, and
rendered it quite proper that he should
avail himself of every possible means of
escape. Col. Pritchard went over to
their battle-fi field, ami 1 did not see him
for long time, surely more than
An hour after my capture. He subse
with me, for the forbearancs shown by |
bis men in not shooting me when re
fused to surrender"