The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-06-06

horse remained saddlsd and my pistols in
the holsters, and | lay down, until Just
before dawn, when my Coachman, q free
colored man, who faithfully chung TO cur
fortunes, came and told me there was fr-
ing v Q the branch, Just behind our en-
campment. | stepped out OF my wite's
tent and saw come hoEsemen, whom l i'm
mediately recognized a9 cavalry deploying
around the encampment. turned back
and told my vile these were not the eX'
peCtsd mRrauders, but regular troopers.
She impl0red me TO leave her at once, l
hesitated, from unwilltngness to do 80, and
lost atew precious moments before yield.
ing TO her importantly. My horse and
arms were near the road on which l
expected to leave, and down which
the cavalry approached; 1t was, therefore,
impossible 10 reach them. l was COM
PEELED to start in the opposite direction.
As 1t was quite dark in the tent, l picked
up what was supposed TO be my "rsg-
lama waterproof, light ovsTCoat, with.
out sleeves, 1t was subsequently found to
be my wiEe's, so very like my own as 10
be mistaken for II; az l started, my wife
thoughtiully threw over my head and
shoulders a shawl. l had gone perhaps
fifteen or twenty yards when Q trooper
galloped up and ordered me to halt and
surrender, TO which | gave . defiant an
swer; and, dropping the shawl and raglan
from my shoulders, advanced towards
him, He levelled his Carbine at me, hut
l expected II he fred he would miss me,
and l expected in that event to put my
hand under his foot, tumble him of on the
other side, spring into his saddle and at
tempt TO escape. My wife, who had bean
watching when the soldier raised his car
bine at me, ran forward and threw her
arms about me. SuCCCGl depended on in
stantansous action, and, recognizing that
the opportunity had been lost, | turned
back and the morning being damp and
chilly, passed to q IRE beyond the tent.
Our pursuers had taken different roads,
and approached u camp from opposite
directions; they encountered each other
and commenced firing, both supposlng
they had met our armed escort, and come
casualties resulted from their conflict with
AM imaginary body Of Confederate troops,
During the confusion, while attention WsS
concentrated upon myself, except by
those who'were engaged in pillage,. one Of
my aides, Colonel j, Taylor Wood, with
Lieutenant Barnwell, walked of unob'
served. His daring exploits on the sea
had made him on the part Of the Federal
government an object oil special hostility,
and rendered it quite proper that he should
avail himself OF every possible means oil
escape, Colonel PrltChard went over to
their battlefield, and | did not see him Tor
a long time, surely more than an hour al.
ter my capture. He subsequently claimed
credit, in q conversation with me, for the
~forbearGnce shown by his men in not
shooting me when l refused 10 surrender,
Wilson and others have uttered many
ialsehoods in regard to my capture, which
have been exposed in publications by per.
sous there PRESENTLY Secretary Reagan,
by the members Of my personal staff, and
by the colored coachman,, Jim Jones,
which must have been convincing to all
those who were not given over to believe
q lie. For this reason | will postpone to
some other time and more appropriate
place any further notice Of the story and
tts y~ariations-all the spawn Of q maligni.
ty that shsmes the civilization Of the age,
| We were, when prisoners, subjected to
petty pillsge.
LINCoLN's ASSASSINATION.
On the subject Of the assassination oil
Mr.. Lincoln Mr.. Davis writes:
We arrived At Charlotte on April II,
1866, and | there received, at the moment
OF dismounting, a telegram from General
Breckenridge announcing, on Informs
ton received from General Sherman, that
President Lincoln had been assassinated,
An influential citizen Of the town, who
had come TO welcome me, was standing
near me, and, after remarking to him In q
low voice that | had received sad intelli.
genCe, l handed the telegram TO him.
Some troopers enCamped In the vicinity
had collected to see me they called to the
gentleman who had the dispatch In his
nand to read 1t, no doubt Bupposing II 10
be- army news. He complied with their
request, and q few, only taking In the fact,
bul not approaching the evil II %portended,
| Cheered, 40 was natural, at news OF the
fall OF one they considered their most pow.
eriul foe. The man who invented the
story Of my having read the diepatch with
exuItatlon had free scope Of his imagina.
ton, as he was not present, and had no
chance 10 know whereof he bore witness,
sven II there had been any foundation Of
Truth for his fiction.
For an enemy 80 relentless In the war
for our %subjugation we could not be ex'
peCted 10 mourn; yet, In view oil its politi.
cal consequences, 1t could not be regarded
otherwise than q great misfortune to the
South. He had power over the Northern
people and was without personal m~alignity
towards the people OF the South. His sue
CeBBor was without power In the North
and the embodiment Of malignity toward
the Southern people, perhaps the more &c
because he had betrayed and deserted
them in the hour Of their need.
General Sherman, In his "Memoirs'
(vol. H., page 34O), referring 10 a Conver'
sation between himself and General John.
ston at their first meeting, writes:
~ told him l could not believe that he
or General Lee, or the officers OF the Con.
iederate army, could possibly be privy 10
acts Of assassination, but | would not say
as mrCh for JEFF davis, George Saunders
and men Of his stripe"
On this | have but two remarks TO make
First, that l think there were lew officers
In the Confederate army who would have
permitted such a "Blanderous imputRtiOn
10 be made by q public enemy against the
chief executive Of their government; sec.
und, that l could not value the good opip.
ion Of tho one who, inregsrd to the burn.
Ing Of Columbia, mAde q false charge
against General Wade Hampton, and,
having left It 10 circulate freely for ten
years, then Ia his published memoirs
makes this disgraCeful admission
"1n my official report Of this conflagra.
lion l disLinctly charged II 10 General
| WnIn InmnInn and nnnfnna did az