National Republican., 1881-08-13
THE oApTuRE OF JEFF DAVIS,
The True story Told Once more by One
or the Participants.

The Chicago Times of Sunday prints q
communication reading as follows "on the 9th
day OF May, 1865, Colonel Pritchard, with the
Fourth Michigan Cavalry, parted with the First
Wisconsin Cavalry at the fork Of roads near Alb.
byville, Ga, about noon, and when some four
miles from thereh halted and made hurried prcpara.
tions for n forced march. Leaving oil baggage,
pack.mulos, disabled men, and horses in charge
Of Major Hathaway, he started between the hours
of three and four p. m. on circuitous road TO
Irwinsvie, Ca, marching some fty or sixty miles,
arriving there near twelve that night, where he
learned from negro that party Of strangers
were encamped perhaps amile from the town, and
to where the negro guided them, and when
WITHIN SOME ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY RODS
of the strangers camp, no pickets being observed,
Colonel Pritchard dismounted part Of his force
and advanced as near rs was prudent where they
lay perfectly quiet until break of day, when the
mounted men were ordered up quietly, and all ad.
vanced together quickly and took the camp by
surprise, surrounding II (some eight or ten tents)
instantly. guard was placed at each tent, and
few minutes after lady appeared at the door of
one OF them and asked the guard TO stay out, so
that they could dress, rs there but ladies
in the tent. A few minutes later she appeared at
the door again and asked permission Of the guard
to let her go for a pail of water and the request
was granted Two persons passed out OF the tent
dressed in women's apparel, one of them carrying
pail, and both going In the direction Of swamp.
At this stage Of the drama Private James L. Bull
lard, who was in the act Of buckling the glrth Of
his saddle on to spirited bay horse that he had
procured few moment before
BY FORCED SWAP
with a confederate prisoner of high station, and
having his eyes roaming admiringly about the
head and shoulders Of his new stecd, noticed in
the direction in which the horse was looking what
appeared TO be two women, some six or eight rods
distant. Looking up to Corporal George Munger,
his partner, who was mounted beside him, he
said: There go two women who ought to be
stopped. There may be more rebs out there
Munger replied: That's so; I'll stop them and,
suiting action to the word, he dashed Off At the
same moment Bullard jumped into his saddle and
followed. arriving near the supposed women but
II moment after Munger, who, however had Or
dercd them TO stop. One of the ladies said: We
are going to the spring for water Munger re-
piled You will have to go back at the same
time riding nearer so to stop their further prog
rcss into the swamp. on looking them fairly in
the face while II was still twilight he noticed
that one of them was man, on which discovery
he pointed his carbine at him, when the man
threw of IL shawl which covered his head and
shoulders, also q
woMASs LOOSE WRAPPER.
The lady then threw her arms about her male
companions neck, exclaiming, in plaintive but
composed tone Of voice. please don't shoot him !;
and the man replied: Let them shoot; may os
well die here MS anywhere Now, let 1t be rcmem-
bercd that the scene Of the discovery OF the two
persons, Mr.. and Mrs. Davis, by Bulard, and their
capture by Munger and him jointly lasted but
few moments, and that no one was present, or
nearer than sevcnty-hvc or one hundred feet
except the four persons mentioned; consequently
no one could have heard what was said at the
moment Of the capture But few moments later
however, quite number Of the command were
present, surrounding the prisoners on the spot
where they were stopped, and from which they
were marched back to their tent the man having
no hat, and leaving the shawl and wrapper where
they were dropped at the time and place Of dis
coyery. At this time neither Munger nor Bullard
knew who the prisoners were, but In less than
flftcen minutes their identity was made known to
all present, and It was on the following day that
the private soldiers Of the command learned of the
reward. This is the simple story OF the capture of
Jefferson Davis, as related by James f. Buard, one
of the two soldiers who captured him."