Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-12-27
JOE JOHNSTON In A HOLE.
BASIL DUKE AND THE CONFED-
ERATE SPECIE TRAIN.
What He Knows OF Those Mythical
mIIiOns--Emptiness of the Charges
Against Mr.. Davis.

General Basil Duke, who had charge of
the wagon train which conveyed General
Joseph K. JohnstOn's mythical 81. 500 900
from Richmond, being interviewed by
COuTter-siOlrT1ldt reporter regarding the state
ment concerning the Confederate money,
said: "When Mr.. Davis left Charlotte, n.
C., at the date of the termination of the
armistice between Generals Sherman and
Johns on, he was escorted by five brigades
OF Confederate cavalry, commanded by
Generals Dibrell Ferguson and Vaughn.
Colonel w. 9. z. Breckenridge and myself.
These brigades were under the immediate
command of General Breckenridge, although
he was still Secretary of War
"At Abbeville, s. O., where we had halted
for some twenty four hours, l received an
order from General Breckenridge to come
Immediately to his headquarters. This was
about 10 O'Clock st night. When 1 reported
to him he told me there was about $500, 900
in the railroad depot, which Mr.. Davis de-
sired TO have placed in wagons aud brought
on with escort. had not previously heard
anything OF this money. General Breckin-
ridge directed me to detail fifty men to take
charge OF and guard this specie; to have it
taken from the cars and loaded in wagons
and personally superintended its re-
moval. 1 ordered the detail, putting,
IL my memory serves me, Lieutenant
Colonel Steel in command of it. procured
five army wagons and proceeded to the
depot to take charge of the specie. l
found it In charge of some fifteen or twenty
men, whom 1 understood were employees Of
the Treasury Department. The gold and
silver coin was packed In small pine boxes
and in bags, which looked like shot bags,
and in money belts made no attempt to
count, and could not have done so in the
time before the escort marched. The
money and bullion was taken from the box
cars, two In number, il l remember rightly,
where found it aud loaded it in five wagons.
'The night was very dark, aud the trans
fer was made by the light OF few tallow
candles. The escort marched at midnight,
accompanied ty this improvised specie train.
On the next morning General Breckinridge
ordered me TO strengthen the guard and
take command of it in person. | requested
him to give me a detail of forty men from
each OF the five brigades of escort under
picked officers, making in all guard of two
hundred, preferring guard so composed to
one selected entirely from my own brigade.
| was In charge of the treasure some
three or four days, until we reached
Washington, Ga and during that time
l kept the entire guard continually on
duty, and was never myself absent from the
train. At Savannah river all of the silver
coin, amounting, to the best of my Tecollec-
ton, to some $l05, 900, was paid out to the
TROOPS composing the escort ana TO parOleO
Confederate soldiers who were present. On
the next daY, at Washington. by order Of
General Breckenridge, turned over the gold
coin, estimated to be about $780, 600, to 3
gentleman whose name | have forgotten.
who, think, was one of the officers Of the
Treasury Department. He loaded It in two
horse ambulance and immediately set off
with it, accompanied by two or three men on
horseback. Whittier he went don't know,
and did not inquire. l at no time communi-
Gated with Mr.. Davis regarding this specie,
but received all instructions regarding It
from General Breckinridge. Mr.. Davis left
Washington after the gold had been taken
off. As have narrated, he was accompsn
led by a small body of picked men under
Capt. Given Campbell, one of the most gal
liant and efficient officers in the Confederate
service. l do not think it at all pro5ab BILE
indeed, it seems impossible-that Mr.. Davis
ever saw any of the coin, which, have told
you, was placed in sn ambulance. He was
captured in a very short time after he left
Washington ~