Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-12-23
THE SPECIE
CHARGES IMPUTED TOE JOHN
STON PROMPTLY REFUTED.
A Conclusive VfndicatiOn of Jeffer-
son DaVis by His Former Private
Secretary. Col. Burton N. HarrI-
son.
NesU York Times. of Ttlesdag.

Joseph E Johnston, Jefferson Davis receiy-
ed over 81, ,O00, 900 belonging to the Confed-
crate Treasury, the major portion of which
he in no way ever accounted for. A re-
porter yesterday sought Col. Burton N. Har-
| rison, who was with Mr.. Davis at the time
OF the capture, and asked him what truth
there was In the insinuation of General
Johnston, that the President of the Confed-
eracy converted this vast sum to his own
use.
''Mr. Davis never appropriated a penny
| belonging to the Confederacy," replied
| Colonel Harrison quite warmly. 'I have
| the highest personal regard for General
Johnston, but II he made the statement at
| tributed to him he certainly has been mis-
Informed. l am inclined to doubt the ac-
| curacy OF the interview. As | was with Mr..
| Davis when he was captured can say of
my own knowledge that he had no specie,
which General Johnston is made to say the
money consisted of, and, in fact, no funds
whatever with him. There were several
wagons and an ambulance in the train
during the retreat South. The abulance
belonged to Captain Moody, of Mississippi.
and contained his private property. The
wagons were used to convey the luggage of
Mrs. Davis and the rest OF the family"
"But General Johnston says that the
specie train followed or preceded the head
OF the civil government of the Confederacy
in the retreat"
THAT certainly is not so, aud what is
more, the funds of the Confederacy were
not placed in the hands of Mr.. Davis. They
were handled entirely by George A. Tren-
holm, the Secretary OF the Confederate
Treasury. There was some specie In Au-
gusta or Washington, Ca. in charge of the
| Treasury officers, week before the capture
of Mr.. Davis, but exactly how much do
not know. am sure 1t did not amount TO
| $500, 900. Why there was not So 500, 600
the amount alleged to have been in the train
in the whole COnfederacy. The South
was scrsped clean, and l might say scarce
ly dollar left in it. The United States
Government secured what there was.
The government made exhaustive In
quiries In this country and Europe,
| and ii there had been $4,000 of
| Confederate funds afoat the government
would have found it out. The money ques-
| tion was thoroughly discussed in 1865. and
| am prone to consider the reports at this
late day little better than old Woman's ste
ries. Yes, the Confederate States were
| poor, very poor, and IL they had possessed
millions the money could not have been
carried about the country. l can very
easily prove to you how improbable the
story is. At the time the train is said to
have been en- route the country was filed
with soldiers returning home. They were
penniless, and little better than brigands.
Now, do you suppose the train would have
been permitted to pass unmolested No,
| sir. 1t would have been robbed"
general Johnston says that he sent let
ter by special messenger to Mr.. Davis re-
questing him to pay portion Of the money
to the soldiers, but only a telegrapbic
acknowledgment of its receipt was received,
and no money was disbursed."
"I have no recollection of such letter,
and it seems to me improbable that 1t was
sent. General Johnston had an interview
with Mr.. Davis at Greensboro, where the
train is said to have been made up, and It
is very strange, indeed, If he deemed the
disbursement necessary, that he did not urge
1t theD. have no knowledge that S39, 900
was left at Greensboro for the soldiers as
stated, and feel confident that Mr.. Davis
left no such sum. About the 500, 900 which
Major Moses is said to have received know
nothing"
"What about the statement that the banks
of Richmond, Va, placed $3.50, 900 in the
hands OF Mr.. Davis for the defense of the
city short time before the evacuation %
General Johnston says that a committee
went after the train, and at Washington,
Ca, succeeded in recovering between $110,-
600 and $4,000 of it., but while taking it
home it was captured and turned into the
United States Treasury.
"There was, know, a sum under control
of the officers of the Confederate Treasury,
said to belong to the banks of Richmond,
but how large 1t was | cannot say. It was
seized by the United States Government,
and, II am not mistaken, claims for the
amount taken are now pending at Washing
ton. All the specie captured by the Union
army was afterwards claimed by the banks
of Richmond and New Orleans. A great
deal of it, believe, was paid over. That
the Southern people have not called Mr..
Davis to account-Which Is an expression
used in the interviews not at all strange
They knew full well that Mr.. Davis never
appropriated any of their money-there was
none to appropriate. know Mr.. Davis
intimately, and he would be guilty OF no
such act as he is accused of. He is man
of a fine sense of honor"
"At the time of the capture of Mr.. Davis
statement which does not appear In the
interview with Gen. Johnston was made 1t
was to the effect that in addition to the re-
ward Of 100000 in gold offered for the ap-
prehension of the President of the Confede-
racy, several millions of specie said to be
with him would be the property of the cap
tors. According to the terms of the armis-
tice the specie belonged to the United
States, ard it was alleged to be an act of
theft in Mr. Davis taking it off,
There was no such announcement that
l recollect, although the reward of 800, 900
was paid. II the statement regarding the
money obtains widespread publicity, as l
have no doubt 1t WILL 1t will fall under the
eyes OF persons now living who were Off
GERS of the Treasury at the time. Some Of
them who know that the contrary Was the
case will, am confident, come forward and
disprove the accusations"
'Did MIR. Davis ever speak to you about
this matter?"
"No; he never did. Moreover, l knew
more about the money matters than he did,
and faa a1anI Ia frN~ Hv1ko
are attributed to General Johnston"
Major K. j. Moses, who is spoken OF in
the interview as having received $50, 900 of
the money, was the Confederate Commisvary
OF Georgia. He is at present practicing his
profession as an attorney at law in Colum-
bus, Ga. A son of his, Raphael j. Moses, is
lawyer In this CITY, and has an Office at
No. 81 Wall street. To the reporter he said
he believed in the existence OF the money
train. Mr.. Moses was an aide-de camp to
Gen. Banning, Of Georgia, and was at Ap-
pomattOx when Lee surrendered. He was
made prisoner of war, and was exchanged
in February, 1865. "Our brigade was some
500 miles from home, and we thought It best
to keep together on the long march. We
met Mr. Davis troops on the route the 1st
OF May, and the specie train was accompa-
nyiDg them. The soldiers said that the
amount in the train was S2,000,0 600. Our
men needed food very much, and $4,000
was secured by my father, the commissary
The brigade became lawless, and Matched
plot to seize the money. / remember well
how my father argued with the men when
he feared an attack. He stood at the door
of a car between Washington and Augusts,
and kept the men back until an engine
arrived by picturing the needs of the
soldiers all over the State, among whom
1t was proposed to distribute the SAC, 900 TO
buy food and send them home. The money.
II l remember Alright, was seized by the
Union army, and was afterwards claimed by
Richmond, Va, banks. Mr.. Harvey Terry,
who was then, believe, the President OF
one Of the Richmond banks, came to my Of
fee in November and said that In the train
was money belonging to three Richmond
hanks-the Farmers, the Exchange, and the
Bank of Virginia. The specie belonging to
the Confederate Government was in the
same train, but was carried In separate
wagons. Mr.. Terry desired to find out, If
possible, from which lot the money secured
by my father was taken. / wrote to my
father about the matter, and here is the let
ter received in reply.n
The letter was dated December Sd, and
stated that the specie was in silver bars and
gold Jumps. at was taken by order of the
Secretary of the Treasury from the bank at
Washington, Wilkes county, /" the letter said,
'and put in the wagons. obtained $40, 600 |
in boxes at night on the road and carried It |
to Augusta. There delivered It to Provost |
Marshal Adams, Of Boston, believe, by or
der of General Mollyneux, and l gave the |
receipt that obtained to Jerry Black"
Mr.. Moses explained why the money was |
given to a Union officer. His father had |