The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-12-23
CONFEDERATE Cash,
oR WAo oARaAeEo TAE ooFFERs.
A ThrllllpgStOry OFths Last Days Ofth, RsbslllOn,
General Joseph JOhaStOR's Story DsRIsdbI
aNan"WhO was aIThsrd'-TObsC Goa.
tInusd In Oar Next, Probably,

LOUISVILLE, KY, December 22.-6en,
Basil Duke being questioned by Courier
Journal reporter, regarding the statement
Of Gen, Johnston concerning the Cenied-
eracy money, said that when Mr., Davis
left Charlotte, N. O., at the date Of llmi-
tation Of the armistIce between Generals
Sherman and Johnston, he was escorted BY
hve brigudes OF Confederate cavalry, com.
manded by Gems, nebrlIl, Furguson and
Vaughan, Col, W, O, P, Breckenridge and
myself. These brigades were under the
immediate command Of Gen. Breckenridge,
although he was still Secretary Of War, AT
Abbtyvlle, South CarOlnn, whefe We
had halted for some twenty.iour hours,
received an order from Gen, Breckenridge
to come Immediately to his headquarters,
rhis.was about ten o'clock atnight. When
| responded to him he told me that there
was about five hundred thousand dollaHoi
gold and silver coin and silver hullionutihe
railroad depot, which Mr. Davis desired to
have placed In wagons and brought on
with an escort. / had not previously heard
anything Of this MONEY,
Gen. Breckenridge directed me 10 detail
fifty men 10 take charge and guard this
speciej to have II taken from Cass and
loaded In wagons, and personally superin-
tend It's removal. ordered the detail,
putting, II my memory serves me, LIEUT..
Col. Steele in command Of II, | procured
five army wagons and proceeded 10 the
depot to lake charge Of the specie, found
It in charge OF some fifteen or twenty men,
whom / understood were employees Of the
Treasury Department The gold and silver
coin was packed in small pine boxes and
bags, which looked like shot bags, made
no attempt to count, and could not have
done so IN the time allowed me before ille
escort marched. Tho coin and bullion
was taken from box cars, two in number,
II remember rightly, and lodged In Eve
wagons. The night was very dark and the
transfer was made by the light OF u few
tallOw candles. The escort marched III mid
night, accompanied by this improvlsed
specie train. On the next morning Cen
eral Breckenridge ordered me TO strength
en- the guard and take command Ol II In
person. requested him TO give me de-
tail OF forty men from each Of Tho five
brigades Of the escort under picked officers,
making In oil a guard Of two hundred,
preterring guard so composed 10 one Sc
lected entirely from my own brigade. /
was In charge Of tho treasure some three
or four days until we reached Washington,
Ga, und during that time / kept the en-
tire guard on duty, and was never myself
absent from the train AT the Savannah
river all the silver coin, amounting, TO the
best oi my recollection, TO some one hun-
dred and five thousand dollars, was paid
out TO the troops composing the escort and
TO the paroled Confederate soldiers WHO
who were present.
On the npxtday at Washington, by order
OF General Breckenridge, turned Overthe
gold coin, estimated to be 100000, 10 u
gentleman whose name have forgotten,
but who think was ono OF the officials Of
the Treasury Department He loaded IL
In two horse ambulance and Immediately
set of with 1t, accompanied by two or
three men on horseback. Whittier hewent
l do not know and did not inquire. at
no time communicated with Mr.. Davis In
regard 10 this specie, but received all the
instructions respecting II from Gen. Brerk-
enridge. Mr.. Davis left Washington after
the gold had been taken off rs nnrthted.
He was accompanied by small body OF
picked men under Captain Given Camp
bell, one Of the most gallant and efficient
officers In the Confederate service. ! do
not think It at all probable, indeed, 1t
seems TO me impossible that Mr. Davlsrver
saw any Of the coin which ! have tod you
was placed In the ambulance. He was
captured in very short time alter he left
Washington.
ATLANTA, GA, December 22.-Judge Jno.
A. Campbell states in regard to healtgrd
appropriation Of Confederate gold by JEFF
Davis, that when the COniedency collapsed
there was no such amount Of money inthe
treasury as stated by General Johnston. +
INDIANAPOLIS, December 22.-An ex-
Confederate Lieutenant living here, WIS
with JEFF Davis while at Charlotte, y D.,
and says there was large amount of
specie, but marauders carried II oil. JEFF
Davis got none.
ST. Louis, December 22.-Thos O. Walsh,
Of this city, who was head clerk Of the Z
Auditors office Of the Treasury Department
Of the Couiedpracy, at Richmond, llnd WIS
one Of the guard accompanying the train
removing the treasury property when the
place WIS evacusted, says that there could
not have been more than $1,000 900 III all,
and that Gen. JOhnstoh's army got part VI
IL fnr In an ~ n rnitntid Il ant