The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1882-01-26
THE BOTTOM FACTS
About the Confederate Treasure, and
What Became Of Il,
Cincinnati! Enquirer Special


ca when the collapse came, ht
written a letter, under date of Janl
t ary 6, to representative House, {
r Tennessee, in which he sets fort
! the facts about the treasure los
when jeff DAVIS was captured. Nj
, Clark says:
Gas | am in position to knov
} all the facts, | think it not imprope
TO state them as briefly as 1 can.
lett Richmond, Va, the night OF tn
evacuation on the special train con
tanning the president, his staff, hi
cabinet, and many other govern
menL officials, being at the TIM
chief and confidential clerk of thu
executive office. The party reached
Danyille the Dext day, where the
government Offices weFe partially
organized, remaining there until the
I0Gh of April, when news of Gen
Lees surrender was received. The
next move was to Greensboro, the
Headquarters of Beauregard's little
! army.
"a stay of some days was made
there, and as the railroads had been
cut in many places south of US by
the federal cavalry, who were still
raiding to the south west of our line
of travel, 1 made up train CT am
balances and wagons for the use of
the party, for which Gen. Beaure-
gard gave carte blanche order on
his quartermaster and commissary
departments, with which train the
party proceeded TO Charlotte, n. G.
Gen. Beauregard also ordered up
the small cavalry diyislon under
Gen. w. c. P. Breckenridge as an
escort, to which President Davis
demurred-possibly for the reason
that he did not wish the small force
in front of Gen. Sherman weakened
to give him personal protection, but
finally consented, as it gave protec-
tion 10 his following, which was
compose partly of helpless ciyilisns,
but even then avoided the road ia
ken by his escort.
"After a stay Of about a week at
Charlotte, where we heard of the as
sassination Of President Lincoln,
the route WI 10 AObeville, South
Carolina, reaching there on the Ord
of May. At AtheYllle, the train of
the treasury departme reported, it
having followed different line of
travel under the protection of the
small naval force under Admiral
Semmes, who had guarded it safely,
keeping all it's valuables intact.
This was the first time we had met,
and at Ab6eville the trains, escort
and all came together. Admiral
Semmes asked to be relieved Of his
volun tarily assumed duty (which
had been necessary, a 8 Gen. Stone
mans cavalry had several times
struck points within ten or fifteen |
miles of these different trains, NOV
ing in the main on parallel lines J, |
and the train was placed in charge
of the cavairy-Gen. Basil Dukes
command-and ordered to Washing |
ton, Georgia.
Gen. Trenholm, secretary of the
treasury, had been left some dis
tance back, quite ill; and at Abbe-
vile the president appointed Post
General John H, Reagan,
acting secretary of the treasury. |
The treasurer, Mr.. j. N. Hernden,
had been left at Geensboro, N. c.,
with a moderate military chest for
the use OF the army there, the spe-
Gle, mainly Mexican dollars, and |
to $4,000, according to
my recollection. That night, the
weather being hot for day travelling,
the presidential party also left for
Washington, Ga, arriving about
sunset on the 4th of May. AS
soon as We arrived, Mr.. Reagan,
acting secretary of the treasury,
asked the president to appoint me
acting treasurer in place of Mr..
Hernden, who had been left at
Greensboro, N. c., the treasury
since that time having been in
charge of the bureau officers.
had some time before received a
staff appointment, with the rank of
captain.
"The president made the appoint
ment, Mr.. Reagan drew up the COM
mission, and President Davis at-
fixed to it the last official signature
he ever made. / of course, pre-
served it as a precious relic. The
entire treasury was turned over to
me, and l spent the day filing the
acquisitions of the acting treasurer.
| settled with the depositors, who
had followed with the train-some
all the way from Virginia; l paid
off the naval brigade. through Post
master Wheless, of Nashville; paid
off the troops who were near US,
through the proper accredited off
GERS burnt millions of bonds and cur
rency in the presence OF secretary
Reagan and Gen.J.C. Breckenridge,
secretary of war, turned over to the
Virginia bank officers the specie
which belonged to the Virginia
banks, which they had never oeen
able to obtain from the treasury for
want or proper officers to deliver it.
"One Of my last acts was to turn
over to Major Moses, a Confederate
States agent $4,000 in silver,
mainly bullion. which the president
had ordered to be used in furnish
ing subsistence to the psrolled sol
diers who were passing through to
their homes, thus relieving them
and the distressed country through
which they were passing.
Il took proper receipts for all my
payments, and with the whole treas
ury disbursed, except an insignIf
cant sum, in company with the act
ing secretary, left Washington
about ii O'Clock at night. with a
small escort given US by Gen. Duke,
which we shortly dismissed and
Joined the presidents party next
morning about daybreak. There l
again took charge of my train, and
on the morning of the 9th Presi-
den Davis heard OF the danger to
his family, travelling some distance
ahead, from marauders in search
of horses. He decided to take his
staff and few attendants and join
them, the train TO proceed to Flori-
da-the intention, as understood, be-