The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1882-01-05
Numerous Answers to Con. Joe
Ed ohnston's Charge
Against Jefferson
OAyisx

EX-1 IudSIc bcuci II ltC1&dn says
| the Confederate Government had
on hand at any one tine so much az
81, 500, 900 in specie. h. gays the sum
removed to Washington, Georgia.
was only $l97, 600, that 800, 600
| of it was paid to the troops. and the
rest was captured by the Federals.
General Toombs put the amount at
$3.50, 900, and says it wa>A<sss by col
| diers while on the way asck tc Rich
mond. Colonel Burton Il. harrison,
| private Secretary Of President Davis,
| says there was specie at E~shington,
he does not know how much, certainly
not more than $500, 900; this he believes
was captured by the United States
troops, and suits are neg pending
for its recovery from the Treas
ury. General Basil Duke says this
treasure amounted to $500, 600, $685.
900 Of which in silver was paid to the
troops and the rest was turned over to
a Treasury official, who has u yer since
been heard of. The Hon. Iheo. T..
Hallam, of Covington, Kentucky, says
| the amount was $500, 600, and he be-
| lieves it was all disbursed to the troops.
j. w. Hemphill, of the Atlanta Con
stttutton, and Mr.. j. NJ. Maxwell, for
merly, of Washington, Georgia,
assert that the treasure train was rob-
bed by the guard, as was evidenced by
| the circulation of the silver bricks that
formed part of it. Mr.. Waite Phil
| brook, and third assistaat Ca ierate
treasurer, says the treSsur am5uated
to 5000, 600, $3.50, 900 of which he
turned over to Reagan, and the rest
was paid to the troops. Thomas C..
Walsh. ex-head clerk in the auditors
office in the Treasury Department of
the Confederacy, says the amount was
not over 81, 900, 900, and that it was all
fairly distributed among the soldiers.
Mr.. Bernheimer su.tains Walsh, and
says he saw with his own eyes" the
whole of the money distributed among
the troops. Except these last, no two
of all the persons above mentioned
agree as to the amount or the use to
which the money was put. What Phil
adelphia lawyer will try to reconcile
these discrepancies?
Little Rock, Dec. 23.-Maj. Frank
Watson, who was on Jefferson Davis
personal staff during the war, was inter
viewed to-day by a Democrat reporter.
In reply to the question if he was with
Davis In Georgia In 1865, he replied:
Yes, | was with him at Washington,
Ga, and if you want to say anything
about Gen. Joe Johnston's statement
that Jeff got away with So. 500, 600, you
can deny it. | know it wasn't so.
Davis body guard was paid off at Wash
ngton. The boys got all he had-be-
tween $3.50, 600 and $4,000 in gold
and silver coin was equally divided.
This was in April, 1865. JEFF Davis
here dismissed his body-guard, telling
them to look out for themselves, and he
would try and take care of himself. |
was then under the orders of the Presi
dent and secretary of war. The latter
officer, Breckenridge, had previously
gone to Florida. and was under the
direct orders, of the President. We
were skirmishing around lively then,
trying to keep out of the way of Will
sons cavalry, numbering about 5000.
| had charge and control of all commu-
~oication. between Richmond and
Shreveport, and from the fact that il
the journey proceeding the disband
ment l received orders from the Presl.
dent u go down on to the Mississippi
and build a lot Of boats, L am led to
believe that he first intended to escape
with his body guard through Texas into
Mexico. We saw all the money, and
saw it divided. [ do not believe the
story now circulating through the pa
pers."
Over two thousand pounds of gold
would not have gone very far in a "
horse ambulance m the spring Of 1865
Mr.. Davis needs no defence. Many O
his countrymen have differed with hin
as tt his utterances since the war, aRo
as to the the propriety of his speaking
at all. As to this matter, they havt
spoken almosv unanimously to express
a perfect confidence in his integrity o
character, and It is gratifying to SCI
that those on the other side who have
uost singularly pursued MIR. Davis
when he was but one among thousands
have almost all expressed confidence
that he would Of be found guilty 0
any pecuniary wrong.
If defence were necessary, his capture
his long imprisonment, his subseasea
life of toll for daily bread as presldsnr
of a life insurance company, his homes
and honorable labor to provide for hi
family, until he won his lawsuit, anc
until later he received a legacy from
an admirer, would show conclusiyel,
his innocence, even if circumstance
created a presumption against him
The ~presumptions happen to be all thu
other way. The gold taken south wa
evidently much smaller in quantit.
than has been alleged. 1t was p.rtl.
distributed, partly captured, and PaItl.
taken by our own soldiers. When thu
bottom dropped out it was naturally re
garded as fair game and any man, un-
less he were a high public official
would certainly have been excusabl'
for regarding it his as between him an
the enemy.
Still we doubt whether any larg'
sum was so taken or any very large sun
captured and stolen. We dosbt no
that federal officers managed to secur'
most of it. 1t is most probable, Low
ever. that the sum of one hundred ant
ffty thousand dollars, claimed by th'
Richmond banks, said to have beer
cantured and turned over, was all the
ooid that was not paid out to soldiers
excepts perhaps very small su ms plum
dsred by confederate maraudsrs, or
soldiers and such small sums As the
fedsrals may have secured ana cenvert
81 Mr. Davis anxiety to preserv'
fhe fund and hi. refusal to have it dis
turbea NAV be easily accounted for
part of it was entrusted to kin TO
defense, and he could hardly have re
garded it proper to distribute tais' an'