The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1882-04-26
THE FACTS AT LAST.
How the Confederate Specie Was Dis.
tributed.
An Authentic Account by General Dibrell,
Who Was in Command of the Davis
Escort and Money Train.
Washington POST


count of the disposition of the Confederate
specie about which so much has been said
since the publication of General Joe John
sons first Satement-Ed. Post.l
On the 18th day of April, 1865, received
a few miles below Raleigh N. c., an order
from Major General Wheeler to proceed at
once with my cavalry command com
posed of part of my own Tennessee
Brigade, commanded by Colonel w. S. Nc
Lemore and the Kentucky Brigade, COM
manded by Colonel w. c. p. Breckenridge,
and Virgins Arkansas Battery, to Greens
boro, n. c., and there report to General
John c.. Breckenridge, the Secretary of War,
and President Davis. We had that day at
Buffers bridge, below Raleigh, learned
certainly of the disaster of General Lees
Army. In obedience to that order we passed
through Raleigh and marched fifteen or
twenty miles that night. The next night
we camped above Hillsboro, and the next
reached Greensboro about II o'clock at
night, and reported in person with Colonel
Breckenridge, first to General Breckenridge,
and then to Mr.. Davis. We left Greensboro
the next evening moving south. AtLexington
we awaited dispatches from Generals
Breckenridge and Joseph f. Johnston in re-
gard to the surrender or terms of surrender
proposed by General Sherman, and then
moved on to Charlotte. n. c.. where we
were Joined by the commands.of General J.
G. Vaughn and Basil w. Duke, which had
come across from Western Virginia. After
wards we were joined by General Ferguson's
Brigade. At Charlotte General Brecken-
ridge, who was a Major General in the Con-
federate States Army, assumed com mand of
all the troops along in person and gave or
ders. Up TO this time my command of
Tennesseans and Kentuckians had done all
of the guard, picket and scouting duty, and
continued to do so until surrendered. On
leaving Charlotte we marched OH through
South Carolina, encountering large numbers
of General Lees soldiers who had been pa
rolled, and who were on their way to them
homes
AT Abbeville, S. c., on the ID Of May
after having gone into camp, Colonel Bragg
sent for me and showed me the terms of sur
render agreed upon by Generals Sherman
and Johnston, which included all of Gen
eral Johnston's Army. That night confer
ence of officers was held at the residence of
Hon. Mr.. Burt, in Abbeville at which were
Bragg, Vaughn, Duke Ferguson, Colonel
Breckenridge and myself. After full and
free discussion of the situation, the condi-
ton of the troops, etc, 1T was agreed that
we would move at Il o'clock that night
across the Savannah River into GEORGIA,
near Washington, and there surrender such
of the cavalry as did not wish to go TO
the trans Mississippi Department. Il was
also agreed there that the troops should
the next day be paid part of the specie
on hand. When orders were issued to
move, / was requested to furnish trans
portation for the specie and the quarter
master furnished four wagons. The specie
train was placed Immediately under the con-
trol of General Duke, who delivered il safely
the next day to General Breckenridge at his
headquarters. where it was divided as here
tofore published. In the conference of Off
GERS held the night Previous Mr.. Davis in
quired particularly as to the condition of
each command, whether they could be re-
lied upon in an emergency. / remember
stating for my command, commanded by
Colonies McLemore aed Breckenridge and
the artillery commanded by Captain Wig
gins, that they had remained true and in
tact, were under good discipline, had never
refused to do duty eithe- Jas scouts, picket
or guards, and were as ready to march to
battle as they had always been been before,
and were under good discipline. Each off,
Ger was asked in turn In regard to his COM
mand, and my statements were corroborated
by Colonel Breckenridge when he was in
terrogated
Mr. Davis had had the company of Cap
tain Given Campbell, of the First Kentucky
Cavalry, as an escort, and he decided to
leave next day with his escort staff and
few others. On going into campnear Wash
ington, Ga, on the 81 of May, the specie
train was packed at General breckenridge
headquarters, and that intended for the
troops was turned over to Major Z. G.
White, Chief Quartermaster OF my COM
mand. he being the ranking Quartermaster
present., who. after counting the money
turned over to him, and receiving the pay
rolls of each command present, he paid out
and furnished me a statement OF the
amount, which 1 had misplaced, but Colo
mel w. G. p Brecken. idge having retained
a copy, furnished it to me, which is as fol-
lows, To wit:
To amount received of Confederate
States ,3c2 90
NJ. Diibreil's BRIGADE. 1857 90
| By amount paid Major w. J. Bradley,
Q. NJ, Breekenridge's brigade.... 1882 80
q. NJ, Ferguson's brigade. Is, Az 90
A. q, NJ, Vaughu's brigade............ 1881 so
| By amount paid Major ID II. FlOwellen,
A q. NJ, Dukes brigade.......' 1872 90
! BY amount paid Captain w. Il. Bell. A.
O.. Ninth Kentucky Regiment ....-..- 100 90
BY amount paid General ]. Z. Brecken-
ridge and twenty-f0ur men............- go 90
troops win General B...........- sls 70
By amount paid thirty six men of vari-
| Gus commands per order of Gener-
al Breckenridge. --..............-....... 9l5 90
| By amount paid General Dibrell aud
thirteen officers al division head
QuarterS........... ...................... S4l -
By amount paid twenty-six scouts. Dib-
~ is t 1; ~ "
Dibrell's division. ................ sS2 so
eignty-four men ~ ..... 2.2o5 co
partment, Dibrells division, twen-
ty-twO men,. ..................-.. 5II ~
reil's division. fourteen men.........- 500 so
Balance. C 81
slOs. 1872 90
After this money was paid out upon pay
rolls made out by the officers present our
command went into camp to await Provost
Marshal to whom We could surrender. Some
of the men went on and were paroled at
Augusta, and in all our march from Green's
boro to Washington, Ca, the two brigades
above were we'll organized, well armed and
equipped and splendidly mounted, and
WERE all in all. equal TO any command in
either army in every respect. They had
done as much hard fighting, hard marching
and suffered as much hardship as any troops
| in the army, and when the last day of the
Confederacy came they surrendered in good
faith like true and gallant soldiers and, L
have no doubt have respected their paroles
| to this day.