Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1883-11-01
A CONFEDERATE SECRET.
walker Taylor's Project for the ABB
duetion of President Lincoln.


of Gen. Albert Sidney Johnson. Col.
j. told the following:
Il was present at a breakfast at
President Davis mansion when a
proposition was made to abduct Abra-
ham Lincoln out of Washington City
and bring him a prisoner to Rich !
mond. The proposer was Walker
Taylor, a nephew of old President
Zachary Taylor At the beginning
of the War / went into the First
Kentucky Regiment, commanded by
Tom Taylor, who is snow the Chief of
Police IN Louisville. | never knew
Taylor who was not personally
brave Walker Taylor was one of the
bravest of the brave. He was a rather
small man, quiet in his address, cool
and desperate in his purposes, with
the large mouth and the snaggle teeth
which most of the Taylors have. He
was black haired, | think. AT Fort
| Donelson he was captured and taken
10 Louisville. He was badly wound
ed at the time. 1t was in the month
of February, | think, while he was
standing in the line of prisoners, a
friend close at hand slipped an ever
coat upon him, and he stepped out of
line into the crowd and could not be
found Wounded as he was, he was
concealed from house to house, and
searched for, and after he got better
he resolved to 90 to the South again.
SO he came east to Washington City
and went probably by the
same route that Booth afterward took,
across the Lower Potomac.
The Kentuckians were not like
the Missourians in the War, and
always protected each other though
on different sides. Those Taylors
had two brothers on one side and two
on the the other. Walker Taylor had
members of his family in high Gov
ernment Positions-some in the navy,
some in the army, and some in the
civil service. They were astonished
! to see him around there unparoled,
going at large. Still, they did not
give him up; but they entreated him
either to take the oath or leave.
Among other places he went to was
to the White House to call on Abra-
ham Lincoln He got somebody to
introduce him. Mr.. Lincoln treated
him with courtesy, and, seeing that
/ he limped, said 10 him, | see that
you have been wounded, my friend.
When did you get your woundP AT
Fort Donelson. Mr.. President, said
Taylor. The President paid him a
compliment, little supposing that at
his wrist was one of the most deadly
men in the world.
when TAYLOR left Washington
and came to Richmond he came to see
me, knowing that / was President
Davis aide de-c2mp, and he said
Johnston, | can capture Abe Lincoln
and bring him to Richmond, and all
I want is the permission of President
Davis to don't Can't you get me an
interview with Davisn Said | Yes,
and | arranged with the President
that he should come to breakfast the
next day. At the breakfast-table, or
after the breakfast, l said to the
President Mr. Taylor has am inn
portant proposition 20 make to you,
Mr. Davis Well, Walker, said
Davis affably, what is itF Mr.. Davis,
| want to bring Abe Lincoln a pris-
oner to you in this city % pshawl
said Davis; how can such thing as
be doneP Just as easy, said Taylor,
as walking out of this town. ! came
across the Potomac at no great dis
lance from Washington City, and
while | was in Washington | watched
Linclon's habits closely, and knew
his outgoing and incoming. / tell
you, sir, that | can bring him across
that river just rs easy as / can walk
over your doorstep How would
you do it2' said Mr. Davis,
Lincoln, replied Walker Taylor
does not leave the White House till
evening, or near twilight, and then
with only a driver he takes lonely
ride two or three miles into the coun-
Try to a place called the Soldiers
Home, which is his summer residence.
My point is to collect several of these
Kentuckians whom l see about there
doing nothing, and who are brave
enough for ssch thing as that, and
we will throttle or kill the driver and
gag Lincoln, run him down to the
Potomac and cross him over just
where | crossed, and next day we
will have him here Mr.. Davis. Davis
shook his hand, Said he: / cannot
give my authority, Walker In the
first place, suppose that Lincoln is a
man of some courage He has been
in Indian wars, and is a Western
man. He would undoubtedly resist
being captured. In that case you
would kill him. | could not stand
the imputation of having consented
TO let Mr.. Lincoln be assasinated.
Our cause could not stand it, Be
sides, wat value would he be to US
as a prisoner2 The moment he was
removed q far worse man, Andrew
Johnson, would take his place, man
highly incensed against us all Lin
coin is not the Government of the
Federal power. He is merely the
political instrument there. If he
were brought to Richmond what
could | do with himi He would have
10 be treated like the Magistrate Of the
Forth, and we have neither the time
nor the provision No, sir, will not
give my authority to abduct Lin
coin.
DO you think that Walker could
ha1-a haa1, c11pcpccff,l Col Johnson ~