Morning journal and courier., 1883-02-01
Jeff Davis Letter.
He Never Played Poker and Didn't EIope
 with Zachary Taylor's Daughter.

I kAC N0V0E FAAySu FOAeF 8nu O1un'L ElOpt
 with Zachary TaylOr's Daughter. | From the Dubuque Qowsl Herald.l 1 Recently the old story has been revived l about Jeff Davis, then an army lieutenant
 stationed at Prairie du Chien, clipping from | that place with the daughter of his Colonel afterward Gen. Zach Taylor. marrying her al Galena. and then, after long arrangement,
 being complimented by the General for his gallant charge at Monterey. To this new
 and absurd additicr waz 1na6e that ftn I3ia5:z,, | cards with some other officers at the fort he was caught cheating and slapped in the face
 He has recently written letter to Gen. G. W. Jones, of this city, denying both stories. I It is as follows:
 BEAUvoIR, Harrison Co.,, Miss, Dec 27, 'S2 l 7he Hon. George v. Jones.
 My DEAR SIR i; Accept my great acknowl- edgemnt for your kind letter of the 20th
 inst, with the newspaper slip, one being
 your defense of me against scurrilous and
 an anonymous article which, in your pub
 lished defense, you justly denounce as a
 tissue of falsehoods from beginning to end
 For your own satisfaction and to show you
 how accurately you characterized the islander, will take up the statement seriatim.
 First, am represented as having been at Prairie du Chien in 1881, engaged in a game of draw poker with three persons whose names are given. In the beginning of 1883 was one of the two officers selected from
 
 Prairie du Chien under orders for recruiting service in Kentucky. As soon as the Ken lucky company was raised turned to Jeffer son Barracks, the rendezvous of the reQi ment. The first file officer who joined was Major Mason, he being the other officer who, together with me, was selected from the First Infantry for promotion in the dra- goons, and by him was appointed Adju- tant of the squadron composed of the first companies which reported. After other companies had joined, the Colonel, Henry Dodge, came and assumed command He had known me when I had served on the Upper Mississippi, and by him was appoint ed Adjutant of the regiment. In 1884,. Col. Dodge, with a selected detachment, was sent l by Gen. Leavenworth in pursuit of Indians l who had committed depredations on the Up- per Red River, and was one of that party l at the time this lying scandalizer reports me | as playing poker at Prairie du Chien This | is not all. So far as know and believe the | game of poker had not been introduced Be l that as 1t may, did not know the game, and | have never learned it. Of the three persons named with me in this imaginary game, there $ not one who served with me in Prairie du Jhien, or whom ever knew of being there. There was no officer at the time in the First f infantry whose name was Harrison. I never lad any difficulty with anybody, and the most of that story falls from having no foun- lation. Any of my surviving associates of hat period could not gamble, and no officer ould have remained in the old First Infantry Vho would have submitted to such indignity s that described. As yeu know, in the unset led condition of the country persons seldom vent from Prairie du Chien to Galena and he only excuse for the falsehood that I fire 1 uently did so must be found in the fact that 1 Then was stationed opposite Dubuque, harged to keep watch on the semi hostile indians west of the river and to prevent white E ! aar1f frov7 S,, k1,A T,.ls L. y orders required me to go frequently t trough the mines, and thus was often the t 3clplent of your hospitality at the Sinsinawa i [ound, and frequently in the town of Gale c 3, where my particular associate was the q snerable Capt. Legate, of the United States o my, on duty as superintendent of the lead V ines. knew MT. Bedding Bennett, who as the son of the proprietor of the hotel here stopped, and I recollect hiR as easant young gentleman, and if he was a lrd drinker did not know if, my own hab- , being, as you will remember, strictly tenn. rate, so that in this, as in everything else, is slanderer is indebted entirely to his own vention.
 With much particularly as to conveyances d names of persons, he makes ont a pure l. tion about the elopement of Miss Taylor tn myself. As before stated, I left Prairie
 Chien under orders to recruit for dra- ons, went on 8 steamer back to St. Louis. = l 1884 resigned from the army, and Miss ylor then being in Kentucky with her aunt. , oldest sister of Gen. TayI0r, went thith-
 and we were married in the house of her at, in the presence of Gen. Taylor's two ters, his oldest brother, his son-in-law and 1ghter, and many others of the Taylor niiY.
 met Gen Taylor when he was on busi- IS trip to L., where he had property, and relations were entirely friendly, and again, ring the Mexican war, reported to him Csmargo, where he was organizing his ay to advance on Monterey. The want of did not permit him to take re than four of the volunteer regiments ich had joined him at that place. Mine,
 First Mississippi Rifemen, was one of
 four thns chosen, and I went with him he attack on Monterey. On the third day sr the attack commenced the enemy an- ,nced willingness to surrender, and Gen. Tlof appointed three commissioners. viz. 2. Henderson, of Texas; Gen. Worth of
 United States Army, and myself. to meet ke number who should be appointed by Mexican General, Ambudia, to arrange terms of capitulatien. This complimen- selection of myself for such a high and cate trust sufficiently refutes the dramat- esne of first recognition, reported to < @ occurred at Buena Vista F 'hus have followed step by step the rH ne of falsehood which you have de-