Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1883-05-10

place. The group to which / belonged,
after having ridden on for nearly a mile,
discovered a campfire in southwest
ern direction, which was near extinct
iona very suspicious circumstance
that made our hearts beat quicker with
Joyous anticipation. It being, however,
yet dark we could do nothing else for
the present than impatiently wait for
the dawn of day. The eastern SKY
scarcely redeemed before we advanced
as noiselessly as possible and almost
stumbled over two tents, whose in
mates evidently we're yet slumbeIing,
and who thus could be easily surprised.
/ was foremost in entering one OF these
tents, and, sure enough, found tbs flu
gitive and his family lying there in pro-
found sleep.
Jefferson Davis rested in a gray cos
tune on the left side of the tent. AS
soon as he was awake and had com
pretended the situation, he tried, evil
IDENTIFY for the purpose of concealment,
to cover himself with something-l can
not at this time tell exactly what, but
of resistance he offered none at all.
then hurried to the other teut, where /
found part OF the staff of the confes-
crate leader. Here, also, perfect quiet.
ude resigned, easily explainable by the
exertions and excitement incident to
their flight. They were surprised to the
extent that | tore away a saddle from
under the head Of one Of the sleeping
officers, and they all surrendered an
conditionally, without offering the least
resistance.
Not until the capture of Davis and
his associates had been thus accom-
plished with the signal shot that had
been agreed upon the previous day
fred, which soon brought Colonel
Pritchard and his companies to the
scene of action. This shot, however,
was, to our great establishment, at once
responded to by heavy fire from the
neighboring woods which fire we, OF
course, answered, By this skirmish we
had one young man killed, his heart
being pierced by q bullet, and one
wounded. Oar astonishment increased
greatly when we took one of our assail-
ants prisoner and discovered that he
belonged like ourselves, to the Union
army. They formed, in fact, a part of
the First Wisconsin cavalry regiment,
and had, like ourselves, arrived the
evening before in the vicinity of Twins
vile without knowing or having the
slightest idea of the presence of Davis,
still less of our own. The victims of
this fatal encounter were buried with
military honors. We had a brea kfast,
to us, IS matter of course, a very 10Y
Gus one, in which Jefferson Davis and
our other prisoners participated, and
then we rode back to headquarters.
Such is the true history of the cap
ture of Jefferson Davis, and, as every
one can see, it differs materially from
the commonly accepted story, not
alone in respect to the feminine apparel
and the bowie knife, but also il. regard
TO the short encounter between Union
soldiers, which furnished, so to speak,
the last victims on the altar o. the am
bition of the Confederate leader.
have a very interesting relic of this af-
fair in my possession. After having
entered the tent Of Davis ard accom-.
plished his capture, a travelling bag
found among what little baggage there
was, containing q shirt and three col
lars, besides childran's soiled iiBen.
These naturally became interesting
spoils for the soldiers, who distributed
them among themselves. One of these
collars is still in my possession. The
collar, which for good and sufficient
reasons, at this time has no very clean
look, bears this proud inscription:
'This collar was worn by Jefferson
DaTis at the time he was made pris-
oner of war, May 10. 1865, and was
taken from him by Kasper Knobcl.
private of company A sfourth regiment
Michigan cavalry, at Irwinsville, Irwin
county, Ga"