Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1883-10-25
CLUTCHED BY JEFF DAVIS.
watxontoyyn Mans Wrestie with
,,,e Chieftain at Fortress Monroe.
Watsontown Record.


Watsontown Record.
Elisha Kisner. modest, unpretend-
mo gentleman. well-known in this
community and at present employed
4 nv +he Watsontown planning Mill
COMPANY. was member of the Third
PENNSYLVANIA Heavy Artillery, which
was stationed at Fortress Monroe
when Jefferson Davis was taken
There soon after his capture. Mr..
\ Kisner was detailed among others, to
Mstand guard over the rebel chief. In
Aan interview with Mr.. Kisner the
&Dther evening he gave an interesting
account of what occurred during this
8period of nearly ayear.
Did / ever tell you how old jeff
Etook me ny the throat2' he asked,
while he shook all over with laughter.
"Well. il was something in this
way. There were two sentries IN
Jeff's room, and this night l happen
ed to be on duty. Davis was lying
on his bed, apparently trying to get
nap, and our orders were to pace his
room constantly, but under no con-
sideration to speak or enter INTO any
conversation with him. My shoes,
(which were then new, screeched as l
passed his bed, and this seemed to
kannoy him. Once as l passed him
sshe turned to me and growled out i
swish you'd make less noise. | re-
plied, i wish you'd keep quiet
Frhen he turned over with his face TO
Sthe wall and / kept walking on, back
and forward, past his bed. In
minute or two he growled again:
FCan't you keep quietl' To this | re-
piled, Can't you hold your jawF
Then he got up and commenced to
walk the floor, mad as a Gagged lion.
+ / passed him and turned to go back,
when / met him about the middle of
the room. Just as | was about to
repass him he suddenly sprang at me
and with his left hand caught me by
the throat. | struggled to get lose,
but he held me us though | had been
held in a vice. l could not use my
gun, as he held me close to him. l
struggled for breath, but he shut off
my wind The scutlie drew the atten-
ton of the other guard in a moment
and also the officer outside, when he
ratified his sword against the iron
grated door, and then old jeff let loose
Of me and went back to his bed. |
tell you was weak in the knees when
he did let go, and though he only
held me moment or so it seemed like
an hour.
Before this occurred an old reb
outside, who had the privilege of
bringing jeff his meals, used to bring
in lots of fried and stewed oysters,
and many other things we soldiers
couldn't get. He nearly always
brought more than old Jeff could eat,
and jeff used to give us lots of good
things but after this fuss he'd always
throw everything that was left out of
the window, and wouldn't even give
us a smell to save our lives. He was
spunky old cuss, | tell you. He
wanted air and then he would be
taken out on to the rampant by two
captains, two ieutenants, two cor
porals and two privates and walked
around Cor fifteenminutes or half an
hour. These officers and men had to
surround him to keep the guards from
shooting him every time he went out.
The way he was fixed they couldn't
kill him without killing one Of the
othermen, and perhaps more. After
jeff collared me- one of the guards
drew his picture ON the wall, repre-
senting him dangling to the end of a
rope, with an inscription not very
complimentary to JEFF underneath it.
1t made the old fellow furious when
he saw it, and of course it was blamed
on me. He called the attention of
the officer of the guard to it, butdidn't
get much sympathy from him