The daily enterprise. [volume] (Livingston, Mont.) 1883-1884, 1884-04-15
JEFFERSON DAVIS CAPTURE.
Description OF the Ana5r Gaven DS
an Eye. Witness, WhS Oughs 70
TX Zunxv.

an Eye. WICNCsS, $40
Know.
Burton N. Harrison, Jefferson Davis
private secretary, who was an eye-wit-
ness of the Confederate presidents cap
tnre. describes it in The Century rs
follows. I'VE were taken By surprise,
and not one of us exchanged shot WITH
the enemy. Col. johnson tells mo he
was the first prisoner taken. In mo-
nent. Col. Pritchard rode directly tor
and, pointing across the creek, said
what does that mean? Have you any
men with you?' Supposing the flring
vas done by our teamsters, ! replied
OF course we haye-den't you hear the
e. ing?' He seemed to be nettled atthe
leply, gave the order, Charge" and
boldly led the way himself across
the creek, nearly every man IN his
command following. Our camp was
left deserted for o few minutes, except
by one mounted soldier near Mrs.
Davis tent (wllo was afterward said to
have been stationed there by Col.
Pritchard in passing) and by the few
troopers who stopped to plunder our
wagons. I had been sleeping upon the
same size of the road with the tent oc-
cupieI by Mrs. Davis, and was then
standing very near it. Looking there,
[ saw her come out and heard her say
something to the soldier mentioned.
Perceiying she wanted him to move Off.
I approached and actually persuaded
the fellow to ride away. AS the soldier.
moved into TIC road and walked be-
side his horse the president emerged
| for the first time from the tent, at the
side farthest from us, and walked away
into the woods to the eastward and at
right angles to the road.
presently, looking around and OBJ
serving somebody had come out Of the
tent. the soldier turned his horses head
r:lti, reaching the spot he had first oc-
cupiel, was again approached by Mrs.
| Davis, who engaged him in converse
| ton. In minute this trooper was
| ioined by one or perhaps two OF his
| comrades, who either had Jagged be-
| hind the column and were just coming
| ND the road. or hal at the moment.
crossed over from the other (the vest
| s de, where few of them had fallen to
plundering, as have stated, instead OF
| charging over the creek. They re-
/ nlainet. oa horseback and soon became
! violent III their language with Mrs.
DAVIS. The order to halt wa5 called
| ont by one of them to the presi-
/ dent. Tt was not obeyed, and
was quickly repeated in loud voice
/ several times. AT least one of the men
| threatened to fire and pointed o carbino
at the president. Thereupon Mrs.
II n 11E
in apprehension, and the president
(who had now walked sixty or eighty
PAGES away into the unobstructed
| woods turned around and came back
/ rapidly to his wife, near the tent. At
i last one of the soldiers continued his
violent language TO Mrs. Davis, and the
president reproached him for such con-
/ duct to her, when one of them, seeing
/ ne face of the president as he stood
j :, ear and was talking, said, MIR. Davis.
| surrender! I recognize you, sir.
Pictures of the president were SO COM
mon that nearly or quite every man In
both armies knew his face.
i It was as yet scarcely daylight.
The president lad on q waterproof
cloak. He had u ed it when riding az a
J protection agaiyst the rain during the
night and mo ming preceding that last
t halt, and IL, had probably been sleep
!. ing. in Tat cloak at the moment when
the carp was attacked.
while all these things wero hap
! peging Miss Howell and the children
r-sfnained within the other tent. The
Il gentlemen of our party had, with the
: siagle exception Of Capt. Moody, al
slept on the west side OF the road and IN
J or near she wagons. They were, SO far
/ as know, paying no attention to wha.
!, was going Sn at the tents. | have since
talked with johnson, Wood and LnE,
book, and with others, about these mat
! tiers; and have not found there was
+ any one except Mrs Davis, the single
trooper at the tent, and myself. who
saw all thar occurred and heard all thai
was said at the time. Any onc else who
gives an account OF it has had to rely
upon hearsay or lis imagination for his
st-ry.