Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1885-10-24
CAPTURE OF JEFFERSON DAVIS,
Tho Ex-President Os the Southor.i
COnfeieracy Describes II.


COnfedsracy Describes II.
To the Editor Of the Near YorL, Hs,uld:
BEAUvoIR, MISS, September 9, 1880.
On my return, after Il protractcd au-
sence irom home, received IA slip from
your journal, which inclose for great
er convenience in noticin. It conien.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND, August 10, Is 6.
AT the recent reunion OF the veterans
of the 4th Indiana Cavalry in this city
Lieut.. lsgrigg, of the command, who
was provost marshal at Macon, Ga at
the time of the capture Of Jefferson
Davis, related the circumstances o1 The
capture. He described his particlpa
ton in the affair as follows: 81 went
out 10 the line of my jurisdiction to re-
ccive Davis. Two miles and half
from Macon he became my prisoner
and | brought him to the city in All old
farm wrgon 1t was vehicle with
great deal to condemn in the way OF
unsightliness. IL had weaknesses ali
over it, but sufficient strength to hold
Jefferson Davis, myself and his secrets
ry. The rebel chief sat between us,
aud over his head, from a pole fixed TO
the seat, hung the hoop-skirt, calico
wrapper and al old straw hood, which
formed his disguise when captured"
$50 Jeff. was disgnised"
eyes. IL is no use to question the
fact. The articles OF his custumc hung
from that pole. Davis bore himself
with the fortitude of brave man in
trouble. lie was courteous to me and
to the guard; talked freely Oh every
question but that relating to the result
of the war;"
"Wheu we stopped at the Intcrna-
| tional Hotel and were abou: to get out
of the wagon, Capt. Thompson, of the
ith Indiana cavalry, drew his revolver
to fire at Davis. l saw his movement,
struck the weapon with my arm, and
the bullet tore my coat and shirt. At
the moment Davis, seeing Thompson's
purpose, cried out: "FOr God sake,
lieutenant, save my life!" l got the
prisoner out of the wagon and into the
hotel with good deal of alacrity.
''After that l met Davis at the Louis
vile Hotel in 1872, when he recognized
me, ana, approaching, said: Il must
thank you again, Lieut.. l,grigg, for
saving my life We had quite a chat
about the war then. Before this had
received letter of thanks from him.
He was my prisoner eight days, to-
| )
commissary of his guard. These three
we took into Macon in an old family
carriage. jeff was not sulky as pris-
oner, but one could see that the break
ing of the cOnfederacy bore grievously
on his Thoughts"
Though accustomed to see slanderOus
publications in regard to myself have
+ read this with no little surprise, because
of the total absence of any foundation
or pretext on which to build the fiction
| avail myself of your usual courtesy
in asking You to publish this seriatim
refutatiOn of the several statements of
the story.
1t is not true, as stated, that l was
turned over to the custody of one Lieut..
isgrigg two and half miles Cor any
other distance) from Macon. The
troops by whom / was captured
remaiued my guard to Macon, and
detachment of them accompanied me to
Fortress Monroe in charge of their own
officers.
, Equally untrue is it that l rode with
Q the said Isgrigg and my secretary (or
I with any one else) in can old farm
wagon" My private secretary, Burton
N. Harrison, ESQ.,, now a member of
e the bar of New York, was captured
: with me, and rode on horseback to
q Macon. had for several days occu-
: pied an ambulance with my wife and
O children, and rode into Macon in it.
: There was no such cowardly attempt
to offer insult to me as would have been
| shown by hanging over my head the
g articles Of clothing which lsgrigg false
r ly AYERS had worn at the time of ny
}. capture. Nor did my captors obtain
k at the time of my capture the hoop
skirt, ETC., which Isgrigg describes, un.
less they were found among the apparel
taken when the trunks of my wife and
u her female servant were pillaged.
: On our arrival ut the hotel in Macon
small body of troops in front of the
+ entrance were at open ranks, facing i'll
;. ward. When l got out of the ambu
!, lance to enter the hotel they presented
y arms while passed through, and re-
- ceived the salute as an expression O
the feeling brave men show to faller
y foe.
e The story of "Capt. Thompson, of the
4th Indiana cavalry" attempting to
shoot me as l entered the Macon Hote
is wholly fictitious, and l leave it tl
that regiment to repel the imputatioi
that one of its officers would have beer
d guilty of SO dastardly an assault OH 8
% prisoner.
le Upon that falsehood the narrator
"a hangs another, that | met him at the
% Louisville Hotel, in 1872, recognized
III him and renewed thanks to him s'tol
saving my life," and that l had prevl
ously written a letter of thanks to him
[ have not been in the Louisville Hotel
since the war; do not remember evel
to have seen or heard of this Lieut.
as lsgrigg at any time or place, and it is
st not true that, as he alleges, was eigh
lie days in his custody, or that have eve
st written to him letter of thanks. l re
10 mained in Macon but few hours, ant
,e was sent forward to Fortress Monroe
d the evening of the day of my arriva
,r there. Yours respectfully,