The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-10-21
Where Davis was Captured.

Twice in the last two years, says Mr. II. ID.
Lumsden, in the Eastman (Ga.) Journal. |
have visited the spot where Mr.. Davis sur
rendered the last title to the Confederacy,
and / wish TO correct some errors and give
some correct information in regard to the
capture, given me by reliable citizens of IT.
win County, who carried me TO the spot and
pointed out the different positions of Mr..
Davis's camp and the positions OF the two
bodies of Federal cavalry. 1 took notes at
the time of my visit to the historic spot, but
they are mislaid and / shall write from MEM
DRY. Mr.. Davis was captured about two
miles from Irwinville mot IrwintOn) the
county seat of Irwin County, on the
road leading from Abbeville, Wilcox Coun-
ty, TO Irwinville. and about twenty-five
miles from the former place. Mr.. Davis and
party crossed the Ocmulgee near Abbeville,
Wilcox County, about twenty-five miles be-
low Hawkinsville, at a ferry called Poor
Robins" About 100 yards above this ferry
and fifty or seventy-five yards from the river
is remarkable spring, called Poor Robin"
spring / visited it when ice was on the
shrubs between the spring and Abbeville,
yet the water was quite warm and the young
man with me went in bathing, and said he
often did SO in the winter. The spring is
quite large, twenty-five feet square, and there
flows suite a large stream from it, 1t is said
diseases on man and beast. 1t is a fact known
by all old citizens that a horse with scratches
washed IN the spring few times is soon
cured.
From the ferry Mr. Davis and party came
came by Abbeville and took the road to
Irwinville. The Federal cavalry got on the
track of the party at the ferry of Abbeville,
and there they divided, the Michigan regi-
ment taking one road and the Wisconsin the
other. The party OF cavalrymen then took
the river at House Greek Road, after going
some little distance, found out that Mr.. Da-
Wis had not gone that road, so they left it
and came on to lrwinville. This village, al
though the cOunty-seat, contained only the
Courthouse, Jail, one store, and two dwell
ings. Finding at the village that Mr. Davis
had not passed, they then took the road back
toward Abbeville.
Mr.. Davis and party were unconscious of
being so closely pursued, and when they
came to where one OF those little piney
woods branches crosses the road and makes
little pond above the road, selected that
place for camp and pitched their tents to
the right of the road, on the side of the
branch next to Irwinville. There, under the
tall, waving pines (for there were no oaks at
at that season covered the whole face of the
country tired and worn out, they lay down
to seep.
There was only one house. near Mr. Davis
camp between there and Irwinvilie. 1t was
at this house the party who came around BY
Irwinville learned where he was camped. /
do not recollect whether ii was the Michigan
or Wisconsin party. They approached near
the camp and halted about daybreak or lust
before the party from the Irwinville side adj
yanced. The party from the Abbeville side,
who were some 900 or 400 wards from the
camp and perhaps waiting for the attack.
and mistaking their own men for Confeder-
ates, commenced firing, which was kept up
some time until they discovered their mis-
take. Several men were killed and one or
two horses.
Fright here, said my informant, "a fine
mare was killed, and, strange to state, there
is cican place and no grass growing there
after so many years. There are a great many
pine trees with places cut out of them. where
rellc-hunters have cut out the balls that
were lodged i'm the trees during the fight. 1t
is known a. the jeff Davis battle-ground IL
is fact that two or three large pines under
which Mr.. Davis camped have been struck
by lightning and are now dead. One was
burned down by one of the fires that peri
odically take place in the wire-grass coun-
try. The old man who lives near found,
after all had left, a carbnc or musket He
kept it bid for awhile but the rowing band
OF Yankee soldiers who few DAYS after
visited the place took it from him. and il /
mistake not, robbed him of all the money
he had, about twenty-five cents i'm silver
The old man and his house have both passed
away. A small plot of ground, perhaps half
an acre, devoid of wire-grass (for il is a fact
that wire-grass once dug or plowed up never
grows on the land, shows where the house
stood.