The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1885-10-24
CAPTURE OF JEFF DAVIS.
Statement of tine Case by Capt.
IJ0Esn HI. Thompson, of the
Fourth Indiana Cavalry.

Editor Cincinnati Commercial Gazette:
Unavoidable circumstances have
prevented me from contradicting, at
an early date, the statements credited
to Lieut.. Harry Isgrigg, formerly Of
the Fourth Indiana Cavalry, which
appeared in the Commercial Gazette
in September last, concerning the cap
ture of Jefferson Davis, and | respect
fully request that You will allow me
space to correct some of those state
ments, as they should not be permitted
to go uncontradicted.
In the first place, Isgrigg was not
provost marshal at Macon at the time
Davis was captured, nor at any other
time Or place during the war No su-
perior officer, who knew Isgrigg, would
have placed him in any such position
of responsibility, as he was not only
unreliable and untrustworthy, but on
one occasion was reduced to the ranks
and disgraced before his regiment for
gross cowardice.
The statement that Davis was
brought into Macon by IsgrIgg in a
farm wagon is falsebood made out of
whole cloth, purely and simply. have
never seen it equaled for unblushing
falsity. As is well known to the conn
try, Jefferson Davis was captured by
the Fourth Michigan Cavalry x or
rather detachment of that regiment
under the command of Lieut.. Pritch-
ard, and Isgrigg bad no more to do
with his capture than "the man in the
mooD," and Isgrigg knows it. Ny
recollection is, that when Davis was
brought into Macon, and was taken to
headquarters, at the International Ho-
tel, Isgrigg was not even present, but
was in camp, outside the city limits.
The most unblushing falsehood of
all is the statement that "when we
stopped at the international Hotel and
were about to get ont of the wagon,
Capt. Thompson, meaning the writer
of this article, of the Fourth Indiana
Cavalry, drew his revolver to fire at
Davis" A more unjustifiable false
hood was never uttered in the same
number of words. 1t is true | was
present as Mr.. Davis ascended the
steps, standing perhaps within five or
six feet of him, but the idea of trying
or attempting to shoot him never en-
tered my head, nor do ! believe it was
thought of by any soldier present. As
Davis, his wife and private secretary
ascended the steps through the open
ranks of the soldiers present, the sol
diers faced inward and presented
arms, 10 which Mr.. Davis lifted his
hat in recognition of the compliment.
As he entered the hotel be turned par
TALLY around and again elevated his
hat, and then passed ont of sight, and
| saw him no more.
This is quite enough to refute the
willfuI falsehood that "Dayis, seeing
Thompson's purpose, cried out, For
Gods sake, Lieutenant, save my life "
Not a word was uttered to, nor by,
Mr.. Davis as he entered the hotel, nor
was there any mark Of disrespect ex-
hibited by any one toward him, but
the demeanor of the soldiers present
was that of men who felt they were
conqserors and Mr.. Davis was con
quered adversary, repel with indig
nation the impntation that any soldier
Of the Fourth Indiana Cavalry, ex-
cepting, possibly, Lieut.. Isgrigg, would
have been guilty of such base cow
ardiee as that sought to be fastened
Of me by the false utterances Of Har.
ry Isgrigg.
Publish this and much oblige
JoHN II, Thompson,
Late Captain Company 3, Fourth In
diana Cavalry.
Aurora, Ind, Oct H.