The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-20

regiment, was just Dehind. Believing It Cd De my
duty, as an ofhcer, to communicate with Colonel
| Pritchard, went, attended by my orderly. to
meet him. sending forward the command in
charge of lieutenant Clinton.
| Upon meeting Colonel Pritchard I gave him
all the information in my possession in regard to
| Jefferson Davis and his party. l informed him
| that MIR. Davis had passed that morning, going
| in the direction of Irwinvie. and that my com
mand was then in pursuit; ALSO that part Of
his train. with an escort, was somewhere yet on
/ the eastern side of the river. Colonel PritchArd
informed me that he had left Macon since bad,
and that he also had been sent after Jefferson
Davis, but until then had heard nothing of him;
| that his orders were to camp at Abbeville guard
| the ferry, and patrol the river. He asked me If
needed more men, but declined his offer, as
| thought my force ample to COPE with the enemy,
ana, both commands being without rations, it
was difficult to find subsistence for men and
horses Parting with Colonel Pritchard at about
o'clock p NJ, FASTENED on, and soon overlook
| my command When eight or ten miles from
Abbeville on back road, we came upon place
where the Davis party had stopped to feed and
rest They had left so recently that their fires
were yet burning. We pressed on until after
| dark, when, coming to water we halted. Hav-
| ing no corn, / gave orders to Craze the horses
| for short time, and to be ready for an early
| start in the morning. AT this time knew that
the Davis party were not far away: but sup
posed that were the Alapaha river, and
| that they had probably crossed over. l heard
] that the ford was bad and I did not want to
| come down the river in the night for fear OF
alarming Mr.. Davis, and thus enabling him to
escape on horseback under cover of the darkness.
ION May 10 we saddled UP and started before
| light We had proceeded ONE mile or so when
the advance was suddenly halted and ordered to
| dismount. Sergeant Hussey, who ex
! perenced soldier, thinking. of course, that he
| had come UPON the rebel pickets answered
| Friends at the same time giving the word to
| his six men to retreat, wnen a heavy yolly was
| fired upon him and his party. This was quickly
| followed by a second volly from the same source
[ called for ten men, and dashed ahead to the
| support of the advance, when we received
| third volly from what judged to be from
twenty or thirty muskets. 1t was dark that
we could distinguish no one and could only see
| the fire from their guns. which was almost in
our faces. This was in thick pine woods. The
rest of the command coming up. / quickly
formed a line. dismounting part Of my force
and then pressed on the enemy. The firing be-
came brisk on both Sides and the enemy were
soo1 forced back into swamp. At this juncture
my attention called to large party of
| mounted men coming down our left flank
Ordering Sergeant Horr, with few men, to
pursue the enemy with whom we had been first
engaged. and who were fast disappearing in the
swamp. turned with my remaining force
against the newcomers, whose numbers / could
see greatly outnumbered our own. The firing
now opened again with renewed spirit, but, for
tunately for us the fire of our opponents was
rather high. To this circumstance may be at
| tributed the fact that there were SO few casual
ties on our side. About this time I ordered
Lieutenant Clinton to prepare for a saber charge
with the mounted men. but just as was about
TO give the final order Sergeant Horr came run
ming up, saying that he had captured prisoner
and that our opponents were Union men. Upon
hearing this Immediately rushed in ahead of
our men and shouted to stop firing, which was
soon also stopped on the part of our opponents
II then rode forward and the first man met
to my great establishment was Colonel Pritch
ard. To my inquiries as to how he came to be
there and to be fighting US, he said that after
parting with me the evening before at Abbevie
he had selected $50 of his best-mounted men,
and taking what was called the river road, had
reached Irwinville in advance of us; and then,
hearing that some wagons were in camp about
one mile back in the woods he had just
rived at the spot as we we're coming up on the
ether side, and installing us for enemies, they
had fred upon US; and that while hostities
were going on some OF his command had cap.
tnred the wagon train near at hand. | inquired
If JEFF Davis was taken, but he said he did
not know who was captured. He and then
rode across little strip of swamp, forty or fifty
yards in width, and there found the train,
guarded by some of the Michigan regiment. The
first to whom we spoke said his name was Rea-
gan, and. said he. you have taken the old gen
tleman himself i said, DO you mean Jeffer-
son Davisp Yes said he, Il do mean President
Davis, and there lie is, pointing to TALL well
dressed, dgnlfed-looking man who was standing
by fire near at hand Colonel Pritchard and
then dismounted and went up to the gentleman,
salutng him, and asked if he were Mr.. Davis. 4
He said yes, he was President Davis. AT this
the soldiers standing around raised a shout that
old JEFF Davis was captured and one remarked:
What, that man jeff Davis? Why, he's the old
fellow that had shawl on
"Some desultory conversation then took place.
when noticed cask pitched out of one of the
wagons and a crowd quickly gather about 1t.
The chick, chick of hatchets was heard and then
the camp was filled with the smell of French
brandy / said to Colonel Pritchard The men
are at cask Of brandy, and If not stopped viii
soon be drunk, and then there will be trouble
The Colonel fastened at once to the place to re-
store order. In this party, all told, there were
soma thirty or forty persons. There were Mr..
and Mrs. Davis and several women and children,
Private Secretary Colonel Harrison, Post
master-sensral Reagan. of the late Con-
federacy; also, several paroled officers.
with servants, teamsters and others. Mr..
Davis did not at first appear to comprehend
what had taken place. He saw several wounded
and dead Union soldiers being brought in, and
he could not at first understand who had done
the fighting, as he knew his own party were not
in Acondtion to make resistance While Col.
Pritchard was away Mr.. Davis asked me which
OF US Two was the ranking officer replied that
did not know. He saw by our insignia Of rank
that we both were observation-disclosures. At this
he turned to some of his party. and with great
scorn said that things had evidently come to a
pretty pass in the United Safes army when the
troops did not know who their commanding
officers were, and that it was no wonder that the
men We're robbing ard p.undering
81 said to him. Mr.. Davis, came near max
ing your acquaintance three days ago; at Dub
lin.' How was thatg said he. l replied that I
was at Dublin only few hours after he had left
the place. and that if he lad tarried to fulfill his
engagement to dine with Judge hose should
probably have come up with him. Then be APP
peared to realize the fact that he had been pur-
sued for several days through all his windings
and turnings in the pine woods, and he turned
n M
can assure you that had you come up with me
at Dublin this thing would not have happened as
1t has, for then had those with me who would
not have permitted this indignity to
have been put upon me- HE evident
y alluded to the escort of cavalry which
continued on down on the other side of the Geo
nee with Breckenridge, and Benjamin. and 9th
ers of the rebel Cabinet from Dublin l very