The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-01-05
THE c~oNFEDERATE SEAL.
Where the Inst Confederate Cabi-
net Meeting was Held-The Seal
OF the Young Nation Thrown Int
the Savannah River.
PENDLEToN, December &c.

IA few days ago you copied from the
New York SIN an Abbeviile letter
which stated that the last act of the
Confederate Cabinet took place ut Mr..
Bu1t's house in that village. Mr..
Thomas G. Perrin, like Mr.. Burt, is dead
now, but he told me that it was III a
room in his house, since burned to the
ground, that that last meeting of the
Cabinet took place, and remember be-
ing impressed with this coincidence,
that rs South Carolina was the first
State to scccdc, so Mr.. Perrin, (bring
in the Secession Convention. from Alb
beville.) was the first man who signed
the first Secession Ordinance, and now
in his house took place the last act Of
the Confederate Government.
Mr.. Perrin gave a different account OF
the disposal Of the Confederate seal
from that given by the SIMS cores
pendent. Mr.. Benjamin consulted Mr..
Perrin OF that point and proposed the
use Of fire. Mr.. Perrin told me he sug-
gested dcpositin2 it in the bosom Of the
Savannah when they should cross over
it.
| communicated this statement to you
some years ago and you published it.
when immediatel, there appeared an
other statement, to the effect that some
gentlemen in Abbeville, whose name l
cannot recall, has the Confederate seal
now in his possession" a.
The above article which VIC find
in the NcMS and courier induced us
to try to find out something about the
matter. For this purpose we called up
on Judges MCGOWAN and Cothran, and
after some solicitation obtained their
vi,ws. Judge MCGOWAN said !:
All l know about the last
meeting Of the Confederate Cabinet
in Abbcvillc, is this About the
first of May 1865, the President and
most Of the Cabinet arrived at Abbc-
Vile on their way to the west. possibly
over the Mississippi river, wnen il was
expected the war would be still carried
on. Mrs. Davis had been staying Cor
some time previous. with Mrs. Burt,
whom she had know in Washington.
Mr.. Davis therefore, and I think some
Of the Cabinet, went to the house of
Mr.. Burt. Mr.. Benjamin, Mallory and
others, went to the houses Of Judge
Wardlaw and Col. II. G.. Perrin, which
were in the immediate vicinity. The
three houses were in u stones throw Of
each other.
The party staid in Abbevillc several
days, and during that time were almost
constantly with each other. | lived in
a different part OF the town, but called
several times tt see the President, and
always found him with some Of the
ut har Onptlarnn, of III hNisn IF Mr.
Burt, tnow Norwood's.)
/ have no personal knowledge Of any
formal Cabinet meeting, but have no
doubt they had such. probably more
than orr, and perhaps ut both the hons
es Of Mr.. Burt and Col. Perrin. where
mo It of the gentlemen were staying.
J we'll remember calling at the house
Of Mr.. Burt, to see the President. I,
was about O'Clock, at night, and the
President came into the room with a
pistol hncllcd around him, saying, as he
entered. that, lit was tho first time since
the commencement Of the war, that he
had thought it necessary to provide fol
his personal safety" Intelligence had
Just reached them, that a body Of caval-
ry under une General Brown of the
Federal army was trying to cut off thu
party from going west, and possibly
were then at Anderson C. H.. or in has
ty march towards the Savannah river
for that purpose. This intelligence and
the small escort which accompanied
them. had induced the conclusion tha,
the party should in. mediatcly recon.
inence their westward journey. They
left that night, | think ab II 10 o'clock
| never heard anything about the Con.
fcderate seal. Did not know that it wa.
in the party. There were wagons with
them, which it was said, were loaded
with bullion belonging to the banks IL
Richmond and probably the Confeder,
ate Government. The rumor after.
wards was, that at the river or at som
point beyond, these wagons were raidcd
but as TO the truth Of this rumor, | new.
er knew. =
Judge Cothran said II had Just re.
turned home from the army, when Mr.
Davis and his party arrived ut Abbeville
My family was sick, aud my business in
much confusion, so that | have no grcav
knowledge Of what occurred here. ]
know that the Presidant and some O
the members OF. the Cabinet stopped al
Mr.. Burt's. whore Mrs. Norwood now
lives. Several members Of the Cabine,
and Of the Presidents staff were at Col
II. c. Perrin's and do not know If the
President was ever there. Ny impress
sior IS that the President was in feeble
heal andthcy went to him. [ ncve,
heard anything Of the seal and did no
know it was along.
From all this we are inclined to think
that the last Cabinet meeting was held
at Mr.. Burts. Ifany OF our reader.
know anything Of these matters WI