The morning news., 1888-03-08
CURIOUS CONDOLENCES.
The Landing Of the Last Cargo of
Slaves in this Country
From the Brunswick (GaD Journal.

From the Brunswick (Gd) Journal
A curious coincidence is that the last
cargo of slaves brought to the United
States was landed on Jekyl Island, which is
now the rendezvous of Northern mil
lionaires
A law had been passed prohibiting the
importation of slaves and was stringently
enforced, but Charles A. l.. Lamar, a
wealthy citizen of Savannah, chartered the
famous ship Wanderer, and obtained a
cargo Of negroes on the coast of Guinea. An
attempt was made to land near Savannah
and then at Port Royal, but the officers of
the law were found to be on the alert at
those points, and the Wanderer was
brought to Jekyl, where a landing was
effected
Mr.. Lamar was arrested, however, and
subjected TO great inconvenience, but
managed finally to escape the penalty of
the act r" the expenditure of large sum
of money and through the influence of his
family and friends.
Speaking of curious condolences, it is
wonderful how many in connection with
the late war occurred in the vicinity of
Washington, a beautiful village in the
interior of Georgia. The parents of JEFF
ferson Davis lived at Washington, his
father having been buried there Mr.
Davis was born accidentally in Ken
tucky, near the birthplace of Abraham
Lincoln. Alexander II. Stephens, Vice
President of the Confederacy, was born
about six miles from Washington, and
Robert TOombs, Secretary of State, was a
native and resident of the place, while Rea-
gan, Campbell and Walker, members of the
Confederate Cabinet, were born in the vi
cinity. The last official acts of the Confed-
crate government were performed in Wash
ington, thus constituting it the Capital of
the Confederacy, hence at one time this
country had two capitals, and both were
named Washington. Washington, Ga,
was the first town named for the father of
his country
After the fall of Richmond and Lees
surrender, President Davis and his Cabinet
had stopped in Charlotte, N. c., to await
the result of the negotiation pending the
surrender of Johnson's army. When the
information came that the Federal authori-
ties had rejected the cartel arranged by
Gen John G. Breckinridge, the Secretary
of War, Mr.. Davis, set out to join the re
mainder of the Confederate forces in Ala
bama.
What was left of the Confederate Treas
ury, between S5O0,000 and 5000, 900, had
been sent to Abbeville, S. c., by rail, which
was transferred to wagons and sent across
the Savannah river. When the vicinity of
the little village of Danburg, about twelve
miles from Washington, was reached, a
party of raiders fell upon the treasure train
and captured most of the money The Fed
erals were in hot pursuit and succeeded in
recovering about 1926, 900.
This circumstance has given rise to almost
as many romantic tales of hidden treasure
as the story of Capt. Kidd, the celebrated
buccaneer. 1t was rumored at one time
that a large amount of the treasure had
been thrown into deep creek, near the
scene of the pillage. A number of gold
hunters hocked to the spot, the creek was
dredged, and the adjacent fields dug up and
sifted. One of the seekers more enterpris-
ing than the rest damned up the creek and
pumped the water out by means of a steam
engine, but no trace of the hidden treasure
was ever discovered.
After the last Cabinet meeting of the
Confederacy at Washington, the members
separated, going in different directions.
Mr. Davis and Postmaster General Reagan
went toward Macon and were captured
May 10, 1865, near the village of Irwin
willie, which is about 175 miles north of
Brunswick.