Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-12-07

| The story of the capture Of Jefferson Davis
will probably always remain q subject of bitter
| controversy, and now, at the time of his death,
the matter has been opened up afresh. Gen.
Edw. ID. Townsend, retired, ex-adjutant gen.
eral of the army, has very likely as authentic
information on that topic any other man.
STAR reporter had an interview with him
this morning at his home on 1 street. The
general is very vigorous despite his years, and
| his memory is as strong and fresh
as ever. He is inclined to the belief t Mr..
Davis was endeavorlng to escape in ,guise
when captured, although there is, to b : mind,
no foundation for the story that the = yitiye
was In womans clothes. Gen. TownseAi was.
at the time OF the capture, acting as i5<jutant
general and to him Col. Pritchard ,comrlk nding
the Michigan cavalry regiment that effeS ed the
capture afterward reported in detail zhe cir
cumstances of that event.
STORY OF THE CAPTURE.
when the camp in which Davis paEy was
hidden had been surroundeda party approached
the tents and soon noticed two fguros steal
Ing away in the dark. One was withoIa doubt
woman, and the other apparently ! oman.
When approached the apparent fema > threw
OIL the wraps and stood forth. This sas Mr.
Davis, and the garments he dscardeds were a
long waterproof cloak, or ''raglan,t as
believe 1t used to be called, and Z shawl
which had been tied over his head. Af.erward
these articles were obtained from NJ Davis
and Col. Pritchard sent them to me. Il kept
them, and when retired, a number a years
ago, turned them over to my successor. Gen.
ment. believe. Several efforts haze been
made by various persons to induce the Govern
ment TO return them, but without success.
THE STORY OF PENNSYLVANIA FLAa.
"Among other things::which were captured
with the prisoner was beautiful flag taat had
been taken by the confederate army from a
Pennsylvania regiment. This was found in
Mrs. Davis trunk. 1t was regarded Jas true
military booty and was sent to me. For many
years l held 1T, resisting with all my vigor a
number OF efforts made by the Pennsylvanians
to secure the banner, but bill was finally
passed by Congress and the department had to
send the flag north.
MR.. DAVIS CIGARS.
"Some of the things taken from the trunks
should not have been touched. For instance,
there was large quantity of fine cigars which
were slowed away here for a long time. At
last gentleman came to me with q note from
Mr.. Davis requesting the return of the cigars
and gladly gave them up. had occasion to
ture. for with Gen. Holt was called upon by
Secretary Stanton to devise plan for the dis
tributiOn of the reward money.
GEN. TowNsENDs BIBLICAL PLAN OF DISTRIBUTE
ING THE REWARD.
81 did the writing of most of the report and
adopted plan based partly on military princi-
pies and partly on biblical grounds. The mill
tary grounds were that Col. Pritchard's regi-
ment. which reached the camp first ahead of
the Wisconsin regiment, was entitled to the
money The biblical basis was that those men
who were posted around the camp to shut off
escape were entitled to just as much credit as
those who had hand i'll the actual capture.
My precedent the rule of David,
who declared that the soldiers who
stayed at the camp to guard the women and
the property should have share in the booty
of the army. This view pleased Secretary
Stanton and he approved my report, but Gen.
Wilson afterward went to Congress and had
the plan changed"