The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1889-10-16

.,scd by General Wilson for his capture;
The First wisconsin cavalry va oraercI
river, and Colonel Minty ~orlcrrsi out his
Did regiment. the Fourth MICHIGAN caval-
~. down the south or west ssdc OF the
and capture Mr.. Davis and the party with
him. Al Abbeyville, seventy miles south
OF aiacon, n ~. learned sh. a. D ssr.v n NEE,
the Ocnulgee and were moving south to-
wards Irwinsvilie.. Ga. thirty miles below
Colonel Pritchari. in command Of the
Fourth Michigan cavalry. .marched the
regiment rapidly down the river road. and
Vile late In the night and learned
that he had gotten in advance Of h Davis
~ Mny he CHARGED into the ramp Of the
'fieeing confctlcracy" and Mr.. Davis never
joined kerby Smith in Texas. Many false
about this capture and different regiments
given its credit. Now these are the facts:
Jetie,son Davis was captured by the
ing Of May I'd. 1855. at Irwinsville in south
err Georgia. With him were Mr.. Reagan
Mooly Of Mississippi. an old neish6or OF
Texas. Coionels Harrison and Johnson of
drcn. Maggie. some 10 years old jeff
abDut 4. Willie about 5 and "A girl baby.
a brother and sister of Mrs. Davis. a
white and one colored servant woman.
"a small force Of cavalry. IL few Others
and ~ small train of horses. mules.
Sasons and ambnlancs..: Am1ng the
presented tn Mrs. Davis by the citizens OF
Richmond during the heydey. of tile con-
pride OF the ex-prrsident himself. On the
11th of May, the next day after the cap
ture and while on our way back To Macon
as officer of the guard over the distin-
Ruishcd prisoner, l rod by the side of Mr..
Reagan now senator from Texas. l
found him a very fine gentleman. During
that sI.lv'A march 4. courier from Macon
notified in printed slips OF the $1uO.OoO re-.
ward offered for Mr.. Davis capture and
s~assination of President lincoln When
Mr.. Reagan read the notice he earnestly
protested that Mr.; Davis had no connec-
ton whatever with that sorrowful affair.
History has shown that he had none.
Besides the suit. of mems clothing worn
Mr. ~ Mr. DAVIS: large nS ra" w" a." f drrss or
robe. thrown over his own fine gray suit.
and ~ blanket shawl thrown ON over his
robe wer. finally deposited in the archives
of the war department at Washington 10y
order of Secretary Stanton. The story OF
the ''hoop skirt, sun bonnet and calico
had no existence. and was
started i'm the fertile brain OF the reporters
and Th In tine ~e il,' mnns in nap.rsi %f in"i aas:
connected with this capture, hut have
not the time now to relate them. or the
grew up. married and is now living in
Colorado. One Of the boys died early.
One grew tn manhood, married and died
with yellow fever near Memphis since the
war. and that ''Girl baby" grew mp to
womanhood and is now "a talented and
beautiful young lady and known as the
"Daughtcr of the Confedcracy."
My mind often revcrts To those days of
the war. and | often think of that scene
and the march back from Irwin~villc.G Ga.
through the >oInbcr pine woods. swamps
and plantations of southern Georgia.
There in the ambulance with his wife and
baby was Jefferson Davis. "a prisoner of
war. How weak and small had become
the head and front of that power against
which the mel in blu. had been 50 bat
ling. How had ihs. mighty fallen,