Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1890-08-30
A REBEL PARROT.
now 1t Saved Judah p. benjamin From
Being Captured.

Being Captured.
General Forney, of Alabama, told a
good story of the war, not long ago, in a
cloalt-room of the House of Representa-
tives. He heard it from the lips of
Confederate officer, who got it direct
from Judah P. Benjamin, the Confeder-
ate Secretary of State.
Jefferson Davis and his cabinet were
at some little town in Western North
Carolina, on their way to Texas, after
Lees surrender, when they heard of the
assassination of Abraham Lincoln. The
news appalled, them. A council of war
was held. All felt that tho Indignation
of the North over Lincoln's death would
be so great that summary vengeance
would be wreaked upon any members Of
the Confederate Cabinet who were cup
tured. Benjamin struck out for himself.
He tried to make his way to the sea-
coast and take his chances of escaping
to Europe. He had little money. At
first he was assisted by members of his
own religious faith, but in time his sup
plies ran out and he had any thing but
pleasant experience. He understood
that there was large reward offered
for his arrest. The country was secured
by Federal cavalry and several times he
narrowly escaped capture. He finally
reached the boundary of Florida and
Georgia. 1t was unsafe for him to ap-
ply at plantations for shelter. He slept
in thiclsets and wherever he thought it
would be safe. One night, hungry and
footsore, he went to sleep upon bed OF
pine needles in a scrub of saw palmettos.
Soon after daylight he awoke. A sharp
falsetto voice shouted: "Hurrah for
Jeffr'
1t startled him. At first he thought
that it came from some Yankee trooper
on his trail and trying to lure him out
The mocking- birds were singing in the
pine trees above the paine ttos, and
finches were twittering in the tops.
Occasionally cardinal groesbeak flew
over him. All the time, however. he
heard the words: ''Hurrah for jeff" ut
tered in the shrill falsetto tone. Atlast
he ventured to raise his head and eau.
tiously peer over the scrubby palmettos.
Nobody was in sight. He raised himself
, to his full height, which was very short,
and looked around him.
"Hurrah for jeff" was repeated Ho
saw, a few yards away, a parrot sitting
upon the limb of burned pine. He
quickly concluded that the owner of tho
bird could be trusted. He approached
the parrot, which gazed at him with ap.
parent interest, and then began to
whistle away Down in Dixie" A mo-
ment afterwards the bird flew hundred
yards or more and again shouted: "Hur.
rah for Jeff!'
Benjamin followed and soon arrived at
plantation in the edge of hammock,
shaded with live oaks. Its owner lived
in large log house, with cartway
through the middle. The chimneys
were built upon tho outside of the
dwelling, and there was {, row of negro
quarters near by. A tall Cracker sal
upon the stoop dandling half-nal1ed
boy upon his knee. Benjamin asked hin.
if he owned the parrot. He replied that
he did, and added: THAT birds rale
old rebel, like the rest of u.s.
Thereupon Benjamin made himself
known, and was treated with the utmos'
hospitality. More than that, the Cracke;
gave him mule and saddle and after
that he had no difficulty in making his
way to the coast.-N. Y. Sun.