Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1890-09-04
a REBEL PARROT.
How 1t saved Judah p. Benjamin From
Reing Captured.


General Forney. Of Alabama, told a
good story Of the war not long ago. in
cloakroom Of the House Of Representa-
tives lie heard it from the lips Of
Confederate officer. who got il direct
from Judah p. Ben jamin, the Confeder-
ate Secretary Of State.
Jefferson Davis and his cabinet were
at some little town in Western North
Carolina. on their way 70 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 the indignation
Of the North over Lincoln's death would
be so great that summary vengeance
would be wroakod upon any members OF
the Confederate Cabinet who were cap
tured benjamin struck out for himself.
He tried 10 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 a large reward offered
for his arrest The country was secured
by Federal cavalry and several times he
narrowly escaped capture. lie finally
reached the boundary OF Florida and
Georgia 1t was unsafe for him to APP
ply at plantations for shelter He slept
in thickets 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
faIsetto voice shouted: "Hurrah for
Jefp
1t startled him. At first he thought
that it came from some Yankee trooper
on his trail. and trying TO lure him out.
The hooking birds were singing in the
pine trees above the palmettos, and
fnches were twittering in the tops
Occasionally a 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 fall height, which was very short,
and looked around him
"Hurrah FOR JEFF" was repeated. He
saw, few yards away, a parrot sitting
upon the limb OF burned pine He
quickly concluded that the owner Of the
bird could be trusted lie approached
the parrot which gazed at him with APP
parent interest and then began to
whistle Away Down in Dixie mo
ment afterwards the bird flew a hundred
yards Or moro and again shouted. "Hur-
rah for jeff
Benjamin followed and soon arrived at
a plantation in the edge Of a hammock,
shaded with live oaks. LIS owner lived
in large log house, with a cartway
through the middle The chimneys
we're built upon the outside Of the
dwelling and there was a row of negro
quarters near BY. A tail Cracker sat
upon the stoop handling haf-naleed
boy upon has knee. Benjamin asked him
il he owned the parrot. He replied that
he did, and added THAT birds a rale
old rebel. like the rest OF us.
Thereupon Benjamin made himself
known. and was treated with the utmost
hospitality. More than that, the Cracker
gave him a mule and saddle and after
that he had no difficulty in making his
way to the coast ~ T. sun