Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1890-09-04
a Good Rebel Bird.

Gen Forney OF Alaba ma told
good story of the war, not long ago,
in Il cloak of the house of rep
resentatives. He heard it from the
lips of tn, n confederate officer, who
got it direct from Judah u. Ben jamin
the confederate secretary of state.
Jefferson Davis and his en- binet were
ut some little town in 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 the in
dignatiOn of the north over Lincoln's
death would he so great that sum-
mary vengeance would be wreaked
upon any members of the confeder
! ate cabinet who were captured. Ben
! iamin struck out tor himself. He
tried to make his way to the sea-
coast and take his chances OF escap-
ing to Europe He had little money.
At first he was assisted by members
of his own religious faith. But in
time his supplies ran out and he had
anything but IL pleasant experience.
He understood that there was a
large reward offered for his arrest.
The country was secured by federal
cavalry and several times had mar
rowly escaped capture. He finally
reached the boundary OF Florida and
Georgia. 1t was unsafe for him to
apply at plantations for shelter. He
slept in thickets and wherever he
thought it would be safe. One night,
hungry and iootsore, he went to
sleep upon Il bed of pine needles in a
scrub of saw palmettos. Soon after
daylight he awoke. A sharp falsetto
voice shouted: "Hurrah for .Jet1l'
Itstartled him. A. first he thought
that it came from some Yankee
trooper on his trail, and trying to
lure him out. The mocking birds
were singing i'll the pine trees above
the palmettos, and finches were
twitterine in the tops. Occasionally
a cardinal groesbeak flew over him
All the time, however, he heard the
r words: "Hurrah for Jeff" uttered in
the shrill falsettO tone. At last he
ventured to raise his head and eau
tiously peep over the scrubhy pal
mettos. Nobody was in sight. He
raisv d himself TO his full height
, which was very short, and looked
, around him.
"Hurrah for Jeff!' was repeated
He saw, a few yards away, a parro'
sitting upon the limb of burned
pine. He quickly concluded that thu
, owner of the bird could be trusted
. He approached the parrot which
, gazed with apparent interest, ant
. then began to whistle away Dow
in Dixie" A moment afterward tn
bird flew hundred yards or NOR
and again shouted: ''Hurrah 70
Jeff"
Benjamin followed and soon ar
g rived at plantation in the edge @
II hammock, shaded with live oaks
h It's owner lived in a large log house
% with a cartway through the middle
y The chimneys were built upon tn
; outside of the dwelling, and ther
= was row of negro quarters by
% A tall Cracker sat upon stoO
= dandling a half-naked boy upon hi
10 knee. Benjamin asked him if he OWL
- ed the parrot, He replied that h
+ did, and added: THAT birds Il raj
- old rebel. like the rest of us"
70 Thereupon Ben amin made himse
- known, and was treated with the u
y most hospitality. More than tina
u the Cracker gave him a mule an
Il saddle and after that he had n
: difficulty in making his way to IL
>. coast.-New York Sun.