Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-10-09
A REBEL PARROT.
How 1t Saved Judah P. Benjamin FROM
Being Captured:

How 1t Saved Judah p. Benjamin FROM
Being Captured:
General Forney, of Alabama, told
good story of the war, not long ago. In
cloak-room of the House of Representa-
tives He heard it from the lips OF
Confederate officer, who got 1t direct
from Judah p Benjamin, the Gonfeder-
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. Tho
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 wreaked upon any members OF
the Confederate Cabinet who were cap
tured. BENJAMIN struck out for himself.
lie tried to make his way 70 the seas
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. lie understood
that there was a large reward offered
for his arrest. The country was secured
by Federal cavalry and several times ne
narrowly escaped capture. He finally
reached the boundary Of Florida and
Georgia It was unsafe for him to APP
ply at plantations for shelter. He slept
in thickets and wherever he thought 1t
would be safe. One night, hungry and
footsore, he went to sleep upon bed OF
pine needles in scrub of saw palmettoS::
Soon after daylight he awoke. A sharp
falsetto voice shouted: "Hurrah ~for
Jefr'
Il startled him. At first he thought
that it came IRON some Yankee trooper
on his trail, and trying to lure him out,
The moclIing-birds were singing in the
pine trees above the palmettos, and
finches were twittering in the tops.
Occasionally cardinal groesbeak flew
over him, All the time, however, he
heard the words: ''Hurrah for Ietfr' uts
tered in the shrill falsetto tone. Atlast
he ventured to raise his head and eau
tiously peer over tho scrubby palmettos.
Nobody was in sight. He raised himself
to his full height, which was very short,
and looked around him.
'Hurrah for Jeffr' was repeated. He
saw, a few yards away, parrot sitting
upon the limb of burned pine. He
quickly concluded that the owner of the
bird could be trusted. He approached
the parrot, which gazed at him with ap-
parent interest, and thep began to
whistle Away Down in Dixie" Amo-
ment afterwards the bird flew hundred
yards or more and again shouted: ''IIur-
rah for Jeffr'
Benjamin followed and soon arrived at
plantation in the edge of hammock,
shaded with live oaks. Its owner lived
in a large log house, with a cartway
through the middle. The chimneys
were built upon the outside Of the
dwelling, and there was a row of negro
quarters near by. 81 AL Cracker sat
upon the stOop handling half-naked
boy upon his knee. benjamin asked him
If he Owned the parrot. He replied that
he did, and added; isThat birds rale
old rebel, like the rest of U.S.
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
CIV,