Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1891-05-07
WHEELER AS A c0NFEDER ATE.
Prank Carpenter Tells the story 0fIIis
Tat Raaa

Last Raid.
The memoirs of Jefferson Davis by his
widow say but little about General Joe
Wheeler's connection with the last days
of the Confederacy General Wheeler
was the greatest cavalry leader of the
South, and he is as active now as when
he followed the fortunes of jefferson
Davis down into Georgia. He is short,
slim, nervous, wiry, little fellow of about
125 pounds weight. His black hair has
become tinged with gray, and white
strands are creeping into his full. black
beard. His heart is still young, how
ever, and though he has made a fortune
since the war closed, as planter, there
is nothing snobbish about him. and he is
one of the most popular Congressman at
Washington. He told me the other day
of his last days with Jefferson Davis.
Il saw him, said he, @when he was
still president, at Charlotte, N. c. He
had been driven away from Richmond,
but he still kept up his show of authority.
He held his cabinet meeting, and, among
the Others who were present at the time,
We're Wade Hampton, John G. Breckin-
ridge, Reagan, and myself. knew that
the war was over, and wanted Mr.
Davis to fly. He did not seem to think
as did, and he held cabinet meeting,
at which he told me he had decided to
move my troops on to Cokesborough, N.
G. then had eight brigades under me,
but l told Mr.. Davis that my men
thought the war was over, and thought
it doubtful whether | could hold them
together. Wade Hampton was more
sanguine, and he pompously said: Well,
General Wheeler's troops may not obey,
but whatever / order mine to do they
will do This put me in rather a bad
light, but | doubted what Hampton said.
Upon reaching my soldiers / found that
they had all disbanded, and the best /
could do was to get 500 men, who said
they-would stick to me and the presi-
dent. These 500 were splendid fellows,
and started with them toward Cokes-
borough, but soon received orders to go
toward Washington, in Georgia. AS /
went south | stopped at Yorkville, where
Mrs. Wade Hampton was, and called
upon her. She told me that General
Hampton had just come in, and a mo-
ment later he entered. He was as tired
and as sad man as have ever seen.
He had found that his boast about bring
ing his soldiers with him was an empty
one. He had to start out with a single
company, but his men had all dropped
off before he got to Yorkville, and he
had ridden 90 miles on a stretch in order
to get in. Well, from Yorkville, went on
south, but l received an order to disband
my troops before / reached Jefferson
Davis. had done so, and was lying
quietly in the woods in company with
several of my soldiers when company
of Federals discovered us. / had torn
the stars from my coat, and they could
not tell my rank. l finally told them
who was, and they said as wanted to
be with Jefferson Davis they would take
me to him. Thereupon they carried me
to Augusta, and put me on a boat in
company with jefferson Davis, Alexander
III. Stephens, Clement c. Clay, and John
ii. Reagan. This boat took us to Savan-
nah, and from thence we were carried to
the Northern prison. was sent to Fort
Delaware, but was released after time