The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-07-26

Tho True Story In Relation tn Putting fct'
tcrs on Him at Fort Monroe.

Of the deceased ex-President IF the deiunct
| Confederate States IL was written 10 Nj.
Titlows brother, Captain Jerome 1itlow, VINO
| was "A resident Of North Coventry and also o,
/ Pottstown before the war but who enlisted
In the army and was on duty at Fort Monroe
for some time ia charge Of The prisoners con-
fined At that fort If historic fame.
In the memoirs q Jefferson Davis, written
by his widow. the matter of the Confederate
President having been placed in shackles was
alluded TO. which the Chicago lnter-Qcean
! took exception TO- declaring that Mr.. DAVIS
bad not been placed il letters as stated. his
/ denial meeting the eve OF Captain Inflow. ne
wrote TO tho Inter Ocean the facts OF the case,
asserting positively that he himself ~ warden
| or Iailer at. Fort Monroe when MIR. DAVIS
was captured and brought there; had been
/ ordered by his superior officer % place SNACK
les upon the fallen Confederate chief. and that
/ be had carried this order into effect as
! directed aud placed the letters upon niIn.
The letter OF Mrs. Davis % Captain 1itlow
thanks the latter for his statement and Tor
| giving the truth of the matter. and also tells
/ him that she will send him copy Of her
book In regard 10 Captain Jerome Titlow,
| the Jailer Of JEFF. Davis. II may be remarked
that he resided in Elizabeth City county, near
Fort Monroe, for twenty years or more alter
the war; and was several times sheriff OF thai
county. lie is now residing at or near koa'
noke. IN South Dakota engaged n the peace
full pursuits of agriculture.
To the above the Leavenworth KAN Times
adds the following;
The following letter was received by On en-
| ploye of the Time, from his father and is
OF such general interest that We give it to tho
public:
"RolNoKE. S. d., July My Dear Son:
There has been much said and written about
Jefferson Davis III relation 20 putting letters
on him at Fort Monroe. Va. Some statements
are in part true and others are false, and some
Say he never was shackied.
On the morning Of Nay p, s6j. l was de-
tailed as officer of the day. and after guard
mount reported 10 General Nelson Miles for
special orders III regard b the three State
| prisoners Jefferson Davis. c. G. Clay and
| John Mitchel-whO were confined in separate
/ gun-roOms or classmates, the embrasues OF
which were closed with heavy iron bars look
ing out on the moat or ditch, which IS about
sixty feet wide. The irst room. OF casemate,
had but one door and two large windows
| facing tho inside Of the fort. The gun room
had two doors leading in from the casemate.
These were closed by heavy irOn-grated doors
and locked with padl0cks, and at each door
IN the gun-rOom with the prisoner were two
sentnels with loaded muskets and IN tue
csseinate were two more sentnels and OH
GERS OF the guard, all Of which were under
lock and key. the officer of the day having
charge OF the keys. The guard was relieved
every two hours, and that could only be done
windows OF the ca6emate were also grated
with iron bars. The prisoners occupied every
other gun-rOom and TIE guards not on duty
the intervening ones.
There was special guard mounted Of
eighty men for those three prisoners, and the
commandment Of the 1T could not give any
orders of any KIND to that special guard. IN
fact. he could not come within its lines
| There were four septnels on the parnpet
overhead, four on the glacs beyond the ditch
and SIX IN the fort in front OF the casemates
The above statement is just as ! found things
the day that Davis was shackled.
reported TO General Miles as the new
officer of the day The General said he had
special orders for me as 10 JET Davis. Hay
ing heard 1t rumored that mrning that
Davis was 10 be put in irons, ] said to the
General Il think can guess what IT Is
General We'll, what is II. Captain TO
put irons on Davis lie said That is it,
] said: When 10 you wish il d0ne,' He said.
The irons are not ready Then 1 said
Had we not better put them on toward
evening"" He said Yes ~ and ! could send
my orderly TO the blacksmiths and have him
meet me at that time with the leg irons, and
at the same time ne General Miles showed
me part Of n letter he had from Secretary
Stanton. in which he said that if he thought
the safety Of Davis required IT, he could put
irons on Davis, or words TO that ELECT he
matter WAS left optional with General Miles
as 10 whether Davis should be put in irons OF
not.
Just before the shutdown relief / sent my
orderly ont for q blacksmith TO meet me with
log irons at the casematc Soon after I went
down found the smith and the helper there.
then unlocked the door and told the guard
to let them pass that is, smith and helper
As / entered tie gun-room Davis Was sit
ting on the end or his cot or hospital bed
reading his Episcopal praycr-bOok. and as he
looked up. / said. Mr. Davis, have al un-
pleasant duty to execute" At the same mo-
ment. seeing the blacksmith with the irons, he
said: ~ gu do not intend 20 put letters on
me-" ] said: Those are my orders He
said: Those are orders for a slave; and no
man with soul IN him would obey
such ORDERS / then said Those are my
orders" Mr. Davis said. Il shall never
submit t. such IN indignity." He then
asked if General Miles had given that order.
Ny answer was in the affirmative. He said
he would like t. see General Miles. ! replied
that the General had just left the fort. Davis
then asked that the execution # the order
be postponed, and l should telegraph to the
President in his name. ] SAID: MI DAVIS,
you are an old solder and know what orders
are. Il is needless TO say that az officer is
bound to execute al order given him. Davis
said il was obvious that there could be no ne
cessty for such an order tomake hi- imprison-
ment.secure | said. Ny duty g 30 execute
this order and il is folly for you 10 resist
Davis answer was that lie w7s soldier and
knew how TO die and pointing to a sentinel.
said Let your men shoot me at once
few moments after that he placed his
foot on a stool. His quiet manner lei me
to think he would not resist. then said
Smith, do your work. AS the blacksmith
stopped TO place the clasp OF tie shackle
around his ankle Davis struck him "a violent
blow that threw him on the floor. lie re-
covered and at once made for Davis with his
wise and hammer and would have struck him
If | had not caught his arm as he was IN the
act Of striking. A moment after that / saw
Davis and one of the sentines struggling
both having hold of tho musket, Davis INST
below the shank If the bayonet The next
instant the sentinel had WTcnChed tho mus
ket from Davis hands / then ordered the
soldier TO his post and reprimanded him for
leaving now saw there would be trouble.
SO | ordered the officer of the guard to 60 out
and get four Of the best men # the guard
without side arms. and have them report 20
me at once few minutes later four stall
wsrt soldiers made their appearance. | said.
Men, | wish you to'take Mr. Davis, with as
little force as possible and place him on that
cot and hold him there till the smith is
through with his work"
As the men advanced Davis struck the first
or foremost man. but al four instantly closed
on him and showed him on the cot. Davis
showed unnatural strength It was all the four
men could do 10 hold him while the black
smith riveted the clasp around his ankle. his