The morning call., 1891-08-19
SHACKLING JEFF DAVIS
The Officer Who Did 1t Describes
How the Work Was Done.
Putting Irons on the Prisoner Entirely 0p.
tional With General Miles Under
the Order He Received.

about Jefferson Davis in relation to putting
letters on him at Fortress Monroe, Va.
Some statements are in part true and
others are false, and some say he never was
shackled.
On the morning of May 90, 1865, was de-
tailed as officer of the day, and after guard
mount reported to General Nelson Miles
for special orders in regard to the three
State prisoners, Jefferson Davis, G. C. Clay
and John Mitchell, who were confined in
separate gun-roOms or classmates, the en-
brasures OF which were closed with heavy
iron bars. looking out on the moat or ditch,
which Is about sixty feet wide. The first
room or casemate had but one door and two
large windows facing the inside of the fort.
The gun-room had two doors leading in from
tile casemate. These were closed by heavy
iron grated doors and locked with padlocks,
and at each door in the gun-room
with t he prisoner were two sentinels with
loaded musketS, and in the casemate were
two more sentinels and officers of the guard,
all of which were under lock and key, the
officer of tile day having charge of the keys.
The guard was relieved every two hours,
and that could only be done in the presence
OF the officer of the day. The windows of
the classmates were also grated with iron
bars. The prisoners occupied every other
intervening ones.
There was a special guard mounted Of
eighty men for those three prisoners and
the commandant of the fort could not give
any orders of any kind to that special guard;
In TACT he could not come within its lines
Their o were four sentinels upon the parapet
overhead, four on the glacis beyond the
ditch and six in the fort in front of the case
mates. 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 that
he had special orders for me as to
JEFF Davis. Having heard it rumored
that morning that Davis was to be put in
irons said to the General: 81 think L can
guess what it is, General well, what is
He said: That is it, 1 said: when do
you wish 1t done?" He said: "The irons
are not ready" Then said: "Had we not
better put them on toward EVENING"" He
said: Yes and l could send my orderly
to the blacksmith's and have him meet me
at that time with the leg irons, and at the
same time he General Miles, showed me
ton. in which he said that if be thought the
safety OF Davis required it he could put
irons on Davis, or words to that effect. The
matter was left optional with General Miles
as to whether Davis should be put In irons
or not.
Just before the shutdown relief 1 sent my
orderly out for the blacksmith to meet me
with the leg irons at the casemate. Soon
after went down found the smith and his
helper there. l then unlocked the door and
told the guard to let them pass-that is,
the smith and helper.
AS l entered the gun-room Davis was sit
ting on the end Of his cot or hospital bed
reading his Episcopal prayer book, and as
he looked up. said: :" Mr.. Davis. L have
same moment seeing the blacksmith with
irons, he said: - You do not intend to put
fetters on me?" l said: Those are my or
ders." He said: Those are orders for
slave, and no man with soul in him would
are my orders" Mr.. Davis said: ~ shall
never submit to such an indignity" He
then asked if General Miles had given that
order. My answer was III the affirmative.
He said he would like to see General Miles.
! replied that the General had just left the
fort. Davis then asked that the execution
OF the order be postponed, and should tele-
graph to the President in his name. l said:
MIR. Davis, you are an old soldier and know
what OrderS are. 1t is needless 20 say that
an officer is bound to execute an order given
him." Davis said it was obvious that there
could be no necessity for such an order to
make his Imprisonment secure. l said:
My duty Is to execute this order, and il is
that he was a soldier and knew how to
die, and pointing to a sentinel, said: LET
your men shoot me at once"
A few moments after that he placed his
foot on stool; his quiet manner led me to
think he would not resist. 1 then said:
Smith, do your work" As the blacksmith
stopped to place the clasp of the shackIe
around his ankle, Davis struck him vio-
lent blow that threw him on the floor. He
recovered 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 l saw Davis and one of
the sentinels struggling, both having
hold of the musket, Davis Just below the
shank of the bayOnet. The next instant the
sentinel had wrenched the musket from
Davis hands. l then ordered the soldier 10
his post and reprimanded him for leaving
lnow saw there would be trouble, so ordered
the officer OF the guard to 20 out and get
four of the best men of the guard with out
side arms, and have them to report to me at
once. A few minutes afterwari four stall
wart 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 I'LL the smith is
through with his work"
As the men advanced Davis struck the
first or foremost man, but all four instantly
closed on him and showed him on the cot
Davis showed unnatural strength; it was all
the four men could do to hold I'M while the
blacksmith rveted the clasp around his
ankle. his helper holding sledge-hammer.
Inc otner clasp was locked on with brass
lock the same as is in use on freight cars. |
ordered the men to their quarters, and as
they passed out Davis lay perfectly motion
less. just as was going out Davis raised
from his cot and threw his feet on the floor,
and with the Changing of the chains he gave
way. | will say here that it was anything
but pleasant sight to me to see man like
Jefferson Davis shedding tears, but not one
word had he to say.
Two hours after l called to relieve the
guard ana found Davis lying on his cot. l
said: "Mr. Davis you can'trest we'll that way.
Ii you Will give me your word of honor that
you will give no more trouble in this matter
L will unlock the shackles so you can take
off your clothing" Captain, L assure YOU
there will be no more trouble. | was yery
much exasperated at the time; never ex-
pected to be subjected to such an indig-
nifty" l then unlocked the shackles, he
taking off his clothing, and locked it again
himself. JEROME TfTLoW.
Late Captain Third Pennsylvania Regi-
ment rtillery).-Leavenworth Times.