The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1892-10-07
NO. 4.
THE CONFEDERATE TREASURY.
LincOln's BrOther-in-Law Tells How the
Last $4,000 Was Divided.

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Last $4,000 Was Divided.
DIR. G. r. G. Todd, of BarnwelI. 8.
c., a distinguished surgeon of the Con-
fcderate Army and brother-in-law of
Abraham Lincoln, as well as connec-
ton by marriage with the Breckenridge
family of Kentucky, during his younger
days was often in company of Abraham
Lincoln, who married his sister. Thus,
by family ties and by association, he is
closely connected with Breckenridge
and Lincoln, who were both Presidential
candidates in 1860.
Dr. Todd was in charge of the Con-
fcderate hospital at Charleston, under
Gen. Hardee, and was with the party of
the fugitive Confederate Cabinet when
it disbanded. He describes the divi-
sion of the last money of the Confed-
crate Treasury, a matter much dis
cussed in the newspapers a few years
ago.
"a great deal has been said about it"
said he, "but, so far as know, no de-
scription of it is on record. I was there
in the room when the money was paid
out, and saw the whole proceeding.
Indeed, l am partly responsible for the
division of it at the time. I had been
with the soldiers coming down, and
heard the Kentucky and Virginia troops
saying they were going to have some of
the money or have blood. told Breck-
inridge, who was the Secretary of War,
what [ had heard, and said that there
might be rioting and bloodshed.
"'There may be rioting,' said he,
'but no bloodshed' I then suggested
to him the propriety of division of the
money among the soldiers, and he re-
piled I'VE will see about it. In the
party were the Confederate Cabinet and
the officers of the four brigades of
troops which were with US when we
crossed the Savannah river. We had
the last money of the Confederate
Treasry-$70, 900 in gold and silver,
besides some gold belonging to the
Bank of Richmond. The money was in
charge of Col. Morgan, brother of the
famous John Morgan. We crossed the
Savannah river on pontoons and went on
the road toward Washin gton, Ga. When
we had gone two miles from the river
we stopped at log cabin on the south
side of the road, and there the $40, 900
was paid out. Mr.. Davis had gone on
about four miles ahead of us with his
staff
In the cabin were John G. Breckin-
ridge, Secretary of War; Judah P. Ben
jamin, who looked as scared as the
devil and appeared to be panic stricken;
General Bragg, the commander of the
four brigades, and Colonel Morgan, who
had charge of the money.
1.-The division was made bv caucus
of the men. Those present were
Vaughn's, DeBrells, Basil Dukes and
Humphrey Marshall's brigades. Mar
shall was then under arrest, and his bri-
gade was in charge of Colonel W. C. p.
Breckenridge The census of the SOL
diers was the reverse of Porter's. Some
of the brigades returned fictitious names
in order to get more money. The di-
vision was $26. 25 for each man. officers
and common soldiers faring alike Some
of them, by stufing the census, got as
much as $36 head. Divide $4,000
Wy So1 anu you Will SoS HOW nauy
q, 666 mem were returned by the CEN
sus of the four brigades. In the paying
out we finally came to keg of silver
ingots-pieces 8 by inches square.
They opened box of gold belonging to
the Bank of Richmond. 1t was about
18 inches long and 10 or II inches
wide, and contained purses of gold,
They made rough estimate of the
value of that gold and of the keg of sill
yer and exchanged them. In that way
l got some gold. Then they carried
the Bank of Richmond money to the
bank at Washington, Ga, and depos-
tied it. They took none of it, except a
little box, for which they substituted
the keg of silver ingots. While the
money was being divided out, Colonel
Morgan paid man five dollars an hour
to guard it. When we got through
Morgan took the remaining money and
drove it away in the dark, Thence it
landed in the bank at Washington, Ga.
I know only by hearsay, but am salts
fled that the information was correct,
that the Bank of Richmond sent for its
money, and on its way the men guard
ing it were attacked by marauders. The
guard was temporarily dispersed, and
the marauders got some of the money
before they We're driven of. Atlanta
Constitution.