Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1892-08-13
LAST CONFEDERATE TREASURE
Dramatic Incidents In the Closing Scenes
Around bmO


rendered on the 9th of April, 1865. l
was in General Echols' cavalry in
southwest Virginia on our way to Gen.
eral Lees army, and at Christiansburg
we were surprised with the first inti-
nation of the surrender by struggling
paroled prisoners oil their way home.
General Echols then disbanded his
Virginia troops, but General Basil w.
Duke, who had but recently been ex-
changed, took command of his old
Kentucky squadron, Morgan's ken
lucky command, and made his way
south to Charlotte, N. c. Near states
Vile, n c., we encountered General
Palmcr's, federal, command, and our
Captain, Quirk. and Lieutenant Hans
ton Hopkins came in contact with q
scouting party from General Palmers
command, and in the fight which en-
sued Federal Lieutenant Campbell was
killed, and this lieutenant was said to
be tho Sergeant Campbell who had
killed General John II. Morgan at
Greenville, Tenn
We quartered in Charlotte several
days, during which the most eventful
periods of the dying confederacy oc-
CURED.
was present and heard the last
speech of the president, jeff Davis.
before the end came. lie stood on the
door ''sLoop' OF one Mr. Johnson and
told us, about seventy-five men. that
80, 900 stands OF arms surrendered by
General Lee were not the southern
army, and shat we would
make Il T~hermopylm of every mountain
pass and continue the war indeh-
nitely." But before he got warmed mp
in his speech Mr. Johnson handed him
IL telegram. The unusual disturbance
caused u breathless silence and q sus-
picion that all was not right. Mr..
Davis turned deathly pale and showed
! evident signs of deep emotion. At last
a soldier spoke ont loud, Read. it"
Mr.. Davis read in trembling voice:
DURHAM Station, y. c.. April Is, 1865 -
| President Lincoln was assassinated last
night a. Ford's thcater.
J. c. BREcxfSRIDGE.
1t has been said that we cheered
when this news was received, but such
is not the case. Mr. Davis sad spirit
was participated in by the crowd, but
when Mr.. Davis turned to retire into
the house we called loudly, "Go on
go on" but he never spoke as presi-
dent 10 a confederate soldier again.
We remained in Charlotte several
days for General breckenridge and
others of the cabinet 90 come up, and
about the Goth we moved west with
an accumulated cavalry force of about
400, but many dropped out of the
ranks en- route TO the Savannah river.
Whenever we made a halt of any kind
General Breckenridge then secretary
of war; would lie down in the road
and fall asleep and we had a hard time
TO awaken him when ready to start.
His recent work had completely eX-
hausted him.
When we arrived at Abbeville, 5. c.,
we took charge of the famous treasury,
with other effects and archives of the
c~onfederacy. We were in the night
before we could go on, and in the
hurry to get off one of the car
touche boxes was left on the plat
form at the railroad depot. w. p
Cole, a little red-headed lieutenant o.
Company | in Morgan's squadron
was commanding the rear guard thai
night, and came upon the box anc
took it up on his horse in front anc
carried it about fifteen or eighteen
miles to give it to the guard who hac
charge of the treasury. We, all knew
what it was and were waiting i'm
patiently for a division, which came il
! part at Morse's Landing, on the Saw
annah river, about eighteen miles cas-
b of Washington, Wilkes county, Ga
Private soldiers got $50 OF S32 in silver
/ | have now twelve of the identical dol
lars / got there. The officers 60
+, more. General bragg got - o00 !
, gold and grunbled because he got N
more. 1t was snid that Breckinridg
got Sl4, 600, but | think he got niue
more in trust, and here are nv reason
for thinking so: While at Morse's
!. Major Clark (Adjutant) came frOr
D JEFF Davis at Washington with a
order about IL o'clock at night, and
had to take the answer Immediately
! Clark did not return. | reached Wash
ingtou at about dav-break, delivere
: my message, and was ordered to wal
{ for a reply, and as it was the custor
/. for carriers to read dispatches whe
not sealed | read mine, and this
! what it contained:
, Why has not General - come IL
\ with his regiment as escort! The countr
is being secured by m~araudiug scouts c
the enemy, and | fear we will suffe
violence at their hands il we meet wit
them. JEFF DAVIS, President.
: met General Breckinridge abou
four miles from Washington, comm
: west and delivered the dispatch, whel
Z he remarked to me:
/ Captain. you must be very tired.
4, He halted his command and studio
b the paper fully thirty minutes. l rod
5 back and looked in the wagons for tn
( money, but ii was non est, and som
|. of the bravest and most daring men {
4 our command were conspicuous b
r their absence namely; Charlie Sen
: pie, ordnance officer for Breckinridg,
Calvin Morgan. brother to j.. Il MOI
gan; William T. Davis, adjutant-ger
: eral for secretary of war; and tn
Major Clark already mentioned.
| left about five wagon loads
; money on the gallery of Morse
; house, and believe it wcc p,
into n BOAT and carried dC"a til
{ Savannah river and was shipped VI
Cuba to France. 1t was reported tn,
Mir. Trenholm was sick and did nj
come west of Greensboro, n. c., b,
| saw him in Washington. togeth,
with John II. Reagan, j. Z. BENJAMIN
Il and Braxton Bragg.
General Basil w. Duke was true
the end, and remained with his me
till there was only fourteen left Whe
we arrived at Charlottesville, Ca,
Alexander stephens dwelling hou:
; and in the front yard he made US
feeling speech and disbanded us to r
turn to our homes
T. took my parole at Augusta, Ga
q from General Mollinoux, and fearir
q that officers were to suffcr moro tina
a privates | took another parole fro
e General Wilson as private In Mace
the same day that jeff Davis and J.
< Reagan came in as prisoners to Mace
-
i Rev. Mr.. Jenkyn, lately installed
pastor OF the Rockland, Me-, Congr
10 gational church, expressed the bell
that the final end OF the incorrigib
!, wicked would be literal eternal deaf
:. or complete humiliation. One Of Il
= church council protested vigorous
!, against such q theory and a few othe
questioned the parson pretty sharpl
u but the council was mostly composs
Of liberal men and he VAS duly