The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-10-22
4 RIDE FOR LIFE.
HOW ONE or THE CONFEDERATE CAB
MET OFFICERS ESCAPED.

gia When That """'o oection OF the
Country Was Patroiicd by Union Soldiers.
An Anxious Farmer.
Down among the piny woods of soutb-
ern Georgia jefferson Davis was captured.
Why he should ever have been captured in
that lonely land. supposing Of course that
be really wanted TO get away, SURPRISES
understanding I have ridden over the
ground and have visited that dismal. out
of the way town OF lrwinyille, Ga, which,
like Waterloo, narneless before. will now
be ever remembered.
After leaving South Carolina the COM
PAW. consisting Of Davis, his family, sew
eral members of the cabinet and an escort
of soldjery. crossed the Savannah river
near the old town Of Washington-by the
way. the first town named fer the father Of
his country in the United States There.
apprehending the approach Of Federal cav
airy. a general breakup took place. Davis
continued his way towary the south, still
encountered by q considerable wagon train,
until he crossed the Ocmulgee river at Poor
Robin Spring and camped at Asheyille.
Thence he started by the early dawn on that
weary Journey through the solitudes Of the
"wireerass." made still more solitary by
the war that had dcpopulated Georgia OF
all the men able TO bear musket, as well
as the boys sixteen 10 sixty was the
last decree OF the conscript act, and only
male faced and half famished women and
children remained to gazei in wonder at the
procession.
After the breaking up Of the cabinet Gen.
eral Breckenridge mounted his horse and
struck out for the Floridian peninsula.
Through lonesome byways, where the peo-
pie could not give directions which route to
pursue after 10 miles because they had new
err been farther, he rode and thus escaped
the Union troops, who were quartered at
different cities and towns across the penin-
sula from Jacksonville TO Tampa. 1t was
as wild ride as ever a man undertook, but
by avoiding the most populous sections
General Breckenridge finally reached safe
distance below the Gordon of troops lying
in wait for him and other refugees from the
fallen Confederacy.
Worn out, he rode up TO log cabinin the
dusk Of. evening and asked if he could get
shelter and refreshment for himself and
his horse and directions how to reach Char
lotte's harDor. Although dressed in citi-
zen's clothes his manners and striking ply
sique melted the curiosity of the squatter.
But true to the instincts OF that peculiar
race the latter agreed TO give the stranger
food and shelter and asked no questions.
staid day and night at that hospita-
BILE hut soon after and was the recipient Of
many kindnesses from the squatter. Said
he, in speaking Of the night that he enter
tanned General Breckenridge:
81 tell you | was mighty suspicious about
the Teller. / didn't exactly catch on to him
whether be was q Yank or Confed, but
knew he was one or the other. You see,
had stole 10 niggers from old man Norman
McDufiie, over at Pensacola, and had run
them down to Tampa and sold them just
about the breaking out OF the war. / sold
them for gold, several thousand dollars done
up in buckskin bags, regular old Spanish
gold in doubloons, and had the cash buried
under the corner of the smokehouse for
fear some of the strollers might find it,
either running after the Confeds or running
away from the Yankees. You see how sim
pie live now. / lived the same way then
plenty Of beef, venison, hog meat, milk,
butter hominy and potatoes. Sometimes
we had bear meat, and sometimes we had
cornbread; not often though, because tho
mill was 30 miles off, and we never fooled
with bears unless they got to Fostering our
hogs. As for biscuits, my young ones never
saw one, and they'd have put a coal Of fire
Oh one, just AS they'd have done to terra
pin If they'd found it in the road.
"Well, that fellow looked so queer and
suspicious that / felt skittish, but give
him the best we had and turned his horse
in the pea patch to help himself We sat
and talked awhile, but | saw he was tired,
so | showed him the bed, and me and my
wife laid down on pallet on the floor. The
more thought OF that man the more felt
uneasy about my money. So, after all were
sound asleep, / slipped out behind the
smokehouse to get It, not even stopping TO
put on my clothes, for fear of being watch.
ed In few minutes had it dug up, but
IL was so heavy that couldn't hardly tote
1t, and stubbed my toe as l crawled over
the bars.
Just then up came that blamed old
horse as II Old Nick was after him, and
before knew it he was right on TO me, and
then came chase that / don't ever want
TO go through with again. The capers OF
the horse swohe his master, and out he
came-a pistol in each hand. | got right
down on my knees and told him he might
take my money, but for the sake Of my
family prayed him to spare my life.
why, you numskull, l don't want
your money nor your life. Do you not guess
who | amp
"'No.'
L am General Breckenridge Of the Con-
federate cabinet, and all l desired was a
little rest. Now tell me the most direct
road TO Charlotte's harbor, and / will pay
my bill and get out
you don't owe RE cent, general, said
|, trembling like leaf, but for Gods sake
don't tell about my money II you get
caught
81 then caught his horse, saddled him.
filed up his saddlebags With beef and po-
tatOes, showed him the road, and be was
gone half an hour before | realized the fact
that had harborcd fugitive and at the
Same time given refuge TO one Of the lead