Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-10-01

inches In the barrel and "a calibre. After
kfts efficiency was demonstrated In 30 dis
tinguished n manner ~ II was at Buena
Vista. 81 WAS always known thereafter
! throughout the country as the Mssls-
sippi rife.
As Mr.. Davis's regiment was mustered
into the service for the war; and II vas
impossible 10 say how long the war
would last. Il was deemed better that MIA
Joe Davis should take charge OF Briar-
field during his absence Montgomery
was not disturbed IN any way nor his
functions altered. lie was 10 do as ne nl-
ways had done. He only reported to Mr.
Joseph Davis instead OF Master Jeff"
Colonel Jefferson Davis was away about
a year. He was wounded in the foot at
Bucna Vista, and. his general health hav-
ing given way he thought 81 better 70
come home. IL was evident. too that the
heavy nghting OF the war was all over.
SO he left the regiment I'm comand Of Ma
lor Bradford. Lieutenant Colonel McClung
being severely wounded and unfit for duty.
ana returned home. lie was reelected to
congress 10Y an enthusiastic majority
mat fan. and soon after was elected
United States Senator.
ADMIRABLE MANAGER.
My business never suffered much dur
Ing my public ne" Mr.. Davis was ac-
customed 10 say. because / had such an
admirable manager and private secretary
In Ben Montgomery. For thirty years he
wrote all my business letters. signed my
bills OF lsding. and receipted for stores
from New orleans and elsewhere on one
OCCASION when ! WAS making some very
large purchases I'm New Orleans. sent
nearly 5000 in gold and bank-biIls 10
that city IN Ben Montcomery's charge ."
W 40
gomery rendered Mr.. Davis his greatest,
service In 1851. when the capital of the
ConfcderaCy was moved from Mont
gOmcry Ala. to Richmond. Of course
jefferson Davs's official duties made N
necessary for him 20 reside i'm tho latter
place. Joseph Davis. his brother. was
commissioned n Brigadier- General In the
Confederate Army This made the re-
sponsiblllty upon Montgomery the heaviest
perhaps that was ever laid upon a
slave. lie was in charge Of all the great
Hurricanes estates. and attended to the
business OF Joseph as we'll az Of Jeffer-
son Davis. OF course there was n white
general manager for all the estates, and
white ovcrsecr on each Of the three
places and the proper cultivation OF the
crop ana it's gathering. The purchasing
Of the stores necessary for such n vast
establishment az this was now. the ship
the money received for ~. were all en-
trusted to Ben. Montgomery.
In 1868, after Mr.. Lincoln had issued
his famous Emancipation Proclamation.
for the first time in his life Ben asked
permission 10 come to Richmond Mr..
Davis kept that letter to his dying day.
Dear Marse JEFF" Ben wrote. Il want
TO come 10 Richmond to see you. and I
want to come right away. Th"-e $ some
thing ] want TO tell you which | dare not
write SO do please let me come 10 Rich
mond at once. Your faithful servant,
Ben"
Mr.. Davis was little startled and
somewhat alarmed at the tone Of Ben's
letter. He could not imagine what in
the world that negro had I'm his mind.
or course he wrote Ben 20 come at once,
and sent him the necessary permit for
slave 10 travel.
"Marse Jeff" said Ben. when he ar
rived at Richmond, and had an opportu-
nifty 10 talk 10 his master occurred.
Il got something ! want TO tell you about
You know Mr.. Lincoln has issued what
he calls an Emancipation Proclamation.
and with it another proclamation con-
iiscatlnE the property OF certain arch
rebels. as he calls them. Now, they are
going to Couhscate your property just as
soon as they get a chance"
"How-hoW do you know all this.
Fen" said Mr.. Davis. a good bit startled.
"Oh. | hear all the news" said Ben.
land just as soon as they capture Wick
burg Ghis visit was I'm February Of
1861 thy will come up here and take pos
session of all your property"
HIS GREAT IDEA.
This made Mr.. Davis uneasy. What
4 TIL g.,
said he
Il tell you what ! was thinking said
Ben. rather hcsitatinFly. Suppose you
ana Master Joe sell me the Hurricanes
estate and do 1t before the Yankees cap
ture our country"
why. Ben. Mr. Davis said, "you are
q slave and can't hold property in M!ssis-
sipri"
Yes. that is true" said Ben, but you
set me free. Make out two sets Of the
free papers. Give me one set and keep
one yourself Then make out q third pa
per, which shall say that under certain
conditions the free papers will be can
cclled.
The conditions were that the FedcralS
should capture the city Of Nicksburg and
the Hurricanes estate. which lay eighteen
miles below
"Why. Ben. that's an excellent idea
Let me think over 1t a day or two" Mr..
Davis said
lie talked II over with his brother Joe.
II was important to both Of them that
they should have the income Of this es-
tate. II the Fcdcrals did capture Nicks-
burg. about the first property they would
contiscatc and loot would be the Hurri-
canes. 1t had on Il then over 300 bales
OF cotton. besides 10000 bushels OF corn,
and other valuable stores. Cotton was
worth - cents pound, and bale
weighed 500 pounds. But II this property
belonccd 10 "A negro who was freed before
the CAPTURE Of Nickshurg, then, under the
Emancipation Proclamation. this cotton
would be- his. and could not be seized 10y
the Federal cotton agents II was "A cum
ningly devised plan, thought the Davis
brothers. who. after consultation decided
90 adopt n.
Mr. Jefferson Davis loaned to Ben. for
the purpose of making the sale, 100000
ON ten vcars' time with interest at pei
cent Knowing there would be some
trouble about the matter, the legal papers
we're drawn with great care. judge
John A. Campbell, who resigned his place
ON the United States Supreme Bcnch wheu
the war began. was the attorney. At the
same time ne drew Ben's free papers IN
dupHcate. with a clause In eacn tha'
unJer certain conditions ttne suDSldl1'c
of which was contained In document NO
., the free papers should become null and
void " l.,
There was a great deal Of sensation IN
tho county when the news came 10 inc
women et home. and the men with the
Mississippi regiments IN the Held tha'
JefT Davis had set Ben Montgomery Tree
and had actually sold him his plantation
besides a good many people dld not
ike this They said 1t looked as though
Mr. Davis did not think the Confederacy
was going to succeed But Ben. obeyed
his orders regardless of the sIlk, ana hau
,h. deeds OF sale and the other papers
carefully recorded in the proper oihces
en- Warren county, Miss The sequel
showed that Ben. had acted most shrewdly
and wisely. lie sold coo bales OF the cot
TON 20 an English house that was able
I, get Il down TO New Orleans unino'
,esteJ and sent the money TO Mr.. DAVIS
I'm English soveregns. When Nicksburg
,,as capture, July and T. 1865. there
we're 900 bales OF cotton on the place
ana about 1900 bushels of corn. with
meal and pork enough to feed the hanos
until the coming fall
Ren's sagacity was shown In what ioI-
lowed Vicksburg had not fallen week
ana the Star-Spangled Banner only waved
two DAYS above the little fort close 10