The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-03-15
CHOSEN TO KILL DAVIS
A Plot to Execute the Leader OF
the Confederacy.
How Chaplain Kane Once Took Aim II
the Southern Presidents Heart-His
Life Is Ne Saved by His Little Dough-
ter-An Interesting story.
lcorYR,cur. 1881

| Livery year LOT the urS6 I1Ino Some
startling event of the stirring scenes
between '61 and '65 is told which after
ward becomes 2 part of the history of
that momentous period.
| The story of the capture Of JEFF Davis
has been printed often and with facts
varying SO greatly that the northern or
| southern reader cannot help bat find
some account to suit him. It is hardly
| probable that it will ever be known
whether or not he was in feminine at
| tire when captured, but this is Of minor
| Importance in comparison with the fact,
| now for the first time published, that
when the head Of the southern confed-
eracy was imprisoned in the United
States transport Clyde. prior to being
| transferred to Fortress Monroe, he was
tried by a mock court-martial. sem
fenced to be shot, and only the appear
ance of his little daughter prevented
the appointed executioner from pulling
the trigger that would undoubtedly
have sent bullet through his heart
The determination to avenge the as
sassination of President Lincoln by sum-
marily ending the career of Davis was
the result of a regular but unofficial
trial by number of the officers on
board the United States steamer Pom
toosuc, then acting as guard Of the
transport Clyde. The man who was
selected to carry out the plan was En-
sign James j. Kane, now chaplain at
the Brooklyn navy yard, and well
known throughout the country as the
oldest chaplain in point of service in
the navy. Ensign Kane had served in
the navy from 1861. He was a capital
shot, the hero of many adventures, and.
like many others, at that time believed
the Scriptural requirement for the for
giveness of enemies did not extend far
enough to save the life of Davis.
The movements of the party that cap
tured Davis, from the time the capture
was made until the prize was safely
landed at Fortress Monroe, were
shrouded in mystery. 1t was feared
that the union soldiers would Kill him
at any opportunity, and Col. Pritchard,
of the Fourth Michigan, and eighty
men, were kept on guard aboard the
steamer Emile, and afterward on the
Clyde, to which the party was trans
ferred in Hampton Roads Among the
prisoners besides jeff Davis were his
wife and sister and three children;
Alexander I'll. Stephens, Mr. Reagan,
postmaster general of the confederacy;
Clement c. Clay and wife. Gen. Wheeler
and staff, Coils. johnson and Lubbock,
of Davis staff; Maj. Morand, Capt.
6u OF
privates. The party arrived opposite
Fortress Monroe on May 10, and orders
to land were not received until May %.
In the meantime the feeling against
Davis reached fever heat. There were
demands that he be shot from thousands
of loyal people of the north, and threats
of death on the lips of soldiers still in
the south, who believed Davis should
be hanged to avenge the death of Lin
coin.
Much of the talk of the officers on the
Pontoosuc was naturally about the
closing scenes of the war and the pris-
oner whom the ship was there to guard.
The chance that Davis might escape the
death punishment was looked upon as
possible disgrace to the honor of the
republic that could only be averted by
summary action. This was the finding
by the improvised court-martial, con-
sisting of a group Of officers off duty,
and Ensign Kane was appointed to kill
Davis at the first chance. The oppor-
tunity came on May 25. The Pontoosuc
and Clyde were then lying within three
hundred yards of each other. Epsign
Kane and number of his brother off,
GERS met in his room. The sceno that
followed is described IN his own words.
JEFF Davis" he said, twas sitting in
a steamer chair on the deck of tho
Clyde. 1t was clear day and l could
see him as plainly as If he had been but
one hundred feet away. I loaded an
Enfield rife l had picked up on the
battle field of Fort Fisher, and. resting
the muzzle in an air port, aimed it at the
heart of Davis. feel confident l could |
have sent bullet to the target, but
some influence prevented me from pull |
ing the trigger.
''I can't do it, I said to my COM
rades, but they urged me to fire and
told me would be justified in doing SO.
st would be murder said, and one of /
them answered: Think of the death of |
Lincoln With that 1 took aim again /
and even touched the trigger. but |
force l now think was of |
divine origin prevented me from doing |
the act which would have ruined mo /
forever after. / still hesitatcd, how |
ever. and was still aiming when the lit |
tie daughter of Davis came on deck with |
a lady who was probably her mother /
and ran into her fathers arms. 1t was /
then impossible to shoot without en-
the life Of the little girl and /
| laid up the gun. 4 short time after
ward and before the child had Left the
arms of its father the vessels drifted
apart. making it impossible for any Of
the other officers TO do the killing.
Il have been thankful ever since that
I YVES restrained from doing what would
have been an extremely rash act. and l
have never until now related the incl
dent except with a requirement OF Sc
crecy."
Chaplain Kane has been stationed a.
the Brooklyn navy yard for nearly
yea-. He received his commission IS
in 1868. although during the
war he acted IS minister when there
wasn't fighting 70 do.
One Of his closest friends throughout
the war was Admiral Porter, who /
planned with him a daring attempt 80
blow up the confederate fag-sbfp !
commanded By Admiral
Semmes. OF Alabama fame.
Admiral Po~ferss instructions we're