Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-07-16

On tho 20th of April General Fry notified
me that the armistice would end the next
day and he advised me- to move on" l
decided TO retrace my steps. thinking IL
more than probable tnat PRESIDENT DAVIS
would hear OF Mrs. Davis being left in
| Abbeyille. Accordingly we left Augusta
on the 23d. arrived at Washington the
| same day. formed train again. and start
| cd for Abbevills. On the way we met Mrs.
President DAVIS and family. escorted by
Mr.. Burton Harrison, the Presidents pri-
yete secretary. l have forgotten where
they said they were gong. IL they toid me.
THREATS MADE TO sEIzEIr.
Irnon our arrival Mt Abbeville, which
yas' think. about tho 18th. We stored tho
| treasure IN an empty warehouse aud
placed a guard over il. The town was
| mil of naroled men from General Lees
army. Threats we're made by these men
10 seize the money. but the guard re-
NAMED frm. On the night of May lst
was aroused by the officer commanding
the patrol and told that the Yankees
were coming" We transferred the trea;
sure 10 the tram Of cars which / had
| ordered TO be kept ready with steam up.
| intending TO run TO Newbcrry.
Just at daybresk, as we were ready to
start. we saw some horsemen descending
the hills, and upon sending, out scouts
| learned that they were the advance guard
About 10 A. NJ. May 2. 1865, President
Davis and his Cabinet Save Messrs. Tren-
| holm and Davis rode in. They were es-
corted bv four skeleton brigades of cav
alry-not more than 1000 badly-armed
| mon in all. These eIiRades were, think.
| Dukes, Dibbrell's. Saughan's, and For
guson's. The train was long one. There
Sere many brigadier- generals present
General Bragg among them-and wagons
| innumerable.
TURNED OVER TO GENERAL DUKE.
| Ibad seyeral interviews with President
| DAVIS and found him calm and composed.
and resolute 70 n degree. As soon as saw
| Mr. Mallory be directed me TO deliver the
treasure TO General Basil Duke and dis
| band nv command. iwent to the depot,
and there. IN the presence OF my COM
| mand, transferred it accordingly. Generai
| Duke was on horseback. and no papers
| passed. The Charlotte company immedi-
| ately started for home, accompanied by
! our best wishes. j have dim recollection
that a keg of cents was presented 10 Cap
tain Tabb for distribution among his men
and that the magnificent present was In
dignautly declined. o.,
Duke intact SO far as ! knew, though some
of il was taken at Danville by dahoriiy. IL
had been guarded ty the Confederate
midsnipmen for thirty days and preserVed
by them. In my opinion this - what no
other organization could have done III
those days.
GALLANT CORPS.
And here ! must pay tribute TO these
Young men-many of them mere lads
who stood by me for so many anxious days.
Their training and discipline showed It
self conspicuously during that time.
During the march across South Carolina.
footsore and ragged as they had become
by that time, no murmur escaped tnem
and they never faltered. | am sure that
MIR. DAVIS and Mr. Mallory. if they were
alive, would testify to the fact that when
they saw the corps in Abbeville, way-worn
and weary after its long march. 1t pre-
sented the Same undaunted front as when
II left Richmond. They were staunch to
the last and verified the adage that blood
will tell"
The officers with me at this time were
Captain Rochelle, Surgeon Garrelson'
Paymaster Wheliss, aud Lieutenants PEEK
McGuIre, Sanxey, and Armistead. Lieu
tenants Peek, Mcclure. and Armistead
are living and will testify TO the truth or
the above narrative.
Immediately after turning the money
over to General Duke l disbanded my
command. And here ends my personal
knowledge of the Confederate treasure.
WHAT BECAME OF THE MONEY.
On the evening of May 2d the President
and troops started for Washington. Ga.
The next day the cavalry insisted upon
having soine of the m c.ey $50 it is stated.
and General breckenridge, with the con
sent of the President, | believe. paid out
TO them 500, 900. At least. that IS the sum,
| have seen stated. i know nothing OF II
myself. 1t was a wise proceeding on the
part of the General and 1t enabled the
poor worn-out men to reach their homes.
ITS DEPOSITION.
The remainder of the treasure was car
ried to Washington, Ga. Here Captain nj.
n Clark was appointed assistant treasurer,
and in frank and manly letter to the
Southern Historical Society Magazine tor De.
cenber. 1851, he tells of the disposition OF
a portion of the money. Some aiO,00O. ne
SAYS, was intrusted to two naval onlcers
for q special purpose--to take TO Eng
land, probably-but L happen to know
that this was not done, and TINS
money was never accounted for. ana
moderate sums were paid to various ON
GERS, whose vouchers he produces. Thus,
ii seems, he paid 81 800 10 two OF the Presi-
! dents Aids and the same amount 10 my
command. That is. he gavo us who bad
preserved the treasure for thirty days tho
same amount he gave TO each OF the Aids'
do not know who ordered this distribu-
ton, but we were very glad to get It, as
we were far from home aud penniless. IL
COVE US each twenty days pay.
NEVER ACCOUNTED FOR.
In my opinion good deal of the money
was never accounted for. and there re-
mains what sailors call Flemish Sc
count" of lt.
ISome of the above is transcribed with
the kind permission of tho Messrs. Serb
ner from my Recollections of Naval
. Officer" Charles Scribner's Sons, New
York. 1885,
THE MYSTERIOUS BOX.
Several years ago read in the papers
An account of O box beng left with q
! widow lady who lived, in 1865. near the
, pontoon bridge across the Savannah river.
IL was to this effect: The lady stated that
, on MAY 3, 1865, q party of gentlemen on
: theiI way from Abbeville TO Washington,
GA. stopped at her house and were long
/; time in consultation in her parlor. These
gentlemen were Mr. Davis and his Cabinet
beyond doubt. Upon leaving they gave
the lady box. which. they stated. was TOO
heavy to take with them. After they were
: gone the lady opened the box and found 1t
10 be full of iewelry. Somewhat embar-
rassed with so valuable gift, the lady sent
for her minister "a Baptist) and told him
t, the circumstances. BY his advice she
buried the box in,her garden secretly al
: night. A few days after, an officer rode
up to the house. inquired about the box,
and said he had been sent back for it. The
lady delivered 1t up, and the man went
\ | OFF.
= Now. believe this story to be true in
q every respect, aud | Furthermore believe
: that the box contained the iewelry which
. had been contributed BY patriotic Con.
{ federate ladies. The idea had been sug
: gested some time IN 1854, but was never
: fully carried out. Nevertheless. some
ladies' sacrificed their jewels, as have
reason TO know.
: As for the man who carried of the box
, whether he was really sent back for 1t oil
a was a desplcable thief will probably never
be known. but TO say the least. his action
I was, as our Scotch friends say, vera sus-
: peecious."
1 CAPTURE OF PRESIDENT DAVIS.
I Mr.. Davis wa captured on the morning
{. of NAV 9Th, Just week after my interview
0 with him at Abbeyille. There were with hin
. at the time lire. Davis aud three children
r Miss Howell her sister: Mr.. Reagan, fost
master-G General: Colonels Johnston, Luo
: book. and Wood, volunteer aids; Mr. Bur
a ton Harrison, secretary. and. 1 think. dr
: BarnWell, OF South Carolina. There may
d ha.o baan O.hors huf / d0 not know. ID