The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-03-29
SAVED BY HIS LITTLE GIRL.
An Attempt to Assassinate Jefferson Da-
Wis,

|
An Attempt to Assassinate Jefferson Da-
| Wis.
Every year for the first time some
startling event of the stirring scenes be-
tween '61 and '65 is told, which after.
ward becomes 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 but find
some account to suit him. 1t is hardly
probable that it will ever be known
whether or not he was in feminine attire
when captured, but this is of minor i'm.
portance, writes ]. W. Stevenson in the
Memphis appeal Avalanche, in compari-
son with the fact, now for the first time
published, that when the head of the
Southern Confederscy was imprisoned in
the United States transport Clyde, prior
to being transferred in Fortress Monroe,
he was tried by a mock court-martial,
sentenced to be shot, and only the ap-
pearance of his little daughter prevented
the appointed executiouer from pulling
the trigger that would undoubtedly have
sent bullet through his heart.
The determination to avengs the as
sassiuatiou of President Lincoln by sum.
marily ending the career Of Davis was
the result of a regular but unofficial trial
by number of officers on board the
United States steamer Poontoosuc, then
acting ss guard of the transport Clyde.
The man who was selected to carry out
the plan was Ensign James j. Kane, now
chaplain at the Brooklyn vavy yard, and
we'll 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 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 land
| ed at Fortress Monroe, was shrouded in
mystery. 1t was feared that the Union
soldiers would kill him at any opportun-
ity, and Col. Pritchard, of the Fourth
Michigan, and eighty men, were kept on
guard on the steamer Emile, and after
ward on the Clyde, to which the party
was transferred in Hampton Roads.
Among the prisoners, besides Jeff Davis,
we're his wife and sister and three chill
dren Alexander q. Stephens, Mr.. Rea,
gan, Postmaster General of the Oonfed-
eracy; Clement O. Clay and wife, Gen.
Wheeler and staff, Coils. johnson and
Lubbock, of Davis staff; Maj. Morand,
Capt. Moody, Lieut.. Hathaway and sew.
eral privates. The party arrived oppo'
site 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
we're demands that he be shot from
! thousands of loyal people from 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 Lincoln.
Much of the talk of the officers on the
Pontoosuc mas naturally about the clos.
ing scenes of tie war and the prisoner
whom the ship was there to guard. The
chance that Davis might escape the
death punishment was looked upou as q
possible Disgrace to the honor of the re-
public that could only be averted by
summary action. This was the, finding
by the improvised court-martial, con-
sisting of 8 group of officers OH duty, ana
,Eusign Kane was appointed to kill Davis
at the first chance. The opportunity
came on May %. The Pontcosuc and
Clyde we're then lying within 300 yards
of each other. Ensign Kane and q mum.
ber of his brother officers met in his
room. The scene that followed is de-
scribed in his own words:
"Jeff Davis" said he, "was sitting in
steamer chair on the deck of the Clyde.
It was q clear day, and I could see him
as plainly as if he had been but 100
feet away. loaded an English rifle l
! had picked up on the battlefield of Fort
Fisher, and resting the muzzle in an air
port, aimed it at the heart of Davis. 1
feel confident I could have sent a bullet
to the target, but some influence prevent
ed me from pulling the trigger.
"'I can't do it, I said to my comrades,
but they urged me to fire, and told me |
would be justified in doing so. 1t would
be murder, said, and one of them an
swered: Think of the death of Lin
coln.' With that I took aim again and
even touched the trigger, but a psycholog-
ical force which I now think was of
divine origin prevented me from doing
the act which would have ruined me
forever afterward. I still hesitated how
ever, and was still aiming when the little
daughter of Davis came on the deck with
a lady who was probably her mother and
ran into her fathers arms. 1t vas then
impossible to shoot without endangering
the life of the little girl, and I laid up
the gun. A short time afterward and
before the child had left the arms of the
parent the vessels drifted apart, making
it impossible for any of the other officers
to do the killing.
II have been thankful ever since that
was restrained from doing what would
have been an extremely rash act, and L
have never until now related the Incl
dent, except with requirement of
secrecy"