The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-07-22


ing or capturing all Of FORESTS men.
Learning of the events in Virginia and
the CarOlinas and the disappearance of the
Confederate leaders from Richmond, Viii
son distributed his brigades across the
states of Georgia and Florida TIC intercept
any columns moving toward the gulf. On
the eth of May, Colonel Pritchards de
tachment of the Fourth Michigan cavalry
left Macon and followed the southern bank
of the Ockmulgee About that date Davis
crossed the river, and on the 9th Pritchard
heard of the party and its train. Repre-
senting himself as the leader of party of
ConfederateS in Union disguise marching
to the relief of the fleeing executive he re
ceived from the citizens along the route
full particulars about the train and its per
sonnet, guards and proposed route. In this
way, by marching all night he rode up to
the camp of the fugitivcs at Irwinsville
surrounded il and made prisoners of all
the occupants before they could leave their
tents. The first warming in many cases
was Il Union cavalryman with drawn sa-
Der, standing at the tent openings and
challenging any who attempted to pass out.
y battle had been expected by Colonel
Pritchard. The well armed and mounted
guard and staff Of Davis had impressed
the people along the route, and they made
the most of their hopes in magnifying his
Before swooping down on the cluster of
tents he dispatched Lieutenant Purinton,
with % men, To the rear of the camp to
cut off all means of escape. This incident
led TO the tragic ending of the episode.
Before the captors could summon their
prisoners out of the tents several carbines
rang out on the still morning air in the di-
rection taken 10y Purinton's company.
Could it DC an ambush or the arrival of
Il, - 1,a
The Michigan men answered the shots, and
when Colonel Pritchard reached the scene
Of firing he found Lieutenant Purinton
and two troopers lying in their blood and
stretched in front of them several strange
cavalrymen. Shouting to his men TO cease
firing, he rode between the lines and hailed
their antagonists. What troops are
these:' First Wisconsin, Then we
are friends" The Wisconsin men had
been marching some days in a route paral-
lei 10 Pritchards and by singular fatal
ity had syvoopcd down from the opposite
side at exactly the same moment. The
camp lay in the woods, and in the deep
morning shadows they supposed that Pur-
inton's men were simply the camp guards
patrolling the last bivouac of the COnfed-
eracy.
The stories OF Davis disguise are con-
flicting. Colonel Pritchard received from
MIS- lDstNlS a waterproof NAp~AhN Va ASDt
and "a shawl - which she stated were
worn by her husband when arrested. The
colonel has also declared that he received
from men who saw the capture descrip-
ton of this disguise ten minutes after the
arrest. George Munger, who halted Davis,
said that he had on "a lady's waterproof
cloak or dress and red and black or black !
and white shawl, thrown over his head
and shoulders. over a suit of gray clothes |
and pair of cavalry boots" Munger su-
perior. Lieutenant Dickinson. who was
present stated that Davis had on n black |
dress and though il did not fit fairly at |
the neck il covered his form TO the boots.
The boots betrayed the disguise. n black |
shawl covered his head and shoulders. His |
identity was confirmed by the removal of
the shawl from his face
The claim Of Davis friends was that he |
was not disguised rs a woman; simply |
threw on the cloak and shawl to Keep of |
morning dampncsS.
GEORGE l.. KIIMER.