The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-06-25
AN INTERESTING "REMINISCENCES.
The Last Days of the Southern Con.
1cdcFacy On the Wing

AN INTERESTING RENIINISC GEN CE
The Last Days of the Southern Con.
icdcracy On the Wing.
A writer in the Southern Presby-
terian is giving historical reminis-
cences OF Charlotte, N. c., and in the
last issue tells Of the visit OF Jefferson
Davis to that town in the closing days
of the Confederacy
n site on TryOn street in front OF
the present express Office marks the
spot on the pavement where Jefferson
Davis stood on the 18th of April, 1868,
and received the telegram containing
his first intimatiOn. Of the assassination
OF Abraham Lincoln. | will try to
narratc the particulars of this as re-
lated by Il participant, my old friend
Col. William Johnston, who has done
SO much to adorn and develop North
Carolina.
was standing" says Col. Johnston,
ION my piazza on South Tryon street,
when | saw u mounted troop OF some
1900 men commanded by General
Vaughn of Mississippi riding down the
street, at the head OF whom rode three
distinguished looking leaders and the
middle figure | recognized as the
slender but erect and stately form of
the first and only Pre- sident of the
Confederacy. | rapidly crossed the
street and joined Mr.. Davis who had
then alighted and was hitching his
horse and on Offering to relieve him
received this gentle answer, My dear
sir, ] have so long been accustomed to
waiting on and doing for myself that
| can finish now but he cordially
took my arm and walked with me into
the house assigned us his lodging place
in Charlotte.
1.-The President had been expected
by rail and to the depot his host, q
Northern man who afterwards gave
much testimony about him, had gone
to meet his distinguished guest. The
locked doors of the house compelled us
to wait on the steps for the return of
the host, and the crowd which had
gathered in front grew larger and
larger and called eagerly on the chief
of their choice for what proved the
last speech which the leader of the lost
cause was ever to make. And waiting
on those steps, even in that trying
critical hour Mr.. Davis made u great
speech, clear, powerful, calm but sad !;
as If he knew it to bear his last father
ly words to his faithful people. Already
there seemed resting on him the
weight OF that cross which he was so
oooh thu oo hSdNiiJ w pCdi ioI VIC
South, which his pale worn features
showed he had ever borne since on
him had been placed the oath and
duties of his trying Office. And saddcr
still he grew when u telegraph official
pressed to his side and handed him
the message Of Lincolns sudden and
fearldl taking off, and caused his
anguished lips to eXclaim, This is an
extraordinary communication which
he repeated heavily and wearily as if
he were stunned OF daZed. He did not
as the crowd called on him to do, read
the message to others, but | took it
and read it aloud and saw its depres-
sing effect on his face. his speech, his
actio $, as If he realized that this
sudden and misguided stroke of an
obscure assassin would be misjudged
and inflicted upon his high minded
but now prostrate people of the South,
for whom he was willing and ready to
die but not to be misunderstood and
maligned. Mr.. Davis escorts TO
Charlotte were Mess. Benjamin,
Breckenridge, Reagan and Trenholm
of his cabinet, and his private sccre-
tary, Col. Harris. and his military
escort. The cabinet held several
meetings in the old Office OF the
Charlotte Observer which Mr.. Trcn-
llolih WAS UOO SlCh w dUUcHtl anu VIC
| proceedings OF which were never made
public. These meetings were, think,
the last ever held by the Confederate
cabinet, for Sherman was pressing
from Raleigh to Greensboro and here
the escort of Mr.. Davis disbanded,
| though some members of the cabinet
went with Mr.. Davis to Abbeville, s.
Co., and thence to Washington, Ga.
And then Mr.. Davis, who in the path
of Breckenridge ana Reagan was
making his way to Cuba, was over
taken at sunrise on the 10th of May
1865, in one of two tents which had
been pitched for his party, near IL little
swamp in pine forest near Irvinville,
Ga. by Col. Harnden who with l5t
picked men of the Fifth Wisconsin
regiment had been sent out from
Macon to effect his capture. The
captured party consisted OF the Pre-
silent, his wife and sisterinlaw, hi:
private secretary, Mr. Reagan, o
Texas, some teamsters and a few un
armed soldiers. Mr.. Davis in the colo
and darkness OF the dawn had thrown
shawl over his shoulders when
private of the First Michigan halted
him. Co. Harndcn then came up aut
first addressed the Postmaster General
Mr.. Reagan. who courteously said
69nJlcmen, you nave Udkeu ble Oh
general himself" The delay caused
by Mrs. Davis who wanted to go to he
home ia Mississippi had forced Genera
Basil Dukes cavalry escort to leav
the party the day before, and MI
Davis thought was the cause of hi
capture. All of the party were parole
except tho President whose subsequen
imprisonment is common history
, Col. Harnden's description OF TIN
fallen, chieftain was "tallish, thi
featured and nervous but very dignilic
, and stately, and one who would pas
, In any crowd as hightoned gentle
: man"