The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-04-03
LAST OF A LIE.
CHASED TO ITS LIAR AND KILLED
AFTER MANY YEARS.

The Commander of the Troops Which Cap
tured President Davis, Exposes the Ri
diculous Story of His Disguise in a Wo-
mans Clothes.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn, March 60
The visit of the Wisconsin State COM
mission to tais city to finally fix the
positions of their troops at the Battles
of Chickamauga in preparation for
the location of monuments, has
brought to light the real facts as to the
capture of Jefferson Davis. The head
of the Confederacy has always been
misrepresented as dressed, when taken
prisoner, in woman's clothes and the
enormous hoop skirts then worn by
the gentle sex. Brigadier General
Henry Harnden, then lieuten-
ant colonel of the First Wisconsin
commission, and denies the current
stories as false in this particular. Gen.
Harnden, though now white haired
veteran of 73, grows indignant when
ever he talks of what he terms the
gross exaggerations ola very natural
action by Mr.. Davis. In relating the
story, he said:
May 9th, 1865, was specially de-
tailed from Macon with $50 picked
men of the First Wisconsin cavalry,
the only command then armed with
Spencer repeating carbines, by Gen.
James Il. Wilson to overtake and cap
ture Jefferson Davis, who was making
his way in the path of Breckinridge
and Benjamin, South, via Florida, to
Cuba. Our course described a circle
so that we were overtaken by Col.
Pritchard, who was sent out two days
later with the First Michigan cavalry.
'The latter pushed ahead during the
night as news cf $100, 1000 reward, Of
fered May 9th, had reached camp be-
fore his troops left but we come upon
them before day of May 10th. They
fred upon us in the dark, we replied
and drove them back, and capturing
Michigan cavalrymar, first discovered
we were fighting our own Soldiers.
Two of Col. Pritchard's men were
killed and a number wounded.
Davis was encamped with a party
Of forty Or fifty about six rods away
from the skirmishing lines, just over
a little swamp and asleep at the time,
but was awakened by the first firing
and dressing quickly, stepped out into
the door of his tent. AS he did so, a
private of the First Michigan cried
''halt," but did not know who he had
captured till I approached. The first
man I addressed was the Confederate
Postmaster General, Mr.. Reagan OF
Texas, since Senator, who very couri-
ously said: Gentlemen, you have
taken the old gentleman himself"
The soldier who arrested Mr.. Davis
said he had a shawl thrown over his
shoulder when he first saw him. I re-
ported this circumstance to General
Wilson when I returned to Macon
with the distinguished prisoner. The
story was telegraphed out from there,
and in the confusion by misunderstand-
ing the simple fact of wearing his
wife's shawl, was magnifed into a
ridiculous story that the President of
the Southern Confederacy was dis
guised in woman's clothes.
II have always brandedit as utterly
false, and frequently at post reunions
have made myself exceedingly unpo-
pular by denying this yarn, for un-
truths like that are sometimes pleasant
to believe. I would not injure Mr..
Davis if I could by allowing false
impression, which was unwillingly
instrumental in creating, to prevail.
''The capture took place in a forest
of pine trees near Irwinville, Irwin
county, Ga., where Mr.. Davis with his
small party had pitched two tents. The
party consisted ofMr. Davis and Rea-
gan Col. Harris, his private secretary
Mrs. Davis and her sister, teamsters
and few unarmed soldiers. The
larger fighting escort had left him the
day before, and Mr.. Davis appeared
very pettish, and blamed his wife in
my presence for delaying them. She
was on the way to her home in Missis-
sippi, and Mr.. Davis separation from
General Basil Dukes cavalry, and the
delay, cost him his liberty. The fall
len chieftain as he then appeared, was
tallish, but thin-featured and nervous,
but very dignifed and stately, and
would pass as high-toned gentleman
in any crowd. Hewas dressed modest
ly, but unusually well for the time"