The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-04-07
HECAPTUREOFDAvI
STORY TOLD ny A MEMBER OF THE
FOURTH MICHIGAN CAVALRY.
The President of the Confedcrncy Was
Dressed in woman Clothing
and Carried "a Water Pail.
Thomas Lennon. in steuben und) RepuO-

Thomas Lennon, in Steuben Qnd) Repub-
lcan.
Pursuant to your request / have under
taken the task of writing the little l can
remember of the capture of Jefferson Da-
Wis. President of the Southern confederacy.
an event at which 1 was present and took
a part. The 1st of May. 1866, my regiment.
the Fourth Michigan Cavalry, and others
were laying at Macon. Ga. A scout from
my regiment discovered "Old Jef' and a
train travelling south through the country.
jeff was passing himself as a Yankee quar-
termaster buying supplies for the Yankee
army. This scouts name was William Will
son, and he was a native OF East Tennes-
see. On making this important discovery
he reported the fact to Colonel Minty, who
reported it to General Wilson The General
at once sent out his pet regiment. the First
wisconsin. This regiment had been gone
three days before General Wilson would
give his consent to our colonel to let us go.
When he did consent, however, we were at
once started out, and marched three days
under sealed orders; but on reaching Able
Vile our orders were opened and then we
knew for the first time what we were after.
The next afternoon we ran on to one of
Davis's wagons, which was loaded with
-four and ham. The wagon had broken
down and stood in the road. We had a
good square meal out of ham and flapjacks.
The regiment then marched a little ways
further and went into camp. Colonel Prich-
ard then sent orders around TO each COM
pany for all the men who had horses which
could march eighty miles to report at head
quarters. He detailed one company to go
think it was. The squad that reported to
headquarters numbered lS men, the regi-
ment at that time numbering 42S in all.
The one hundred and eighteen men Sc
lected to go started about 4 o'clock, and
had to make a detour TO head Jeff off. Our
squad got to a place named Irwinsville
darkey, of whom We made some inquiries.
He He told US there was e camp a, otom two
mile. The darkey was made to pilot the
command to where we got in sight OF the
lieutenant and twenty men to go and sur
round the camp on foot. When they had
the dSs r esas of f'Df the Command vent
in on a lope. There was a light
ter outside we could see him jump, out of
bed. We were sure then we had him.
The colonel stationed guards on that tent
was the very fine horse saddled and tied
right by the tent. But 1t was the first nignt
for twelve nights that JEFF had been with
his family. When everything was secure
the pickets were sent out for morning. 1t
About 8 o'clock our picket challenged a
soldier in rebel uniform: WHO comes
there % The answer he got was, Who be
Yanks." The rebel answered, You are just
the men We are after" He then wheeled
and ran, and our picket fired at him.
A SERIOUS MISTAKE.
Pretty soon the advance charged on our
picket and our reserve opened fire on them,
and it was reported that eleven saddles
were emptied by that volley. But the at
lacking party then fell back all the same
and formed a line of battle and came for
us again, and we had considerable skirmish-
ing with them. After awhile we made up
our minds we were fighting our own men,
or men who had the same kind of guns that
we had. So a sergeant in my company by
the name of Reason Right lay down behind
a log among them about a quarter of an
ing on each other. 1t turned out that the
men we took for enemies were a part of
the First Wisconsin regiment, which had
started out three days before we had. One
incident which l recall in this unfortunate
encounter: A comrade in my regiment, by
the name of John Hines, was talking to
a man on the other side. He said, Il do
a aps w y Yan oS sn1 He had hardly the words
spoken when the First Wisconsin cavalry
man shot him through the mouth. We lost
shot through the elbow Now in the mean
time we were under the impression that
jeff had an escort of two Thousand IeNan
It was now coming daylight and Mrs;
asked the guard if he would let her mother
go to the creek to get some water. y ans
guard told her Yes ana soon a very
her head and with a pail in her hand;
As she was passing, the guards one OF
that wears long boots Jeff's morning gown
had caught in one of the feathers he pulled
this out to the other guards and all COM
manded him to halt, but he kept going
carbines pointed at her husband. could not
stand it. any longer goa.s and aate rus ~ 5o fus shoot eot
the President of the Confederate states"
So the cat was out Of the bag and Jeff
wanted ,bsre w the also eoys eap 10 { snOe Some nsm Of then the rebel a%i
Cabinet; I think there we're twenty-one
persons in all. and six army wagons rh nre
away pattern; also the transfers or each
rig.
went into camp the night before, within
two and a half miles of JEFF, and the Fourth
them out; so they were so mad that they
would not help. to guard Jef pack to Ma
n nent 1 mor nShsa So sne JEFF sf'v Wss taken See out and
the regiment took a circle around him and
then left us with him.
OTHER INCIDENTS.
I remember another incident that occurred
at that time. There was a deserter from
the rebel army with us by the name of
Lynch. AS soon as we got into Davis's
camp he took Jeff's horse and went into
the woods with him a little ways. and II
was said he got $4,000 in gold out of the
saddle pockets. 1t is also told that there
was a Niger watching Lynch, who stole
the money from him. When he got back 10
Macon, the government agent wanted
Jef's horse. Lynch thought he had as good
a right to the horse as the agent, but he
could see they were going to take the horse
away from him anyway; so he went to
clean his gun, and, sitting with his back
to the horse, with the barrel resting on
his shoulder. pulled the trigger and shot
the horse. That ended the horse dispute.
He was shot. accidentally, of course, and
we were all glad, for we did not Ike the
agent.
When we went to Macon with Davis after
he was captured we did not know there
was a reward offered for him. On the sec
end days march there were small hand bills
posted at all the conspicuous places: *
Hundred Thousand Dollars for the capture
of JEFF Davis" When JEFF saw those bills
it made him sick; so he asked the Colonel
If he would not let him ride his horse.
for he said he was tired of riding in the
carriage. He was granted the privilege,
but his guard was doubled At every cross
roads he came 10, he would look UP and
down it, and once he made the expression
that if he could get three jumps ahead