Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1896-08-21
TALE OF TWO 9
Found Upon JEFF Davis !,
Was Captured. i

was O0psureu. Nh n He \
Gen Nathan Church,
gan representative Of the az, Michi-
the old staff officers, who ,,s.sste Of
captain TO colonel Of th.,za from
Twenty-sixth Michigan af rarnous
assistant aljutant general then to
Of staff under Gen. Miles, I Chief
with much pride while in Washed
ton five dollar gold piece that has
a wonderful history. When Gen.
Churah's regiment was to be
mustered out il 1865, Gen. Miles re
qucstel the war department to al
low him to retain his chief OF staff in
the service, which request was
granted, and for six months after
his regiment had gone home and I'M
til he declined to remain longer,
Gen. Church was with Gen. Miles at
Fort Monroe, their principal duty
being to guard their distinguished
prisoner of war, jefferson Davis
When captured Mr.. Davis had in
his pocket the gold piece in question
and Mexican silver dollar. Gen.
Church procured other similar pieces
and effected an exchange for the two
found in Mr.. Davis pocket. He re-
tanned the gold piece and gave the
dollar to Maj. Black, the Dakota
member of the four who were pres
ent at the recent exercises and who
had been his terminate. A few
mont hs thereafter MAI. Black was
showing his famous dollar at an
evening gathering, passing it from
one to another, when it suddenly
disappeared and he has ever since
mourned for his lost treasure.
Gen. Church had better luck, how
ever, with his gold piece, and while
he occasionally exhibited it to his
friends, carried it as much-prized
pocket piece for 20 years, when he
suddenly discovered that he had un-
Intentionally paid it out instead of
another similar piece of money he
carried with it, but to whom he had
not the slightest recollection. He
promptly directed the cashier of his
bank to lay aside any five dollar gold
pieces bearing the date of 1857 that
might pass through his hands in the
course of business, thinking there
might be possibly one chance in
million that the valuable keepsake
would some time make it's appear
ance. Six weeks afterward an old
farmer dropped IN and made small
deposit, when the cashier said to Mr..
Church: Here, see if that's the
gold piece you are looking for" He
took it and was overjoyed to find the
distinguishing marks he had placed
upon the coin when it first left Mr..
Davis pocket and found its way to
his own. Since then the precious
piece has been kept carefully
wrapped and safely secured against
another disappearance.
While in Paris five or six years
ago Gen. Church was a guest one
evening at the home Of wealthy
family who had formerly resided in
New York. In some way tho hostess
learned that he had helped to guard
Mr.. Davis while he was a prisoner of
war, and she said, with much ap-
parent satisfaction: II have a
Mexican dollar that was taken from
Mr.. Davis pocket at that time which
l value very highly" Without be-
traying the anxiety he felt, Mr..
Church asked when and where he
obtained it, and was told that it had
been presented to the late President
Andrew Johnson while he occupied
the white house, and that she being
his near relative it had fallen to her
on the distribution of his valuables
after President Johnson's death.
Gen. Church had no opportunity nor
inclination then to explain what he
knew of the old relic, but he has
now had an opportunity to personal
ly tell Maj Black where his long
lost dollar is, and he, too, may, like
Gen. Church, come again in due
time into possession of his own. =
Washington Post.