The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-02-29
FOUND IN A STORE
MrXIoAN WAR RELICS SENT TO A
WICHITA MAN.

Descendant of General sterling Price Re-
ceives a sword aud shsckIes Which Fig
ured Prominently in the Lives of GEN
erals Grant. Price and jefferson Davis
and Also Cali mp the Capture of General
John :. Marmsduke by a 1o-Yesr-Old
Boy With a Decrepit Old Horse Pistol
Relics VIII go to Historical society.
on North Main street in a second
hand store there hangs sword and
pair Of hand cuffs. which are not placed
in the window for sale. and in fact.
these old relics could not be purchased
for small sum. but their owner. Chss.
Price. is talking OF sending them 10 the
State Historical society 10 be placed
there with the historical emblems pre-
served by the state.
The handcuffS. or more properly speak
ing. the shackels are Of the old Span
ish pattern, which are now used in Tur-
key and other benighted countries and
are kept by the Price family as relics
OF the time when General Sterling Price
found jefferson Davis confined in a
Mexican adobe, in the year 1S47, when
both General Price and jefferson Davis
We're fighting under the stars and
stripes of the United States in the Mex
can war. and were both counted as two
of General Scott's most valuable oftic-
eFs.
According TO the history which has
come down 10 Chas. Price, nephew OF
General Sterling Price. JEFF Davis was
assigned by General Scott, who was in
command. 10 DO some reconoitering for
the purpose of ascertaining the posi-
ton OF the enemy who were stationed
near the city Of Cuernavoca. and 10 re-
port TO Scott's headquarters which was
then located near the city OF Chichua-
hUa.
For this purpose Davis was given
squad of fifteen men and started upon
his mission. He and Price were great
friends and before leaving Davis came
TO Price and giving him some papers he
had in his possession, requested Price 10
obtain from Scott a squad of men and
follow up his trial If he did not return
inside of a fortnight, and in case he
was not found that the letters were to
be sent to his home in Mississippi.
The two friends parted and at the end
OF two weeks Price was sent out 10 hunt
up Davis and his men. After many
days Of seach. jeff Davis and eight OF
his men were found 20 be prisoners in
Mexican adobe. the remaining mem
Der of the scouting party having been
killed.
They had found their friends. but as
Price only had thirty men with him he
could not think of opening a regular
battle with the Mexicans who number
ed almost 700. 1t was then that Price
adopted his well-knOwn tactics SO often
seen during the late war. of dividing his
force and having one division make an
attack in one direction, While the re-
manning division kept themselves in the
dark.
This plan was adopted and twenty
men were sent under Lieutenant Grant.
10 make an attack upon the city of Cue
rpavacu from the north. and then to re-
treat. knowing full well that they would
be followed by the Mexican soldiers
Grant was just the man TO make such an
attack and with his men he soon es-
capped 10 the mountains closely follow
ed by the Mexican soldiers.
In the meantime Sterling Price sweep
ed down upon the prison and there
not only in prison, but each with shack
els on their legs. They were success
full in rescuing them from their position,
and as reward jeff Davis gave Price
the Spanish shackels which had been
locked around his legs for eight days.
These shackels are now on exhibition
by Charley Price. the second hand
dealer
The man who had charge Of the prison
was armed with an oldfashioned bow
backed sword. which was also carried
OF by the men as relies, and has came
to Mr.. Price. who is a nephew of the
man who at one time sent terror 10 hun
dreds of Kansas citizens since that
time. The sword is also on exhibition,
hut viii be sent to the State Historical
society in few days.
Among the eight men released with
Davis was man named Simpson. who
in after years became the father OF the
10-year-old boy who afterwards became
famous by making the arrest Of Prices
greatest general during the warden
eral John :. Marmaduke. This son OF
Sergeant Simpson made the arrest Of
General Marmaduke with an old horse
pistol. which had not had load in II or
a hammer for five years before the day
that Alarmaduke was captured. The
boy had picked it up for the purpose Of
killing a snake. but seeing Marmaduke
he brought IL 10 bear with telling effect
upon the great rebel general.
The old pistol is now in the possession
Of the Kansas Historical society. and
when Wichita's contingency is in the
hands Of the society the relies will Be
there for the entire story.
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