The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-03

turned over to Maj. r. r. Wood, quar-
termaster, by Maj r. J. Moses, also of
the quartermasters department, and this
transfer is held to be THE Last Order of
the Confederate Government" given at
Washington, Wilkes county, Georgia, May
s. 1866.
1t is in accord with the truth of his
tory" therefore. to state that Washing
ton, Ga, and not Abbeville, S. c., was
the sad scene of the final ACKNOWLEDGMENT
of the confederate states government.
Secretary Breckenridge and Secretary
Benjamin went in one direction, while
Secretary Davis and Secretary Mallory
took their own course. This left Postmas-
ter General Reagan the sole cabinet COM
panion of President Davis, whose party
moved southwark, with view to reach
the Florida coast and escape to Cuba or
some other point outside this country.
Their journey, however, was as short as
their progress was slow, for early on the
morning of May 10 the party was cap
tured near Irwinville, in Irwin county,
Georgia, by a Michigan cavalry squadron,
under Lieut. Col. B. d. Pritchard Presi-
dent Davis was imprisoned at Fortress
Monroe, Va, while Postmaster
General Reagan was sent to
Fort Warren, in Boston har-
Dor, where Vice President A. H. stephens
was also confined. Thus ended the turbu-
lent and exciting cabinet experiences that
began at OdHNllle, V d. ApIli w. ana end
ed, as a party at Washington, Ga, On
May 5. AS individuals, however, these
cabinet officers had further and thrilling
experiences. AS late as Aug. Gen. Sheri-
dan telegraphed Gen. Grant that among
the prominent confederates who had gore
to Mexico through San Antonio, Tex, were
Secretary Breckenridge, Secretary Benja-
min and Col Burton N. Harrison, the
private secretary of President Davis
There is one feature of the movements
of President Davis and his cabinet that is
Ssurprisingy and that is the rather ignor-
ance of the civil and military authorities
of the United States as to their where
abouts or movements. Even the disdn>
guished Gen. George H. Thomas. in com
mand at Nashville, Tenn, telegraphed on
April q to Gen. c. G. Washburn, a Men,
phis, a report that President Davis was
endeavoring to escape across the MissiS-
sppi river, escorted by a picked body Of
cavalry. This report no doubt came from
a telegram sent by the Secretary of War
at Washington, D. c., to Gen Candy, at
New Orleans, on April rs, that President
Lincoln having disapproved the Sherman
Johnston agreement" he thought Jeffcr-
son Davis and his companions would no
doubt take advantage of the armistice to
escape to Europe or Mexico with a large
amount of plumber in specie, and ordering
Candy to take measures to arrest Davis
and any of his confederates. On April 20
Gen. Washburn. at Memphis, sent Gen.
Napoleon j. T. Dana, commanding the
department of Mississippi, the Third
United States colored regiment, under Gen.
Osborne, to help intercept and capture JEFF
ferson Davis and his cabinet, and Gen.
Banks expressed the opinion that the re-
ward of 100000 was sufficient to prevent
his escape, especially as any measures re-
sulting to his capture would doubtless be
approved by government At Washington.
1t seems, however that Cen Dana was
not quite so confident but was alarmed
by the fear that the fugitive President
might seize some small boats then up the
Yazoo river, load them with his dismount-
ed cavalry and come down the river and
capture a gun boat, etc. SO he telegraph
ed on May l to Lit. Cowsler Hoel of the
U. S. steamer indicator, these fears,
and advised him to use every precaution
against "a daring attempt at surprise"
Acting Rear Admiral S. p. Lee, command
ing the Mississippi squadron, from his
flagship Tempest, at Baton Rouge, La,
on May 3, advised Gen. Heron that no
steamers should be allowed to land be-
tween that place and Helena until the s.
cape or capture of Jefferson Davis was de-
termined. He also suggested large caval-
ry scouts of the country adjacent with
view to capture Davis and his cabinet and
other leaders, On May Col. Crosby tel
egraphed Gen. Heron that he had learned
from reliable % source" that jeff Davis
was then in the vicinity of his plantation
in Mississippi, or had been, and would at
tempt to cross there. Gen. Hood was
supposed to be with him. But Col. Dickey
reported to Gen. Heron on May II that
Davis crossed the river at Bayou Sara
and stopped at Centreville on Sunday
night, and that Gen. Hood and others also
crossed at Liberty the same day. And yet
while all this tempest in a teapot was
stirring up the army and navy of the
Mississippi department, President Davis
was in the Caroinas and Georgia, slowly
moving away from Gen. Sherman's army,
There is another brief chapter TO this
narrative, the capture at Waldo. Fla, on
June &c. of President Davis private trunk,
rife and two large boxes containing his
private papers. They were carried to
Jacksonville by Capt. Bryant, assistant
provost marshal, acting under orders from
Gen. Wedges, and then sent to headquar-
tiers at Hilton Head, s. G. Gen. Gilmore,
in command there, reported to the Secre-
tary of War the capture of this baggage,
and that among the papers were the
Opinions" given by the Confederate cab
met at Charlotte, N. c., on the Johnston-
Sherman agreement" and the future of
the confederacy. When the baggage
reached Washington 1t created a great
stir. Adjutant General Townsend tele-
graphed Gen. Wedges at Jacksonville that
certain boxes, containing papers and ef-
fects of JEFF Davis, seized by your order
in Florida, have reached the war depart
ment. They appear to have been opened
and ransacked before they were forwarded
by you" Then followed a demand for
a full report of the capture, condition and
care of the baggage while in Florida. Gen.
Wedges protested that he opened the boxes
in his private Office, with only two or three
of his staff officers present, and that moth
some confederate writing paper, were TAX
en- out. He also gave the particulars of
the capture of the baggage. A enegro
named James Jones, who said he was a
wagon driver in the confederate service
brought the things to Waldo in a wagon
He said he started from Richmond with
President Davis, but got separated from
the party after leaving Charlotte, N. C.,
and he and the confederate soldiers with
him came on to Florida as the presidents
party had started out to reach the coast
here, and sail for Cuba AS the capture
took place near United States Senator Yu-
lees home, he was mixed up with the af-
fair. and in consequence sent to Fort Pu-
laski, at Savannah. although he made a
lengthy AFFIDAVIT showing that the bag