The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1898-10-13
A THRILLING HISTORICAL INCIDENT.
How. General Miles had Jefferson Davis
Overpowered and Shackeled.

said he had special orders for me to
jeff Davis. Having heard it rumor-
ed that morning that Davis was to
be put in irons, said to the general:
Il think I can guess what it is, gen.
eral 'Well, what is it, Captain
ITO put irons on DAVIS He said:
THAT is it" | said: when do you
wish ID DONE He said: The irons
are not ready" Then l said: Had
We not better put them on toward
evening" He said: Eyes, and l
could send my orderly to the black
smith and have him meet me at the
time with the leg irens. aud at the
same time be Gen. Miles, showed
me a part of a letter he had from
Secretary Stanton, in which he said
that if he thought the safety Of
Davis required it he could put irons
on Davis, or words to that effect
The matter was left optional to Gen.
Miles as to whether Davis should be
put in irons or not
Just before the sundown relief,
sent my orderly for the blacksmith
to meet me with the leg irons at the
case mate. Soon after / went down
L found the smith and his helper
there. 1 then unlocked the door
and told the guard to let them pass,
smith and helper.
AS entered the gun room Davis
was sitting on the end Of his cot, or
hospital bed reading an Episcopal
prayer book, and as he looked up /
said, "Mr Dayis, L have a disagreed
BILE duty to execute" At the same
moment, seeing the blacksmith with
the irons. he said: "You do not in
tend TO put letters on me?' said
''Those are my orders" He said:
''Those are orders for a slave, and no
man wit h a soul in him would obey
such orders / thsn said: CHOSE
are my orders" Mr.. Davis said: II
shall never submit to such an indig-
nifty He then asked If Gen. Miles
had given that order. My answer
was in the affirmative He said he
would like to see Gen. Miles re-
piled that Gen. Miles had just left
fort. Davis then asked that the ex.
ecution of the order be postponed,
and should telegraph to the Presi-
dent in his name. 1 said: Mr. Davis,
you are an old soldier and know
what orders are. 1t is needless to
say that an officer is bound to ex
ecute an order givsn him" Davis
said it was obvious that there could
De no necessity for such an order to
make his Imprisonment secure II
said: my duty is to execute this
order and it ia folly for you to resist"
Davis answer was that he was a
soldier and knew how to die, and, |
pointing to a ssnsiasl said: Let |
your man shoot nae at once"
A few moments after that he
placed his foot on ltoo!; his quiet
manner led me to think he would
not resist. then said: Smith, do
your work" As the blacksmith
stopped to place the clasp of the
shackle around the ankle Davis
struck him q violent blow that threw
him to the floor. He recovered, snd
at once made for Davis with his
wise and hammer, and would have
struck him if l had not caught his
arm as he was IN the act of striking.
A moment afasr thss saw Davis
and one of the ssntinels struggling,
both having hold of the musket,
Davis just below the bayonet. The
next instant the sentinel had wrench
ed the musket from Davis hands. I
then ordered the sentinel to his
post and reprimanded him for leav
ing. | now saw there would be
so I ordered She officer of
guard to 60 ont And get four of the
best men of the guard with outside
arms and have them report to me at
once. A few minutes afterwsrd
four stslwart soldiers made their
appearance. / said: Men, I wish
you to take Mr.. Davis, with as little
force as possible. and place him en-
that cot, and hold him there until