Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-03-22

-. e didt Is MT uaTlS and - were the cen
yer OF circle compo ell OF union soldiers and
members of the Davis party In the back
s,., some OF orr men set up the familiar
amy song, Well hang JEFF Davis on sour
apple tree to the tune of John Rrnvnr. Rnay
fort. -''S' ." Jaws coin-
IL IN camp were two tents and eight ambn-
IaneeS, each of the latter drawn by four nn11ias
There were also several fine saddle bo~Ses
Desi'I H. D AVS, there were Reagan, Col Harri
son. MRS Davis her sister Miss Howelb and a
number of confederate officers from Johnstnn's
army and lot of teamSters servantS Ga -
En- Sd, no inta a men 1t appears that when
tent. Alarmed at the noise he hastily arn csc
and threw shawl around him, started out hut
into his tent. He heard the noise of the sbarn
skirmiSh, saw the dead and wounded bronSht
In, but knowing that he had no fighting men
with him, could not at the time understand
what it meant. l entered into conversation
with him, but with little satisfaction to him or
me- would not call him Mr.. President"
WHICH seemed to greatly annoy him. and he
retallated by speaking with the greatest con
tempt OF Your government
l said to him that | came very near making
his acquaintance back at Dublin three DAYS
before; and if he had fulfilled his encage,nent
to dine with Judge Rose that / should have
great hauteur, and said = Well, sir / can assure
you that II you had made my acquaintance
then, this thing would not have happened as it
has. had those with me then, Who would not
have permitted this ipdignity to have been mt
upon me. 1t was well for You, sir, that Won
were not IN time to see me them I replied
that II would have afforded me pleasure to have
met his friends and tried the question with
them. Every few moments he would turn away
from me, but he would soon come back to the
tilt again. He wanted to know if my govern
ment authorized me to harasS women and child
rem through the country, in the manner was
doing. | replied no, not women and children
but was sent after him. Then his wrath arose
again, and he poured out torrent of abuse
against my government, which was treating
him with such indignity,
While cOnyersing with him. | saw cask of
brandy pitched out of an ambulance; the head
was soon knocked in. and the soldiers were run
nlng thlther from all parts, with cups and can
teens. | called Col. Pritchard's attention to it,
and said ii ought to be stopped, as there might
soon be trouble over it. The colonel went over
and tried to stop 1t, but with poor success, [
suspect, as the condition Of the soldiers soon
showed.
Mr.. Davis, seeing the way things were being
thrown out of the wagons, turned to me and in
CURED which of us was the ranking officer. As
we were both lieutenantcolonelS and rank de-
pended upon the dates of our respective COM
missions, | replied that did not know He
meant to inquire which of Us was in command,
but as he had been inSolent, | did not propose
TO explain to him chat we were two separate
commands just come together. He then turned
to some confederate officers, and said that
things had come to a pretty state of affairs
when United States soldiers did not know who
their commanding officer was, sand that it was
no wonder that the privateS were plunderers
and robbers After little more talk his wrath
winch had for some time been rising, got COM
pletely the better of him; then he turned his
back upon me, for the last time
In speaking to his wife he blamed her for the
capture, for he said that if he had acted on his
own Judgment he would have been with the
others OF his party. and this thing would not
have happened it had. 1t appeared that
she had persuaded him to accompany her a lit
tie further than he had at first intended Mrs
Davis took him by the arm and tried to pacify
him. She told us TO never mind him, that he
was not worth minding She also said, as she
hot Shn
would not Irrltate the president, for some one
might get hurt.
After making all allowances for the humili-
tatlng position In which Davis found himself at
that time, came to the conclusion that he
was greatly overrated man. His manner and
all that he said, his blaming his wife. and
other circumstances, all went to show that he
had no real nobility about him. As to the story
which became widely prevalent at the time
that DAVIS had on a hoOp-Skirt, and was dis
gulsed as woman, know but very little of it;
but think 1t grew out of the remark of the sol
der, that, when he stopped him, he had his
wlfe's shawl on. When | saw him, he wore a
common slouched hat fine boots no spurs coat
and trousers of light-blue English broadcloth;
taking all circumstances into consideration, he
was neatly dressed. When we got back to Ma
con, General Wilson sent for me and made me
tell hlm all about my pursuit, and the incidents
of the capture of Davis. The, general insisted
upon every particular to how he appeared
what he SAID: how he was dressed, etc. After
narrating all, | told him heard the soldier
who halted him say that when Davis came ont
remark of mine telegraphed north and
when it came back it had blossomed out into
hHop-sklrts, pettlcoats, hoods, and other arti-
cles of female apparel. | verify believe that
this was all there was TO the female apparel
story.
After resting for short time, caring for the
wounded and burying the dead we all began
our return march to Macon, where we arrived
the day after, May y. | first made a verbal
report to Gen. Wilson and received from his
hearty approval of all we had done We then
heard for the first time, that reward of $4,000
had been offered for the capture of Davis. The
war then being over, Pritchard and were soon
OF inquiry was ever held 70 determine the re-
spOnsibility OF the COLI ion which resulted so
dIsastrously to several union soldiers: but
General Wilson says in his official report, that
Col. HarDden in no way responsible, as
he had no means of knowing that the parties ia
his front We're other than enemies
1t appears that up to their arrival at Dublin
Mr. Davis was accompanied by his cabinet Off
GERS and considerable escort of Texans; but
there they separated, the main part going down
the east side of Oconee river while the Davis
party crossed to the west side and were heaued
for Mississippi, the home of Mrs. Davis. Davis
only intended to keep her company for day or
two longer, then leave her and join the rest of
his cabinet on their way TO Florida. The led
horses were intended for that part of the jour
ney.
What would have happened in case we had
met Davis at Dublin, is only problematical
The Wisconsin troops were veterans, selected
from one of the best regiments in the service,
all well-armed, mounted and disciplined
while the Confederates. although in greatly su-
perlOr numbers, and brave and desperate fight
ers were disorganized and discouraged. Bat
that the meeting did not take place. was, in
my opinion, well for Davis and his escoft-for
in the language Of Mrs. Davis, some one
would have got hurt. "
| was kept duty with the first Wisconsin
cavalry down in Georgia until the following
July, when marched to Edgefeld
Tenn, and mustered out of service. In the
meantime, Col. Pritchard had an opportunity
to visit Washington and tell his story, and the
consequence that the whole 100000 re-
ward was awarded to the fourth Michigan
cavalry. For some unaccOuntable reason, my
official report delayed in reaching Wash
ington, and for time | made no claim to any
share III the reward, supposing that Davis
would be tried AND executed, and in that case
/ would not have taken what might be consid-
cred blood money; but when it became certain
that ne was not to be punished, went to Wash
ington and laid before congress claim on be-
half OF the first Wisconsin cavalry to a share
of the money. 4 congressional committee was
appointed, of which Mr.. Washburn of Mas
sachusetts was chairman, to investigate the
whole matter. After due consideration, this
committee unanimously reported that Gen.
Wilson, Col. Pritchard, Capt Yeoman, and my
self should receive 5000 each, and that the
balance should be divided among those who
were actually present aud took part in the cap
of each regiment were treated alike. was ex-
onerated from all blame for the collision. When
the bill, az reported, came before the house,
every republican, except the five members from
voted for it.
THE DAMAGE AT KARNARK.