El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-03-23
Ell PASOAN
CAUGHT HIM
The Confederate Chieftain
Corra||ed BY Michi-
ganders
WISCONSIN TOO LATE
For Col. Lowe, Now Of E|
Paso, And Andrew Bee,
Already Had The Drop
On Mr.. Davis

| In recent number of the Globe.
Democrat appears an article on the
death of Gen. Henry Harnden, OF Wis
consin, who is credited therein with
the capture of Jefferson Davis. Gen.
Harnden was then Lieutenant Colonel
Harnden, and was commanding the
First Wisconsin cavalry, under Gen l..
James 81. Wilson, who, after the rout of
Hood g army at Nashville, pursued the
retreatipR confederates south in Georg-
ia and after the surrender of Lee made
the last raid through that state that
| captured the confederate chieftain.
On May 9th Col. Harnden at Macon,
Ca, received orders to take party Of
$50 men and pursue Jefferson Davis
and party, who were headed south.
He took the pursuit at Irvinsville, Ga :.
and came up with them. Col. Pritch-
ard, of the Fourth Michigan cavalry,
however, was few minutes ahead aud
had already taken possession and each
mistaking the other for enemies fired
into each other.
The Globe-Democrat here quoting
Gen. Harnden's own account says:
III caring that party with wagons
was csmped sho distance from
tow n ne had marched out toward it,
guided by a negro. He had mt %
men around to the back OF the camp,
and it was these men who, mistaking
us for enemies, had fired upon US SO
recklessly, with such unfortunate re-
suits. He said some of his men had |
just taken possession of the camp, |
which was only about $50 yards away.
| answered he did not know who had !
been captured, as he had not been to |
the camp himself. In this unfortuu ate |
affair two of the Michigan men had |
been killed and one officer and several |
men wounded. OF the Wisconsin |
none killed. We lost a number of |
horsesI attribute our slight loss to the |
darkness, and to the fact thatas we were |
on lower ground than our opponents, |
they overshot US.
Col. Pritchard and l rode together |
into the Davis camp. which was just |
across little swale, only few rods |
from where our skirmish took place. |
The Hrst person we sAw there was John |
81. Reagan, the postmaster general of |
the confederacy, lately United States |
senator from Texas, who said to me,
well, you have taken the old gentle
man at isst."
"Who do you mean?'
81 mean President Davis.''
please point him OUT
''There he stands'i said Reagan,
pointing to tall, elderly. aud rather |
dignifed looking gentleman, standing |
4 short distance away.
We rode up, dismounted, saluted |
and | asked if this wss Mr.. Davis.
Yes" he replied. 81 am President
Davis" At this the soldiers set up q
shout that jeff" Davis was captured.
Up to this time uCne of the men who
,ctually arrested him knew that be was
Davis. One soldier said, "What, that
nan jeff Davis? That's the old fellow
who, when I stopped him, had his
Tife's shawl on"
The reward OF 800, 000 offsred by
President johnson for the capture of
Mr.. Davis was awarded to the mem
oers Of the Fourth Michigan, but later
Col. Harnden put in claim on behalf
If his regiment and was awarded a
share Of it.
Ell PASOAN WAS THERE.
Among those who were present on
hat MEMORIALS occasion was f. 2.
4owe, now editor of the Pass City In
q am Der of the Fourth Michigan. Yes
erday HERALD reporter cal. I'd on
ir. Lowe and showed b i'm the story
He said "Harn6en never captured
eff Davis at all. He came near it but
yas just about ten minutes too late
We had already taken him when they
rrived although they succeeded in
eating US out of share Of the reward.
"We came up with jeff Davis's party
t Irvinsville, Ga, about 3:30 in the {
forming. They were in camp. We
eized the camp and came upon the
: Mt occupied by Mr.. Davis. Andrew
Zee and myself were the first to speak :
D him. He was just rising and he /.
omitted his identity at once. Then
here came the attack by Col. Harm
ems party who mistook us for the I
nemy and thirty of Us had to spring to