The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-05-24
MRS DAVIS ON NILES.
Widow Of The President Remembers
The Treatment Accorded Husband.
The ONE ABoxiSatlON OF HER LIFE
Is the Present Commanding General,
Whom She Charges With Ignorant
Brutality and Absence Of Deeeney."

New York, May ai.-Mrs. Jefferson pa.
Wis, the widow OF the president OF the
southern Confederocy, propouuces the autp-
graph letter offered for sale in the co les
ticn OF General Adam Badeau in which a
bitter attack Is made on General Nelson A.
Miles, forgery. and not the work OF her
pen. Through some mysterious agency the
letter WAS Withdrawn from the sale, aud
It is said that General Miles Mas the pur.
chaser, and that he paid ssso for the faded
record of one part OF his war career that
he wished to be forgotten
Although Mrs. Davis denounced the let.
ter forgery. the mentlos OF General Nj es'
name aroused her in a moment and she
spoke OF him in the utmost bitterness OF
spirit, characterlzing him as "a vulgailan,
boor and a plebe"
In the collection was one letter announced
in the catalogue as follows;
"SO--Davts tVarinN Mrs. jefferson Davis
70 General Grant 1866
Letter 20 Grant on behalf OF her hus.
band, then IN prison, lie is tormchtcd by
u settles Of petty tyrauulus exercised er
him by the man now In command Cen
eral Miles making spec acic OF him Tor
his tAliles) lady friends. and, not liking 10
be made spectacle Of he retircs t. his
Please, General Grant, SO down to Fort
rcss Monroe and change General Miles FOR
an older and kinder man, II he H. not
spared TO me have no nope Of keeping the
wolf from my Chlldren's door. Little'hope
has lighted me through the valley OF tue
shadow of death into which seem to have
walked A pathetic letter, written on 5
PIP, yo. Slightly damaged"
The attention OF several persons inter.
cstcd In the literature OF the civil war was
attracted, and one of them made request
ffrt .rf iHg lows hsf. IA .tf ff,s N -
mission Ia examine the letter and copy It,
The applicant was referred To- the heirs OF
General Badeau, and when the night o. the
sale came the letter WIS Withdrawn.
Mrs. Davis. who lives IN tine Gerard, was
asked TO relate the circumstances which
led 10 The writing OF tb" letter
~ remember The Incident perfectly" said
Aiis. Davis, after SHE had read tue catl.
loguc. but I think thai letter is a forgery
How can | ever forget thUt jfilpr or tuat
lmprls"nmentt But the language as given
here is not mine
Lady niend how could woman OF
my class use such an ,NpJcssuut AID
then am supposed 90 Write please to
General Grant. In those days said pie se
TO my servants only. Ion ! know no. what
a Stub was. Aud, OH those closing lines
are not my thought Never never. did
employ high tragedy. u is unworthy OF
me, | don't care II General Badeuu was
General Grants private secretary that let
ter was never written OF dictated by me.
THAT IL expresses contempt for tbat per.
hOH hltth Is nut natural, iol ne Is the OnN
abomiuation Of my life. l we'll remember
mis- hideous uucouth conduct when he was
my husbands jniler and the insults which
he lovelc0 at me and my daughters not
for prearanged malice. bus front ignorant
tiEtlllty ana absence OF deCencv.
Il did appeal to General Grant at
the end of the war, but In person, and my
request was not granted ! also intereed
ca with another Federal hnor, Prcaidcnt
Johnson, and be treated me with simtlar
discouttesy. ! wrote 10 Johnson few
days before his impeachmcnt tie replied
by proxy that my husbands fate rested
win congress;
answered that mmst see MN per,
sonalII' ana thai ms c0lonshe,s "llthaea
ne. A last. s"itehed ny ms own nlStnrt
tune ne oIusr" mere humane recruitment
Tor my husband; ,,-.-..,
an now Wen remember When GGnet1i
Mics was IN '2thlh2ht ui 'hnse Nisihini,
snhE p9loaEeS IA S S'gI,uu pinE s,'rs
etuoo' leaVuvIs n.y." tWTulmb Nv uN', m, ,P.as
ihere 70 see MN ~ nus El"rE' lor lheA We're
, ne uiHE M't,,lt" 'n''t WI" Vo"'' ""'"e MS
un4Gl ,,uI an, ms, n,,,,,,,,. COLI