The National tribune., 1902-04-03

was-untouched by the prevailing demorah-
zation. Mr. Davis, Gems. Breckenridge
and Bragg, and the five brigade command
ers were present-none others taking part
in the conference. The President desired
to learn from Gen. Duke and the other
cavalry chieftains the true spirit OF their
men. The scene was dramatic. The pre-
siding officer, a scholarly statesman and
trained in the arts of war, patiently ana
caurteously listened to expression OF opln-
ion from the cavalry commanders. Eacn
officer gave a statement of the condltloh
and feeling of his men. When uFGea lo
declare their own views of the SITUATION
the statement OF al was substantially thG
same. They and their followers despaIred
of successfully conducting the war, ana
doubted the propriety of prolonglng IL.
While proud of deeds recorded and iaurels
Uun each commander sOlemnly ana re
grplfully declared that the cause was lost'
bur that they would not forsake Mr. Ia
Wis IN that supreme hour, when ne was
in extremis, and, If captured, would De
made the yicarious sufferer for all; that
The honor of the soldiery was involved
in securing his safe escape, and their
pride induced them to defer suDmlsSlons
until the last moment. The officers Sald
they would risk battle in the accomplish
ment of their chiefs escape, but that
against a fate which was plainly inevita-
hle. and forfeit all hope of restoration TO
their homes and friends. Ihe morgan
men and other cavalrymen were imbued
with the spirit of Sir Walter SCOTS song
in Rokeby:
Let our halls and towers decay,
Be our name and line forgot,
Lands and manors pass away
We but share our 'chieftaIn's lot.
that he wished 10 hear no plan which had
for its object only his safety. he thsught
that $500 brave men were enough to pro-
long the war They would be nucleus
for thousands more, when the panic,
which he deemed temporary, should nave
passed away. He urged Us to accept his
views. We were silent, for we could not
much to reply.
E.Mr. Davis then said that he saw all
hone was gone When he arose to leave
the room he had lost his erect bearing his
face was pale, and he faltered so much
in his step that he was compelled TO lean
upon Gen. Breckinridge. 1t was sad
sight to men who felt toward him as we
did. | will venture to say that nothing
he subsequently endured equaled the DIT
terness of that moment
s'On the next day, through the influence
of Gen. Breckenridge, when We were at
the Savannah River, the men were PAID
with a portion of the gold brought from
Richmond. Each man got from S26 to
S32-as he was lucky.
DUKE REMAINS sTEADFAsT.
Gen. Vaughn and Dibrell remained at
the Savannah River to surrender. At
Washington, Ga, on the same day, May
7, Mr.. Davis left US, with the under
standing that he was to attempt TO make
his escape. Gen. Breckenridge had de-
termined to proceed, with all the men
remaining, in an opposite direction, to di-
vert, il possible, antQursuit from MIR. Da-
Wis That night Gen. FergUson's Bri-
Gade went to Macon to, surrender, Fergu-
son himself going to Mississippi. On the
next morning some $50 of my brigade and
portion of Gen. 'Cerro GOrdo' Will
iams's cavalry under Col Billy Brackin-
ridge marched to Woodstock, Ga"
The diversion made by Gems. Breckin-
ridge and Duke failed TO secure the es-
cape of Mr.. Davis, who was captured
May 10, 1866.
Gen. Duke can best continue the story:
Many men of my brigade, dismount-
ed and unable to obtain horses, and many
of the paroied men, hoping to be er-
changed, had followed us from Virginia,
walking more than 800 miles. When at
length. unwilling to expose them to fur
ther risk and suffering, | positively pro-
hibited their following me any farther,
they wept like children.
''REGULARs'' REUNITED IN THE LAST DAYS
The majority of the men with Col.
Billy Breckinridge We're from his old
regiment, the 9Th Ky, and the former
Morgan men, so long separated, were
united just as all was lost. The famous
old infantry brigade of kentuckians, first
commanded by Gen. Breekinridge, then
by Hanson and Helm, was not many miles
distant reluctantly SUFrpndering.
when we left Washington, Ga, Gen
Breckenridge, accompanied by his staff
and some 45 men, personally commanded
by Col. Billy Breckenridge, had taken a
different road from that on which my bri'
gade had marched; hence when arrived
at Woodstock / did not find him there
as I had expected. Hours elapsed and
he did not come They were hours of in,
tense anxiety. In our front was a mucE
superior force Of Federal cavalry. To e
forward would provoke an engagement
which would only result in severe ant
bloody defeat Retreat by the way W.
had come was impossible. Upon the left
il we escaped the enemy, we would b'
stopped by the sea.
Il could not determine TO surrender un
ill | had heard from Gen. Breckenridge
who was then commander Of all the Con
Tederate forces yet in the field, in tina
vicinity, and the sole remaining officer o
the Government. Nor, until he declared
il, could / know that enough had beer
done TO assure the escape of Mr.. Davis
The suspense was calling. At length Col
Breckinrdige arrived with a message from
The General.
while proceeding leisurely along tn
road upon which he had left Washington
Gen. Breckenridge had suddenly encoun
tered a battalion of Federal cavalry
formed his 40 men. and prepared TO charg
them. They halted, sent in flag OF true
and Darlied.
Gen. Breckenridge saw that he c0ul
no longer delay his own attempt at es
cape, and made break for liberty with
few members of his personal staff.
'After a sufficient time had elapsed (
let the General get away, Col. BreckiI
ridge marched directly to Woodstock. i
the presence Of the enemy, flags of true
flying.
GEN. BRECKENRIDGE ADVISES DUKE TO
SURRENDER.
"The message that Col. Breckinridg
brought from the General was, in sui
stance, as follows: That he had good rea
son to believe that Gems Forrest an
Taylor had already surrendered: that
we succeeded in crossing the Mississippi
we would find all there prepared to SUI
{ render. He advised an immediate surreT
der, urging that it was folly to think O
holding out longer and criminal TO ris
he lt,.aS ,of =,