Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1902-02-26
The Capture Of jefferson Davis.

The newspapers are again discuss
ing the capture of Jefferson Davis
and the apparel which he wore at
the time. 1t is useless for Gen. Miles
to try to justify his course before
the Southern people. He simply
made a mistake which may or may
not be excused, and that is all there
is of it. Mr.. Davis in his sRise and
Fall of the Confederate Govern
ment," gives this account of his cap
ture, which every Confederate will
accept as true:
"My horse remained saddled and
my pistols in the holsters, and / lay
down, fully dressed, to rest. Moth
ing occurred to arouse me until just
before dawn, when my coachman, a
free colored man, who faithfully
clung to our fortunes, came and told
me that there was firing over the
branch, just behind our encampment.
| stepped out of the tent and saw
some horsemen, whom / Immediately
recognized, as cavalry, deploying
around the encampment. I turned
back and told my wife these were not
the expected marauders, but regular
troopers. She implored me to leave
her at once. l hesitated, from un-
Willingness to do so, and lost few
precious moments .beft % yielding to
her Importantly. My horse and
arms were near the road on which I
expected to leave, and down which
the cavalry approached it was
therefore impracticable to reach them.
[ was compelled to start in the oppo-
site direction. AS it was quite dark
in the tent, I picked up what was
supposed to be my raglan water.
proof, light overooaatt, without sleeves; /;
it was subsequently found to be my
wife's, so very like my own as to be
mistaken for it; as started my wife
thoughtfully threw over my head and
shoulders shawl. l had gone per-
haps fifteen or twenty yards when q
trooper galloped up and ordered me
to halt and surrender, to which
gave a defiant answer, and, dropping
the shawl and raglan from my shoul-
ders, advanced toward him j; he lev
eled his carbine at me, but I ex-
pected, If he fired, he would miss
me, and my intention was in that
event TO put my hand under his foot,
tumble him off on the other side,
spring into his saddle, and attempt to
escape. My wife, who had been
watching, when she saw the soldier
aim his carbine at me, ran forward and
threw her arms around me. Success
depended on instantaneous action,
and, recognizing that the opportu-
nifty had been lost, l turned back,
and, the morning being damp and
chilly, passed on to fire beyond the
tent"
1t was believed by many that there
was no good feeling between Mr..
Davis and Mr.. Stephens. 1t was
even limited that Mr.. Stephens
thought hostilities should have ceased
before the surrender of Appomattox.
When the collapse came we believe
Mr.. Stephens was at home. When
Mr.. Davis took up his journey for
the West it was said that some OF
Mr.. Stephens's friends urged him to
escape before the Union soldiers
would capture him. We heard it
said at the time that Mr.. Stephens
replied substantially:
ono, shall not run. When the
Federal authorities want me, they
will find me at home. would rather
be hanged in Charlottesville than to
live in Paris"
Whether the speech was intended
as a reflection on Mr.. Davis will
never be known. Mr.. Stephens had
sympathizers in the views which he
was supposed to hold, and for his
speech, and for his remaining at
home, he was endorsed by some,
though his memory seems to have
been entirely overshadowed by that
OF Mr.. Davis.--Abbeville Press and
Banner.