Evening journal., 1902-05-30

General James H. Wilson is proudly
claimed by Delawareans as a resident
of the State. and one Of mis- exploits
in the War Of the Rebellion-the cap
ture of Jefferson Davis-was one of the
most notable of the long and weary
conflict When asked regarding it, the
General laughed and said:
General Sherman once told me that
he would go down in history as the
general who marched to the sea, and
that | would be known to pOsterity as
the general who captured JEFF Davis,
and both were the least significant in
cidents in our careers"
Nevertheless, he was induced to give
the following, which is the authenticI
account of the capture of the Presi-
dent of the Confederacy. It was on
April 27, 1865, that General Wilson, in
Macon. received a cipher dispatch
from General Sherman informing him
of the formal termination of hostili
ties. Immediately afterward he dis
posed of his troops for the purpose of
taking possession of important points
in Georgia and paroling the rebel pris-
oners who might have to pass through
them in order to reach their homes
q felt certain" said the General,
from what / could learn that Davis
and his Cabinet would endeavOr to es-
cape to the west side of the Mississippi
river, Notwithstanding the armistice
and capitulation; and therefore gave
instructions to the different detadh-
ments of troops to look out for and
capture him, and all other persons Of
rank or authority with whom they
might come in contact
"On the evening of May G, l directed
General CrOXtOn to select the best
regiment in his division and send i'll
under it's best officer, with orders to
march eastward by the way of Jeffer-
sonville to Dublin, on the Oconee river,
with the greatest possible speed, scout
ing the country well to the northward,
and leaving detaohments at the most
important crossroads, with instruc-
tions to keep a Sharp lookout for all
detachments of rebels. General Croxton
selected for this purpose the First
Wisconsin Cavalry, commanded by
Lieutenant-Co Colonel Henry Harnden,
an officer of age, experience and resolu-
ton.
During that day and the next the
conviction that Davis would try to es-
cape into Florida became so strong that
/ sent lot OtutIdl Alulgs
fngthe second division. and directed
him also to select his best regiment
and order it to march without delay to
the southeastward along the south
bank of the Ocmulgee river. watching
all the crossings between Hawkinsville
and the mouth of the Ohoopee river. In
case of discovering the trail of the
fugitives, they were directed to follow
it to the gulf coast, or till they should
overtake and capture the party Of
whom they were in pursuit General
Minty selected his own regiment, the
Fourth Michigan Cavalry, commanded
by Northumberland Pritchard.
Colonel Pritchard began his march
from the vicinity of Macon on the
evening of May Z. He marched south
ward along tho south bank of Ocmulgee
river but had not gone more than
three miles from Abbeville before the
obtained information from colored
man. which convinced him that he was
on the track of the fugitive. He select
ed from his regiment seven officers and
12S men. hls object being TO get his
best troopers and fleetest horses. The
route he pursued led down the river
southeasterly nearly twelve miles TO
a point opposite WilcoX's mill, and
thence southwest for a distance oi
eighteen miles, through an unbroken
forest to Irwinsville, the county seat
of Irwin county. He reached the vii
lage at 1 a. m. on May 10, and after
causing great excitement among the
women by representing himself as the
war guard of Davis party, he succeed
ed in restoring quiet, and learned lha'
the party he was searching Tor mad en-
camped that night at dusk about one
and a-half miles north OF the village
on the Abbeville road. Having as
sured himself Of his position, he dash
cd upon the camp, and in a feW MIN
utes had secured its occupants and et-
fects and placed guard OF mounted
men around the camp, with dismount
ed sentries at the tents and wagons
No resistance was offered because tho
enemy. in fancied security, had posted
no sentries. and were, therefore, takeI
in their beds completely by surprise.
almost simultaneously occurred th'
skirmish between a party of the f'ourti
Michigan. under Lieutenant Purinton
and the First Wisconsin under Colone
Harnden. Owing to the darkness 1t wa!
several minutes before either party dis
covered that they we're fighting friend
instead of enemies. Two men OF tn
Fourth Michigan were killed, ant
one officer wounded, and uhre
men OF the First Wisconsin were Sc
verely, and others slightly wounded.
During this slkirmish," says Genera
Wilson. 'the adjutant of the Fouru
Michigan Cavalry, Lieutenant j. 6
Dickinson. after having looked on tn
security of the rebel camp, and sen
forward a number of the men who ha
struggled, was about to so TO the iron
himself when his attention was calle
by one of his men to three person
dressed in female attire who had ar
parently just left one of the large tent
nearby and were moving toward tn
thick woods He started at once tC
ward them and called put Haiti bl
not hearing him, or not caring to ODE.
they continued to move OFF.
Just then they were confronted
three men, under direction of Corpori
Munger coming from the opposite d