Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1903-10-08

has inspired an attempt to renew the
old charge that he put manacles ON
the ankles of Jefferson Davis in order
10 insult and torture his prisoner, and
that that treatment undermined the
health and shortened the lite of MIR,
Davis,
1t is interesting to read the exact
facts, which are all to be found in tho
written and printed records,
President Lincoln was assaSsinated
at Washington on the night of April
IA, 1863 five days after the surrender
OF Lee at AppomattoX, An almost
simultaneous attempt to murder Sec
rotary Of State Seward was made,
On May :, just eighteen days after
the death of Lincoln, his successor,
President Johnson, issued a proclama
tion beginning as follows;
Whereas 1t appears from evidence
in the Bureau of Military Justice that
the atroCious murder OF the late
President Abraham Lincoln, and the
attempted assassination of the Hon,
William IL. Seward, were melted, con.
certed and procured by and between
| Jefferson Davis, late of Richmond,
Virginia and Jacob Thompson, Glenn
ent c. Clay Beverly Tucker, George
n. Saunders, William c, Cleary and
other rebels and traitors against the
government of the Unitod States, har.
bored in Canada:
Nov, therefore, to the end that
justice may be done, |, Andrew John.
son, president of the United States,
do offer and promise for the arrest OF
said persons, or either of them, within
the limits of the United States so
that they can be brought to trial the
following awards:
One hundred thousand dollars tor
the arrest of Jefferson Davis.
Twenty thousand dollars for
the arrest of Clement c, Clay"
Then followed various rewards for
the arrest of the other persons named
N the presidents proclamation.
1t must be remembered that Mr.,
Davis did not personally surrender
with his armies or when his capital
fell, but, according to his own written
account, attempted to escape into
Canada, He was captured by soldiers
near lrwinyille, Georgia, and was sent
to Fortress Monroe as an accomplice
of the murderer of Lincoln.
OF course, no one would now serI
Ia n
against Mr. Davis; but at that time
the passions and prejudicos engender.
ed by the great war were intensified
by the cowardly assassination OF Mr..
Lincoln, and President Johnsons OF
fetal declaration that the charge
against the leader Of the confedera "
was based on evidence in the bureau
Of military Justice was decisive IN
its effect on public opinion. Mr.. Davis
was not sent to Fortress Monroe
simply as a political prisoner or pris
oner of war in the ordinary sense, but
as a person charged with completely
In the assassination of the president
Of the United States. The charge may
have been, and as a matter OF tact
was, grossly untrue, but IL was q
charge made publicly by President
Johnson.
When Mr. Davis was in Fortress
Monroe manacles were placed on his
ankles. He knocked down the black
smith who secured his limbs, and II
took four strong men to hold him
while the manacles were attached
The late Charles A. Dana, then as
sistant secretary of war. explained the
situation in a letter written eight
years ago to Leslie J. Perry:
New York, Sept. 3, 1S95,-Dedr
Sir;-When the war department waa
advised that Jefferson Davis would be
landed at Fortress Monroe, Mr.. Stan.
ton appointed Gen. Miles, then a
colonel, to the command OF the fol-.
tress, and sent Gen. HalleCk, then
chief of staff to the army, and myself
TO supervise the landing and see that
everything that could look toward tn 2
safety of the prisoner should be care.
fully attended TO.
/ hS IlHUbHiIibh vi ulb kudIuB
about the casemate, and OF the sentry
who was kept constantly within IL,
were under the orders OF Gen Hal.
ieck; while |, on my part, executed
the instructions / had received from
the secretary by directing Col. Miles
to see that the prisoner was prevented
from doing violence TO himself, or
from forcing the guard within the
casemate to do violence to him. by the
application of handouts, II he Col
| Miles, should think the application TO
re prudent. This order was OF a
purely precautionary nature, and was
not founded at all upon any wish 10
humiliate the prisoner. | am, dear sir,
very truly yours,
&C. A. Dana"
Gen. Miles was then twenty-five
years old. Here is the order OF Mr..
Lana, assistant secretary Of wa,
upon which he acted:
Fortress Monroe May %, 1866
Breyet Major-Gen. Miles is hereby
authorized and directed 70 place mana.
Giles and letters upon the hands and