The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-04-26
A CURIOUS
CHAP TER
History Of a Plan to Abduct-
President Lincoln.
PREs'DT DAVIS VETOED 1T
How a Bold Major Wished to Gobble
Lincoln up and Bring Him TO Rich
mond-Incident and Personal
IL "reminiscences Of War, &c.

"reminiscences OF war; &c.
The following account OF a proposition
made to President Davis in the effort to
obtain his consent to a scheme for the alb
drction of President Lincoln is from the
pen of Capt Henry T. Louthan of VIII
lian1sburg, Va, and first appeared in "The
Confederate Veteran which is published
at Nashville. Tenn.
"Springfields six miles east of Louis
vile, is surrounded by sloping hills, crys-
tai streams, picturesque woodlands, and
blue grass fields. The house was built
about 1855 by Col. Richard Taylor, the
father of Pres. Zachary Taylor, and re-
manned III the family until the reconstruct
8 ton days of lS65-70. when, like so many
other homesteads Of the South, it passed
into the hands Of strangers.
In the old family burying ground, now
overgrown with myrtle and inclosed by
4 = crumbling limestone wall, sleep heroes
from the TAYLOR family of four American
Mars. In the centre rises a snow-white
marble shaft, upon the top of which
x stands figure of Gen. Zachary Taylor,
E3-lhc- hero Of Fort Harrison, Black Hawke
~ Gkce Chobee, Palo Alto Resaca d. la
Palma and Buena Vista. Beneath the
monument lie the ashes of the Generals
father, Col Richard Taylor. of .revolu-
toaary fame; OF his brother Hancock
Taylor of the Indian wars waged In the
Nest; and or his nephew, Maj Jos. WIKI
erfTaylor. of the army of the Confederate
States. "Springfelds" was the boyhood
home of President Taylor. but ut the death
of his father 1t fell to the latter's eldest
+ son, Hancock Taylor, the father of Mai
& JOS. Walker Taylor, one of the central
figures of this sketch. Maj. Taylor'died
at his home, near Louisville, in October,
1889 and a few weeks before his death re-
ceived the following letter from jefferson
Davis:
Beauvoir Miss Aug. 81, 1889.
Mai Walker Taylor
My Dear Sir. Your attention has.
no doubt, been sometimes attracted to the
revived though baseess accusation
against me as having been connected
with attempts TO assnssinate President
Lincoln. AS YOU We're the only man who
ever talked to mH en- the subject of his
capture, or at .laas.. the.'only one who
believed intended to do what he proposed
and that was carefully guarded against
any design 10 XIII. the purpose being to
get the advantage of possession alive, I
thought ] would write to you for such
recollection as you retain of your prop
osttipn TO capture and my declining to
entertain il on tho ground that the al
tempt would probably involve the Filling
instead of bringing away the captive
alive. II has been so long since I saw
you that j may well ask you how YOU are
and how fares 1t with you. am, as over
affectionately yours
Jefferson Davis"
The original Of this letter is in the
possession Of Miss Virginia Taylor, OF
Louisville. Ky. She Is a daughter OF
Maj Walker Taylor. and gave the writer
the main facts for this paper,
MRS. DAVIS WRITING
Mrs. Jefferson Davis in some notes 10
the writer concerning the above letter.
says:
II was my husbands amanuensls, and
lie could moi tell my handwriting from his
5cwn. He occasionally wrote during his
whole life though not often. as both
wrote and signed his checks and letters
The letter you sent me was dictated 10 me
by Mr.. Davis and is In my hand every
word and the signature ms well. Mr.
Davis rarely ever signed anything wrote.
IN the last years Of his life he disl!ked
very much using a pen"
MAJ. Taylor was q first cousin of Gen.
raylor's daughter, Miss Sarah Knox ,ray
or, who was the first wife Of jefferson
Davis, In this way Walker Taylor. ns he
Ras known by his friends, came TO be
upon familiar terms with the Confederate
ahieftaln, Walker Taylor was sma!!
man; bat like his uncle "Old Rough ana
Ready" nothing hui brave and daring
blood ran IN his veins. During the ftrst
ysar Of the war he was on The STAFF of
Cen. Simon I}nliyai, Bucbner az Kopt,,c