The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1905-02-09
THE Jeff DAVIS STORY.
General Miles Tells Why Manacles
Were Put on Distinguished
Prisoner.

Boston, Mass, Feb. For the first
time in forty years Lieutenant General
Nelson A. Miles, former commander in
chief Of the United States army, but
NOW acting inspector general on the
staff of Governor Douglas, broke
silence today on the circumstances sur,
rounding the imprisonment in irons of
President Jefferson Davis of the con-
.federate states, who. after he had sur-
rendered himself to the federal auth,
critics, was given ii charge of Milesa
then d colonel To a reported Miles
told the details of the imprisonment OF
Davis.
president Davis in his book said
General Miles, says that he intended
to escape. He intended to unhorse one
of his guards and escape on his mount
Directions We're sent me to take every
iprecaution.
Light anklets We're placed on Davis
and kept on five days. Davis knocked,
over a strong man who was helping to,
place the irons on his ankles. The
;anklets gave him no pain. 1t was al
necessary ~precaution. l say, positively,
that there was no attempt to put any
fndignity on President Davis. !
Davis Held as an Assassin.
81 would suggest that the acts be,
examined in the case of Stacking JEFF
ferson Davis at Fortress Monroe, and I
would say positively that there was no,
attempt made to put %indignities upon
him Nor humiliate him at that time.i
What are the facts? He did not come
to prison as the president of the con-l
federacy or commander in chief of the
confederate army.
He did not surrender when the cap
ital Of the confederacy at Richmond
was captured. He did not surrenderI
with his principal armies when they
surrendered under Lee and Johnston,
but it was his intention and he admits
it in his own book, The Rise and Fall
lof the Confederacy,' that he intended
to try and escape across the Mississippi
$50 that he could join the confederate
army III that section and continue the
war. He was sent to Fortress Monroe
to await trial for completely in the as,
%'sination of Mr.. Lincoln.
Shackled Because of Plot Rumor.
May %, 1865, G. A. Dana, assistant
secretary of war, authorized n di-
rected me, in q special order, to place
~lnanacles and letters on the hands and
feet of Jefferson Davis and Clement
C. Clay whenever l might think it ad-
Nisable in order to render their i'm
~prisonment more secure. Davi in his
book admits he intended to attempt
to unhorse a man and escape on his
mount.
Ddly iiollteS VI plOlS WHICH were
formed to effect the escape or rescue
,.of Davis were sent me with directions
to take every precaution to prevent it.
Light anklets We're placed on Davis.
The anklets were kept on five days.
only while a wooden doo was being
removed and an iron-grated one sub
iStituted.
Some of the workmen were men
friendly to the confederacy. The ank-
let's ave Davis no pain and did not
prevent him from walking. They were
designed to prevent him from running
and thu draw the fire of the guard.
They were designed to prevent him
from attempting to escape, do himself
or any one else injury.
No Desire to Humiliate.
There was not the least desire on
the part of any one to place indigna-
ton upon Mr.. Davis or in any way
humiliate him. Mr.. Davis was at the
time Sc years old, strong and agile.
Letters to me from Mrs. Davis and
Mrs. Clay thanking me for my cour-
fesies to them. statement under oath
from army officers as to my humane
and considerate treatment of Mr.. Da-
Wis and other statements in my pos
session prove that l did treat Mr.. Da-
Wis with all the kindness that could be
shown him under the circumstances.
All the changes made from time to time
by which MI. Davis was allowed great
er liberty and additional comforts-in
fact, luXuries-were made by me OF
on my recommendation, and / also rec
commended that he be either brought
to trial or released. Statements that
he was maltreated or his health i'm
paired as a result of his Imprisonment
are utterly untrue"
D~enounces the Hull Bill.
General Miles then vigorously de-
nounced the Hull bill, now in the
house, as "a piece of low and persona,
politics" aimed at him, and added: "a
may ask to be relieved of my detail as
acting inspector general, though 1 viii
not say positively that 1 will leave the
service of Massachusetts. I may con.
sent to serve in some other capacity.
IF l should die tomorrow the HUI
bill would not affect me, but would az.
feet man good officers and also the
national guard. If 1 get through here
before July it will miss it's mark. L
is not a bill based on economy. as som
claim. If they want to save I can show
them where they "a v Millions"
W0RKMEN IN TROUBLE.
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