The Saint Paul globe., 1905-02-28
TlTLOW SAYS NILES
WANTED DAVIS IRONED
Continued From First Page

resentment against the man who ordered
the irons placed on the aged prisoner.
Jefferson Davis was a very tall thin
man, seemingly nothing but bones and
clothing, and at the time of his arrest and
confinement In Fortress Monroe was about
sixty years old. TheFe was no possible
chance for him TO escape from the fortress.
de was guarded as no man before or since
as far as his personal efforts TO escape
were concerned, and as for a rescue il
would have taken bigger army than the
confederacy could have mustered at that
time to bring him out of the casemate
where he was under heavy guard. There
were thousands of soldiers in the fortress
and ships of war in the harbor and l can
conceive of no way in which he could have
been freed.
Davis Confined In Gun Room
I Mr.: Davis was confined in a gun room
and in the immediate vicinity there was
Mr.. Clay, of Alabama. and Mr.. Mitchell
oners OF note i'm the garrison. Mr. Davis
was morose and downcast This was in
May, 1866 and I'm short time there were
idle rumors of an attempt to escape. l
believe that Mr.. Davis nearly succeeded
in escaping his captors in the woods OF
Georgia and this may have had something
to do with starting the later rlImors: The
newspapers of the country took notice OF
these rumors and urged that every pre-
caution be taken to prevent an escape.
! well remember the day when Gen.
Miles gave me the orders 10 put irons OF
Mr.. Davis. and the events that imme
diately followed When I entered Mr..
Davis room informed him that / had a
very. unpleasant duty TO perform. as the
smith with the clanking irons follow
ed after me. Mr. Davis Immediately real
lied what the disagreeable duty was. He
turned white with rage and as soon as he
could regain his breath he protested with
fiery eloquence and vigor. I tried to calm
him, urging him to submit and assuring
him that / was but carrying out the or
ders OF my superior officer.
Davis Files Protest
These are not the orders for a sol
der" he shouted These are orders for
a jailer or a hangman. No soldier worthy
of carrying a sword would execute such
orders. Who is IL that will degrade me
and the entire South with the chains of
felon. / am a state prisoner and l pro-
test"
BY this time he was trembling with
rage, and anxious az to , avoid .,;h struggle hf
told him he was too old q soldier not TO
know that 1t was a soldiers duty TO obey
orders no matter what they were, and
that ! had no personal authority in the
matter other than to obey Gen. Miles.
Mr.. Davis then demanded to- see Gen.
Miles, but the general had left the fort
reSS. He then wanted to telegraph to
him, but as l did not know where he
was, i told MIR. Davis that this would be
impossible and once more begged him 10
submit.
Instead he backed up against the wall
of the COON, and at my order the smith
advanced toward him. The smith was
big burly fellow. while Mr.. Davis. as
have already said was an old and shat
tered man. Nevertheless when he saw
the smith advancing toward him with the
iron he suddenly became possessed OF
with powerful blow that laid the smith
on the floor. The smith astonished and
enraged jumped to his feet and closed In
on Mr.. Davis, while some armed guards
nearby dashed forward to aid in over
powering the prisoner.
How Davis Was Ironed
Mr. Davis fought like mailman and
gave the guards all they could do to over
power him. All this took less time than
IL now takes to tell it. Mr.. Davis grabbed
one of the guards muskets and was ap-
parently making a frantic effort to secure
II when i ordered the guards TO desist
and sent them back to their posts with
reprimand for leaving without orders.
Mr.. Davis, freed for a moment. arose
to mis- feet and barring his breast begged
me to have him shot rather than put in
irons. His pleadings were pitiful, this
emaciated man of three score years fight
ing yaliantly against overpowering odds
TO ward of what he considered the great
est indignity that could be heaped upon
him. There was something nobly heroic
as he stood tugging at his shirt beseech
ing between gasps and sobs for death
rather than dishonor.
/ spent years amid scenes that blunt
the finer sensibilities of man. Agony and
heroism and all things that tug at the
heart strings had long since become COM
mon everyday affairs to me, but this
sight pierced me through and through as
/ gazed at that old man drinking abe last
dregs of humiliation and despair. i had
my orders. however, and could not con-
suit my feelings. / ordered in four un
armed men and told them to place Mr..
Davis on his couch and hold him there
until the smith had riveted the shackles-
Mr.. Davis Submits
The heartbreaking struggle was re-
peated but the men prepared for trouble
and unencumbered with muskets soon
bore the protesting prisoner to the cot.
where he continued to fight feebly. The
smith smarting under the blow performed
his work with satisfaction to himself. and
soon one leg was in the clasp of the iron.
Then realizing that resistance was useless,
Mr.. Davis sullenly submitted.
He never forgave Gen. Miles. After
the shackleS had been removed, Gen.
Miles and myself entered his room one
day Gen. Miles having instructed me that
the library was at the disposal of Mr..
Davis. L told Mr.. Davis that he could
have whatever books he desired. and as L
did so he turned his back on Gen. Miles,
and never once did he take notice of his
presence, although l resorted to all the
diplomatic arts in my power to bring this
recognition about
This is the true story of the shackling
of jefferson Davis Every incident is
clear in my mind and i can never forget ii.