Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-02-15
DAUGHTER OF
DAVISSPEAKS
EXPRESSES HER OPINION OF GEN
MILES IN VERY PLAIN
TERMS.

Colorado Springs, Colo, Feb. a.
Mrs. j. Hays, daughter of Jefferson
Davis, today gave the following inter.
view to a Gazette representative with
reference to the statement made by
Gen. Nelson A. Miles:
Il was surprised to receive a mark
ed edition of the Richmond (Va)
Times-Dispatch of Friday, February
3, with an article by Lieutenant Gen
eral Nelson A. Miles, headed: Miles
Says Davis Tried to Escape
"The article is falsehood from be-
ginning to end. General Miles Is
right in saying Jefferson Davis did
not surrender when Richmond was
captured. 1t would be a poor leader
of his people who would do so, as
long as even the ghost of escape re-
NAMED; as long as there were men
left with spirits as dauntless as this
one, willing to fight for their cause
and their rights.
When Mr.. Davis was captured and
left with but one man to guard him
he did make an attempt to escape
and but for an unfortunate accident
would have succeeded
General Miles, however, with his
usual evasion of the truth, neglected
to say where his effort was made, and
leaves it to be supposed it was made
in his cell at Fortress Monroe, in
stead of in the woods of Georgia. I'm
mediately after his incarceration, Mr.
Davis was i'll enough to make it nee
essary to have DR.. John Craven in
attendance and he was guarded day
and night so vigilantly that even a
younger, stronger and healthier man
would have found escape impossible
Mr.. Davis was brought by General
Miles to Fortress Monroe on the 22nd
of May. Mr.. Davis requested to sec
General Miles, not believing the Unit
ed States government had ordered
| shackles put upon prisoner of state
| Captain Titlow advised him to sub
init with patience, as he, being {
soldier. was bound to execute orders
Mr.. Davis then answered.:
What Davis Said.
These are not orders for a sol
der, they are orders for a jailer-fol
hangman-which no soldier wearin;
sword should accept. 1 tell you tn.
world will ring with this disgrace
when the war is over, the south con
quered, and it is for the sons of Amer
lea, as well as for my own honor an
life. that l plead against this deg
relation. Kill me, rather than infiic
on me and on my people this insul
worse than death. There must b.
some mistake. General Miles cal
telegraph. No such outrage as yo
threaten me with is on record in tn
history of nations
Captain Titlow, feeling he wa
powerless to do anything but ODE
the orders General Miles gave hin
saying they were orders he had re
ceived from Washington. told tn
blacksmith to do his duty. Capital
Ttlow called in sergeant and fiji
of soldiers and the sergeant advance
to seize Mr.. Davis, when Mr.. Davi
resisted him, and SO great was tn
agony of shame he endured, it lei
him an extraordinary strength, so tina
only after he was assailed and hel
down by four powerful men could tn
blacksmith put on the shackles. Ger
eral Miles refused to have the shacl
les removed, in spite of the fact tina
he was allowed by the assistant secrt
tary of war, Chas. A. Dana, to us
his discretion, as General Miles hin
self states in his article. Mr.. Davi
would have certainly died under tn
tortures General Miles inflicted upo
him, in denying him the necesSar
quiet his extreme nervous exhaustio
demanded. as well as from the sta
/ walton incident to his inability to es
the coarse food General Miles orde
: ed. had not DR.. Craven insisted O
} General Miles allowing him to sen
specially prepared foods from his ow
table.
II am sure the testimony I offe
proves General Miles unmanly, br1
: tai. cruel-all that an American sc
der should not be-and a disgrace
| his state"