Fitzgerald enterprise. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1895-1912, 1907-05-28

The story Of the capture of Jefferson Davis
has been told many times, but not always cor
rectly. Formerly, in fact, the chief feature OF
the tale was deliberate fabrication, the. re,
suit of malicious desire to heap obloquy up
on a great but fallen man. But IN later years
the true story has now been told in the North.
A truthful account appeared IN the Phladel-
phia Evening Bulletin of May 10, which print
ed an interview with local resident, Casper
Knobel, a former member of the Fourth Mich
igan Cavalry. KnobIe then only a lad of Is,
was with the party that captured the Presi-
dent of the Confederacy. He is thus quoted:
~ left Macon, Ga, at s O'Clock on the
morning of May 7, 1865, together with 419
men and twenty officers Of the Fourth Mlchl-
gan Cavalry, who were sent out to effect the
capture of Davis. After lot Of hard riding
and no rest we reached Abbeville on the night
Of May 8. The next morning at O'Clock we
learned from a Confederate to whom we repre-
sented ourselves as part Of the Confederate
Army, that a party had camped the previous
evening about mile and half from Able
Vile. We knew at once that it was jeff
Davis We then separated in detachments of
fourteen each, the one was in continuing on
the road we had been travelling.
eve soon found embers of a dying camp
fire This made us feel sure that we were near
the party. 1t was then about O'Clock i'll the
morning and still dark. A thrill ven
through the company now as some one had to
be selected to 90 on in advance. We knew
how many soldiers there we're 1t seemed al
most certain death to go ahead. At last
some one said, let the Dutchman co. could
not understand what was said, but anyhow
Rinke the horseshoer Of the company told me.
"Rinke went with me. We rode along
quietly in the darkness until we saw the
tents. A colorcd man left in front of the
tent, to guard it, was sound asleep. Rlnke
and discharged our guns and our waiting
comrades made dash for the place. Rinke
held my horse while | went up to the tents.
| lifted up the flap of the first tent as some
thing told me Jefferson Davis was in there.
Sure enough he was
EEWhile the men were making the search
Mrs. Davis threw a shawl over the shoulders
of her husband to protect him from the raw
morning air. From this incident arose the
oft-told tale Of Davis attempt to flee from
the tent in wOman's clothes"
.'Knobel might have well added that the
seldom told truth will not likely oyertake
and dsplace the ''oft-told'' lie, where North
ern men and women Of the older generation
are concerned. They recall too wildly the
pictures of Jefferson Davis in hoop skirts
and the alleged assertions of high army officers
that he was thus clothed when captured
Even so fair minded man as Horace Greeley
gave space to the story in his american
Conflict and tho he did not affirm it positive
ly. admitting that it was denied, was evident
ly disposed to believe it, for he remarked
that if Davis had succeeded in escaping and
the Conlederacy had rallied and finally Sc
cured independence, the Southern people
would have honored their chief for his dar-
ing and resource in employing such dis
guise Neither Mr. Davis nor the proud and
Inundated people whom he represented
would have been disposed to assent to this.
1T is well that sufficient Northern testimony
has been brought forward in recent years to
give the lie to Il calumny which no one now
has a right to believe and which will still be
believed only by narrow partisans.-Macon
Telegraph.
The sad news comes from Atlanta that Charl
uggins-handsome, bright, genial Charlie Illus
gns will have to spend two years in the state pei
tentiarv MS 4 self confessed thief.