Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-01-15
Civil War Stories
The Last Confederate rreasure

A~NADiS cavalry III southwest virginia
j ON our way to Gen. Lees army. and at
/ Christiansburg we were surprised with
/ the first intimation of the surrender by
! struggling paroled prisoners on their
way home. Gen. Echols then disband-
ed his Virginia troops, but Gen. Basil
/ w. Duke, who had but recently been
/ exchanged, took command of his old
Kentucky squadron, Morgans (Ken-
/ tucky) command. and made his way
South TO Charlotte, y. c, Near States
vile. n c., we encountered Gen.
Palmer's (FederaD command, and our
captain, Quirk. and Lieut. Hanston
Hopkins came in contact with scout
ing party from Gen. Palmer's command,
and in the fight which ensued Federal
Lieut.. Campbell was killed, and this
lieutenant was said to be the Sergt.
Campbell who had killed Gen. John Fl.
Morgan at Greenville, Tenn.
We CHARTERED in Charlotte several
days, during which the most eventful
periods of the dying Confederacy oc-
Cured.
! was present and heard the last
speech of the President lief Davisl
before the end came. He stood ON the
door ''stoop" Of one Mr.. Johnson, and
told us (about seyenty-flve mem that
5000 stands of arms surrendered by
Gen. Lee were not the Southern army,
and that we would make a Thermopyl,e
Of nvprv mountain uaSc eDd o1Dtip,,a
the war indefinitely" But before he
got warmed up in his speech Mr.. John
son handed him telegram. The IN
usual disturbance caused a breathless
silence and a suspicion that all was not
right Mr.. Davis turned deathly pale
and showed evident signs of deep emo
tion. At last a soldier spoke out loud
Read it," Mr. Davis read In trem-
bling voice:
"Durham's Station, ~ c., April Il,
1865, Lincoln was assas-
sinated last night at Ford's Theater.
y. c. BRECKENRIDGE"
1t has been said that we cheered
when this news was received, hut such
was participated In by the crowd but
when Mr. Davis turned to retire into
the house we called loudly. GO on"
go on" hut he never spoke as Pres-
dent to a Confederate soldier again.
We remained in Charlotte several
days for Gen Breckenridge and others
of the Cabinet TO come up, and about
the Goth we moved west with an ac-
cumulated cavalry force of about 400,
but many dropping out of the ranks
en- route to the Savannah River. When
ever we made a halt of any kind Gen
Breckenridge (then Secretary Of War;
would lie down in the road and fall
asleep and we had hard time to
awaken him when ready to start His
recent work had completely exhausted
him.
When we arrived at Abbeyille, S. e..
we took charge of the famous treasury,
with other effects and archives Of the
Confederacy. We were IN the night
before we could go on, and In the
hurry TO get off one of the cartouche
boxes was left ON the platform at the
railroad depot. W =. Cole little
red-headed lieutenant Of Company !
in Morgan's squadron, was command
ing the rear guard that night and
came upon the box and took 1t up On
his horse in front and carried ii about
fifteen or eighteen miles to give it to
the guard who had charge Of the treas
ury We all knew what II was and
Were waiting impatlently for a division,
which came in part at Morse's Land
ing, on the Savannah River, about
eighteen miles east Of Washington,
Wilkes County, Ga. Private soldiers
got $50 or $50 in silver. / have now
twelve of the identical dollars got
there. The officers got more. Cen
Bragg got S5IO0 in gold and grumbled
because he got no more 1t was said
that breckenridge got $4,000, but
think he got much more in trust, ana
here are my reasons for thinking so.
While at Morse's a Maj Clark (adiu-
tant) came from JEFF Davis Mt Wash
ington with an order about IL o'clock
at night, and had to take the answer
Immediately. Clark did not return. /
reached Washington at about daybreaI.
delivered my message, and was ordered
to wait for a reply, and as it was the
custom fer carriers TO read dispatches
when not sealed read mine, and this
Is what it contained:
why has not General --- come
up with his regiment as escort? The
country is being secured by marauding
scouts of the enemy, and | fear we
will suffer violence at their hands If
we meet with them.
JEFF DAVIS President"
! met Gen. Brecklnridge about four
miles from Washington. coming west,
and delivered the dispatch, when Ic
remarked 10 me
Captain, you must be very tired"
He halted his comm AID and studied
the paper fully thirty minutes. rode
back and looked i'm the WaVons far tho |