The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-10-29


of General Jackson. I we'll rememb or
his distress. and that he exclaimed:
The death of Jackson is the loss OF
a hundred thousand men" 1 also re-
member a little incident about Cen
eral Lee. One day. think It was at
the time of the Seven Days nght
around Richmond-Mr. Davis had me
to drive him and General Lee out in
the suburbs to inspect the fortihca-
lions. The Yankee army was not very
Tar on. either AS we were about to
start 1 heard General Lee say to Mr..
Davis: Mr.. Davis, do you think your
coachman Is trustworthy"
General Lee" Mr.. Davis answered,
you can trust Jones as well as you
can trust me-wc are perfectly safe
with him."
II never blamed General Lee bit
for that speech. You see the Yankee
| lines were not so far out, but that
| could have run my horses out to them.
| and fine thing 1t would have been
| for the Yanks to have gotten the
President OF the Confederacy and the
| commanding general of the Southern
army at one clip. They got home all
| safe. you can bet
About the seal? Well, it was this
way. The first seal the Confederaoy
ever used was made in Montgomery,
and engraved on wood with knives
1T was used to commission Admiral
Semmes that became such a famous
! fighter afterwards. In Richmond one
came from Baltimore-this was In
1862 But the last one. the one that
Mr.. Davis gave to me to hide. was
made In England. by orders OF Mr..
/ Mason. and shipped over. coming by
the Fanny, a blockage runner. 1t ar
rived in a beautiful rosewood box, all
inlald with pearl and ivory. Just like
pistol-case. 1t was made of silver
with some concentrations OF gold and
weighed about ten pounds. The face
had figure of General Washington on
| horseback. a wreath of corn, wheat
tobacco and cotton flowers. and a
Latin motto, This seal was never
used.
Entrusted With Great Seal.
Shortly after 1t came Mr.. Davis
called me into his private Office and
! put 1t into my hands. ''Jones." he
said, II want you to hide this and
never tell any one where you put it,"
| 7 took the seal and hid It. The seal
is there to-day. No human being, ex-
ccpt myself. ever knew or ever will
know where put 1t.
! ut was a sacred trust given me by
Mr.. Davis. that I will not betray and
! will go down to my grave with 1t
/ safe. Mr., Davis himself never asked
me where / put it, Time and again
I people have tried to get the secret
away from me-but they never could.
remember one man. lawyer, talked
to me for five hours trying to worm
out the information, but he did not
succeed Another man told me he
would give me $4,000 for the secret.
/ But will never betray. my trust.
! ut has been said that the Yankee
army. when 1t took Richmond. got the
seal and brought 1t to Washington:
that is not true. II was hidden by me
where no man knows. and where no
! man Will ever know
shortly before General Lee surren-
I, dered Mr.. Davis intrusted ME with an
other important commission. He called
me into his Cabinet room. and I re-
member that many members of it were
sitting around; amongst them. I think.
were Secretary Benjamin and Mr..
Reagan. Mr.. Davis told me he wanted
me to take some government money
Z down South--s13.0O0.O 900, he said the
amount was. Then he gave me in
! structlons that was to go on the
/ train as far as Newberry, S. c., and
deliver the treasure to Captain Parker.
lHe next day put the far 'ly car
riage and team on the car for a blind.
f, then piled the kegs of money under
/ the fodder. We coupled on the train
! and started out. no one ever dreaming
that the car with the carriage horses
and fodder contained S13,O0O,oo0 in
coin. In South Carolina / turned the
money over to Captain Parker. who
| buried IT, hut II was afterwards dug
up by the government officers when
/ they deemed IL safe from attack.
! Evacuation OF Richmond.
| DO ] remember the evacuation OF
! RichmSnd, Was l with Mr.. Davis when
he wat captured? Yes. remember our
flight from Richmond as II 1t were yes
! terday. In early April, 1865, we all
{ knew that the end was probably near,
| for Grant was logging General Lees
! tracks. and our general was about
j worn out. I remember tho last Sunday
we were In Richmond. Generals, Lee
and Grant were at Appomattox. The
| city waited breathlessly for the news
| a pail OF coming disaster hung over
Lus. Mr.. Davis went TO church as usual
| that morning. and While he was gone
came a message for him. knowing 1t
| to be important, 7 hurried to the
| church. The family pew was up at
| the very front. When / entered the
services were being read. but the con-
| gregation. seeing me going with IA
( message to the President. knew that
something had happened. and waited.
/ PIT the envelope In Mr.. Daviss hand;
he broke II open and read 1t. then rose
and walked out Of the church. The
antire conRraga9ioA 43llowed him. But