The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-04-17

! the road where he fell. As soon as JEFF
I ferson Davis learned of his death he
sent an officer to order that the body be
, sent to Richmond. Mr.. Davis messenger
arrived as several residents of Stevens
willie, members OF the home guard that
had ambushed Dahlgren's command,
were exhuming the body TO give it more
decent burial. As there were no Sofins
| in the town. a rough one was made and
| the body was shipped in it by railroad
| to Richmond. II lay for some hours in
the railroad station there and then was
buried without the public being inform
] ed of either the time or place of the
burial. The place OF interment was a
Richmond cemetery and the burial was
at night.
Grave Found to BE Empty.
At the time of Col. Dahlgren's death
Admiral Dahlgren. his father. was at
Washington. He went at once TO Fort
ress Monroe. and through Gen. Butler
and Judge Robert Ould. the Confederate
agent for exchange Of prisoners, sent a
request to Richmond that the body be
sent through the lines.
In few days Gen. Butler was able to
assure Admiral DahIgren that the state
ments OF indiEnities to the body by the
Confederate authorities were false, adj
ing that the remains were decently and
properly buried under the direction Of
an officer of equal rank in the Cunfeder-
ate service
Admiral Dahlgren's request was duly
forwarded to Richmond and jefferson
Davis assigned an officer to suDerirreDi
the removal Of the body Of COL Dahlgr,.n
! from tho grave and its Shipment 70
Fortress Monroe. The officer reported
that there was no body in the grave.
Admiral DahlGren. in great distress
returned to Washington. lie. was in
cIlned to believe there was substance in
inc repeated charges of the Northern
i"cpIe against the Confederate autbori-
Ties IN connection with his sons remains
On April % Gen. Butler was able l.,
soothe MN with the information that he
mad reliable adviCes from Richmond IN
quesuonably from Miss Van Lew ..,Ts.
Col DahlSren's body had been taken Dos
session of BY Union friends" who har
put It beyond tine reach Of the Confeder-
ate authorities.
The next day Gen. Butler reIcrr,rb.,i
Admiral Dahlgrrn that it was NOT win
IN MS power I" secure the body or then
remove North. but that It was in the
nihds OF devoted friends Of the Union
that he dared not mention III. slIblcr.
TO Mai. Guild. us that would dir aim.
uon 10 his sources of information.
iaAcn put OF Richmond
The explanation of this mystery * =,
ne FOUND in the life story Of EIZ4bcrb
van Lew. She was the most active Of
an the mon sympathiZcrs wro Led IN
richmond during the war. She had
trusted agents in the Confederate 10Y
cfhment Office. who gave her inTorn,a-
tIon. NeSSOeS were her spies and !.
transnlred years aftcrward that a n.,,rr,,
VINO witnessed the burial of Col DahI-
Gren directed Miss Van Lew to his Pr7v,
Miss Van Lew kept a diary. and
torty-eiEht years after the events here
described parts of il saw the li-hr hs-
ing published in a magazine. In il
she described the removal of the body .
OF Col. Dahlgren
The work OF removal was done bv
r. w. +. Iohmann. who on the night
or April 3. in the midst Of a rainstorrn
went to the cemetery and. aided by a
negro, removed the body from tho
grave. II was identified by the All :
sence Of a limb. Col. DahlEren having
lost the right leg below the knee on
July s. 1863.
The body, was taken to the home of
William :. ROwley. another Union man
and was secreted in workshop, where.
Rowley watched il through the night.
The next morning a metallic casket
was secured-Miss Van Lew without
ioubt paid for it-and the body was
placed therein. 1t was then put into a
wagon and covered with young peach p,
rees such as nurserymen handle
Rowley then drove the wagon out Of
Richmond. At the fortifcations rs
was halted and an officer ordered a