The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1915-12-16

of my wife's tent and saw some
horsemen whom | Immediately rec
ognized as cavalry, deploying around
the eneampment. l turned back,
and told my wife these were not the
expected marauders, but regular
troops. She implored me to leave her
at once. | hesitated, from unwilling
ness to do so, and lost few precious
moments before yielding to her i'm
portunity. My horse and arms were
near the road on which l expected to
leave and down which the cavalry APP
preached; it was therefore impracti-
cable to reach them. l was com
PEELED to start in the opposite direc-
ton. AS it was quite dark in the
tent, picked up what was supposed
to be my raglan" waterproof light
overcoat without sleeves; it was sub
sequently found to be my wife's, SO
very like my own as to be mistaken
for it; as l started my wife thought
fully threw over my head and Shout
ders a shawl. fright here is the
whole circumstance by Mr.. Davis
himself of how Mrs. Davis coat and
shawl entered into the matter of a
disguise. At this time Mr.. Davis was
in his Saith year. He was not phys
ically strong and from loss of rest
and having been for some time I'M
der great mental strain his vitality
was greatly reduced. The climate in
the section of country in which his
capture took place as all we soldiers
know-the days are hot and the
nights are cold, probably a difference
of Is to 30 degrees; this being SO, it
was natural for Mr.. Davis to pick up
coat upon leaving his tetn. or for
some servant to hand him one, not
for the purpose of disguise, but for
protection from the cold-and that il
was natural for Mrs. Davis to be So
licitous of her husbands comfort in
the same way, and this, without
thought of attempting a disguise
when she threw the shawl over him;
furthermore, owing to the darkness
and the impossibility of distinguish
ing objects for the want of sufficient
light there was no necessity of dis
guise-and surely, if Mr.. and Mrs
Davis had determined on a disguise
it would have been something alto
gether different from the one pur
ported to have been used by the au
thorities at Washington, d. c.
/ had gone perhaps fifteen or TWEEN
ty yards when trooper galloped III
and ordered me to halt and surren
der, to which gave defiant answe
and dropping the shawl and raglal
from my shoulders, advanced toward
him. He levelled his carbine at me
but / expected, if he fired, he woul,
miss me, and my intention was il
that event to put my hand under hi
foot, tumble him off on the other sid
spring into his saddle and attempt t
escape. My wife, who had beel
watching, when 1 saw the soldier ain
: his carbine at me, ran forward an
threw her arms around me. Success
depended upon instantaneous actio
and recognizing that the oppOrtunit
had been lost, l turned back and, tn
morning being damp and chilly
passed on to a fire beyond the TEN
! Our pursuers had taken differen
, roads, and approached our cam
from opposite directions; they Ell
countered each other and commence
firing, both supposing they had me
J our armed escort, and some casual
} ties resulted from their conflict wit
: an imaginary body of Confederat
troops. During the confusion, Will
attention was concentrated upon my
self, except by those who were el
gagged in pillage, one of my aide
J Colonel ]. Taylor Wood, with Liel
tenant Barnwell, walked off unol
! served. His daring exploits on tn
) sea had made him, on the part of til
: federal government an object of sp,
cial hostility, and rendered it quit
! proper that he should avail himse
Iof every possible means of escap
4 Colonel Pritchard went over to the
; battlefield, and l did not see him fl
d "a long ime, surely more than an hot
{ after my capture. He subsequent
4 claimed credit, in conversatic
y with me, for the forbearance show
z by his men in not shooting me whe
Il RI refused to surrender. We wer
, when prisoners, subjected to pet
d lpillage and to annoyances such !;
military gentlemen never commit {
s permit.
! On our way to Macon, we receive
4 the proclamation of President Al
Z drew Johnson offering a reward Il
n (C,onfinnad On po0a UNonr