Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-03-05
by Harry Tucker,

bringing with them l!ttIo sparks or
heart interest. and attaching valu-
hoie Data to tho ncvcr-to-bc finished
history of that conflict that tried
mems souls.
Colonel Nathan Church. Of Ithica.
MlchiEan. dropped into Richmond the
other day. and looked around. The
last time no was here was Just after
tho war. when he was youngster
IN blue. and very proud of the fact
that no had tho honor OF having
had charge OF the person of prcsi-
dent Jefferson Davis" for six months
during his Incarceration at Fortress
Monroe. In 1865.
Colonel Church couldn't hc,t.y. h,,
eyes when he looked up at the dizzy
heights of the First National Bank
building. and craned his neck at the
other skyscrapcrs. lie couldn't re-
coTnizc tho state Capitol. with it's
imposing wings: he couldn't realize
that Richmond had so COON developed
into magnificent metropolis-thc
centre Of art. science and Industry
in the Sou,h.
F"ndlcs JrT Davis Coin.
lie sat ia the lobby Of his hotel
fondly handling a IS gold piece. Of
the mintagc of 1857 See that he
Tay!or. permanent guest OF the
hotel. who Was. also. "onc OF the
hogs" In the war. That" he con
tinucd. Els 81 gold piece that be-
lonGcd TO JEFF Davis That. with n
Mexican silver 81 and $500 In Con.
fcdcratc money. was All President
Davis had In his pockets when they
turned him over To me at Fortress
Monroe in May. 1865. Immediately
IA i- ,,.s,t
Colonel church was adjutant. he
stated. and. as such, had To search"
President Davis. Il felt cmbar-
raSscd.' said Colonel Church Il was
NOR" Inundated than Mr. Davis
could hay" been. For. like all OF
us. we realized that he was noble
American. and we did not relish this
thing OF searching his clothes. But.
under Instructions from General Nell
son 4. Miles. district commander. II
had 10 be done. asked the Presi-
dent To change the clothes he wore
for another suit. which got from
his carpc;bag. which he did, AS I
left the room for "A fcw minutes
Then went through the form OF
searching the discarded pants. /
found the gold piece, the silver dol
lar and the Confederate bills. lust
as soon az could get away, went
piece. and returned that TO Mr.. Davis
later. together with United states
dollar Erccnhack for the Mexican
oartwhcci. fol, puncd M in hav
ing these priceless relics. and de-
termined to hold on to them"
Coin Was Oprn Sesame.
Tho Yankee soldier fondly rubbed
tho we'll worn gold piece. He pointed
to a little mark on the face OF the
coin.
THAT it,lc mark" he said.
proved valuable once. For many
years the colin was an open sesame
to many social functions, particular
~ when notable Southerners were
present. And II was tho cause OF
the beginning of long friendship
with Colonel J. Thompson Brown. OF
Richmond met him on board a
ship going TO Europe many years
ago. l was Dragging around the YES
sci about my coin and how ] got Il,
when ] ran against Colonel Brown.
Ito didn't relish my manner At first.
but. after we got talking and ne saw
how proud was TO have and TO hold
something that once belonged to the
President OF the Confcdcracy, he
melted. and we became from that
moment real buddics
The funny thing about Il was that
II turned out that my regiment. the
Twcnty-s!xth Michigan Infantry, at
Bloody Angle was the first to break
tho Confederate lines. We lost n big
bunch OF our men. hut we got
through. and l found that II was
member Of our regiment perhaps
myself, who shot Colonel Brown in
the neck
by the way we fell on each
others neck. when this fact was dis
closed. one would have suspected
nj hal II
it's wonder the captain OF the ship
didn't cast us below In irons or
something. We danced the sailors
hornpipe all around the ship and
came within an ace OF falling over
board"
Correspondent Regularly
From that time to the death OF
Colonel Brown about a year ago the
two old veterans OF the blue and
the gray were regular correspond
cnts. They Travelled together often
While here last week Colonel Church
had numbr OF chats with Captain
Leroy Il. Brown. brother OF the late
colonel. and his son.
Shortly before the death OF Mrs
Davis" continued Colonel Church
my son showed me magazine story
written by her, in reply TO state
ments that Mr.. Davis had large sums
of money in gold when he was ar
ment and had pointed out that Mr.
Davis had nothing but s. gold
piece, which she now had in her pos
session and which she had cherished
as a priceless souvenir.
Il didn't have the opportunity of
communicating with Mrs. Davis and
disabusing her mind Colonel Church
continued. For she had passed away
before 1 read her article. have re-
'gretted that did not have the chance
TO return the original coin to her, and,
yet. think probably it would have
been better to have permitted her to
carry that coin after all, for ii was
the one ho turned over to her.
Will Donate Relics.
colonel Church intimated that he
would present tho gold piece to the
confederate Museum at n later date.
nearly lost 1t once" the colonel
sald. Inadvertently. I gave II out in
some change several years ago. Dis
covering my loss shortly afterwards.
Immediately directed the banks in
my section of the country to have
their men keep their eyes open for
soid piece OF 1857. Six weeks later,
my own bank notified mo that a coin
or that date had been taken In. 1t