Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-09-04
SELECTION Of ROAD
RECALLS FLIGHT Of
JEFFERSON DAVIS

DUBLIN, Sept. IA formal agree
ment was signed here Wednesday
afternoon awarding the Richmond
/. division of the Jeff Davis highway
to the route from Abbeville via East
, man, Dublin, Wrightsville, Louisville
and Wrens on to Augusta. This
agreement was signed by Isadore
Gelders, executive secretary 81 the
Jeff Davis Highway association, and
representatives of the four counties
along the route most interested.
This agreement was conditional on
one thing-that the counties inter-
ested purchase Al life memberships
in the highway association, at 50
each. The money for these must be
paid to Mr.. Gelders on or before
September 10, 1923.
Several small matters have yet to
be settled about the highway, but
they are to be acted upon by the
chamber of commerce as it sees fit.
There is not as logical a route for
the Jeff Davis highway from Au-
gusta to Abbeville to be found as the
one that has been selected. 1t is
: the shortest route, and is also the
one Mr.. and Mrs. Davis Travelled in
the journey across Georgia just be-
fore Mr.. Davis was captured at IT.
winville.
jefferson Davis Flight
When Jefferson Davis reached
i. Georgia on his journey to Missis-
sippi, which he was endeavoring to
reach before capture by the federal
soldiers, following the collapse of the
Confederacy, he divided his party.
hxr
way of Augusta, with the idea of
crossing the state and join Mr. Davis
and party later. Mr.. Davis held the
last cabinet meeting of the Confed-
eracy at Washington, Ga, and the
cabinet dissolved. Accompanied by
Postmaster General Reagan, Mr..
Davis started southwest to join Mrs.
Davis. They were headed for Black
shears ferry. in Laurens county,
where they intended to cross the
Oconee, and according to citizens of
Dublin who. remember his passing
here, reached the ferry on a Satur-
day night. While at the ferry, he
learned that wagon train had
camped at the old Blacl1shear home
stead on the east side of the river
and from the description he was
given of it, decided it was Mrs. Davis
party. Accordingly, he and Mr.
Reagan rode through the rain to the
Blackshear homestead, and found
that the party was really that of
Mrs. Davis"
Sunday morning, the two parties,
and started on their journey. They
crossed the river at Dublin, and
came into the town. A short stop
was made about where Hicks Drug
store is now located, and then the
party went on to the old Rowe home
stead, located on what is now the
corner of Rowe street and Academy
avenue, where resided Mr.. Tom
Rowe.
Taken at IrwinVille
News of their passing had reached
Mr.. Rowe, and preparations to fur
nish dinner TO the party had been
made. Instead of stopping for din
ner, Mr.. Davis asked that the food
be packed and placed in one of the
wagons, as the troops pursuing him
were not far in the rear, and the
party did not wish to lose any time
from the road. They stopped long
enough to get water and take on
the baskets of dinner for the party.
It was learned later that after Ieav-
ing. Dublin, Mr.. Davis pushed on
ward. and that Sunday night he
camped near what is now the town
OF Eastman. Monday morning, the
party headed for Abbeville, where
the river crossed, and where camp
was made Monday night. The next
stop for camp was near Irwinville,
where federal troops from Macon
captured Mr.. Davis the next morn
ing.
1t can be seen, therefore, that no
more logical, nor more appropriate
route across this section of Georgia
for the Jeff Davis highway could
be selected, as it follows for the
most part the exact route taken by
Mr.. Davis and Mrs. Davis.