Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1941-08-29
MONTANA PIONEER
HELPED CAPTURE
JEFFERSON DAVIS
WILLIAM L. BAILEY. CIVIL WAR
VETERAN. WAS SERGEANT IN
MICHIGAN ARMY

Having the distinction Of being
with the military unit that cap
tured jefferson Davis after the
surrender Of General Lee at Ap-
pomattox. and also having expert
enced the thrill Of being captured
BY the enemy but later enjoying
his ability to outwit his captors
and getting away and hack 70 Join
his comrades Of the Union army
was . boast made many yean ago
by william L. Bailey, veteran Of
the Civil war. Bailey was . SER
keant In the Fourth Michigan
cavalry. He enrolled for service by
volunteering on Aug. 4, 1863, and
was mustered out two years and
four days later. on Aug. 8, 1865.
Mr.. Bailey lived in Montana most OF
his years. He also had many thrills
when he came to the state and he
once stated that his earliest remem-
brance of those he met fixed Judge
John j. Tattan indelibly in his mind,
for Tattan, then a young lawyer, was
at Fort Benton, and while he was not
meeting the boats looking for bust
ness, he was not burdened with busi-
ness, being like most struggling young
lawyers, not much bothered with
clients and having plenty of time to
get acquainted. And getting acquainted
IL
Tattan little later Bailey and john
ny Redstone were engaged in stage
driving and they got .'pinched.' They
took the matter to Tattan and he got
them out. They were charged. as many
have been charged since then, with
introducing liquor into the Belknap
Indian reservation. Asked If he was
guilty. Mr.. Bailey laughed and re-
marked
"Oh, let's forget that. The court
record shows We were not guilty and
why go back of the record"
Mr.. Bailey served with General Will
son in the fighting around the various
points Of Georgia and Alabama at
the time Of Sherman's march to the
sea. During that period the govern
ment hung up reward of 100000 for
the capture Of jefferson Davis, head
OF the Confederacy. Every Union SOL
der was out to get part of the re-
ward. 1t fell to the lot Of the Fourth
Michigan cavalry to land the honor
for they got Davis and he had about
$4,000 in money with him, most OF
which was real cash, being gold, in
stead of Confederate script, accord
ing to Bailey. The boys divided the
cash and Bailey said that while he had
no complaint about the division he
got only $40 gold piece.
Sergeant Bailey knew the sting Of
bullet wound from two experiences.
He was wounded In the left arm and
the right side and he carried the EVIL
dences Of his injuries, though he en-
joyed good health. He stated he had
no complaint about the matter as he
did what was his simple duty then
and helped preserve the union and
that the government had been good
to him by paying him a pension ever
since, so he felt quite friendly to the
government and declared that If there
was ever need again he would shoulder
a gun and go after any enemy that
might come along.
Bailey, after coming to Montana in
1870, was engaged in stage driving
and freighting about Fort Benton and
entire period in the state which he
believed was one of the best states
under the sun.
stands when there was nothing but
grass there and the only population
was the herd or the band that hap
pened to be grazing there as it passed
through" said Bailey. But when
Paris Gibson laid out the city. 1t was
easy to see that he had picked win
ner. He had found a site that had
the beauty, the advantages OF water
power and a wonderful country about
It. and so We veterans were not sur
prised to see it grow rapidly"
Bailey stated 20 years ago that he
wasn't worried about the future of
the American government for he was
of the opinion the American people
would rise to any emergency that
might present itself.
They saved the Union in the COS"
he said, when there was sectional
hatred that the people Of today can
hardly appreciate. They did their part
in freeing Cuba and they answered
when the world called in the fight
against the Germans in the World war.
AS a veteran of the Civil war, have
great faith In our country and be-
lieve that the boys Of today will do
what we boys Of that day did-protect
the nations interests when they are
in danger"
I'm still waiting to find a man to