Benjamin D . Pritchard Benjamin Dudley Pritchard ( January 29 , 1835 – November 26 , 1907 ) was a United States Army officer , most known for leading the Union cavalry regiment which captured the fugitive Jefferson Davis , President of the Confederate States of America , in the weeks surrounding the close of the American Civil War . Early life and career . Benjamin Pritchard was born to Lambert and Zulpha ( Adams ) Pritchard in rural Nelson , Ohio . Pritchard worked in the carpentry and cabinet - making trade until he had earned and saved enough money to enroll at Hiram College , where his instructor was James A . Garfield ( who would later serve as United States President ) . He studied penmanship under the Spencer Brothers , whose father had invented the Spencerian Script . Following his work at Hiram College , in 1856 , Pritchard went to Allegan , Michigan , where he studied law under the tutelage of Judge W . B . Williams and taught for Allegan Public Schools at a salary of $ 240 per year . In 1858 , he continued his studies at the University of Michigan , graduating and achieving admittance to the bar in 1860 . Upon his return to Allegan , he partnered with Judge Williams to established a law practice . Civil War . In 1862 , Pritchard and Judge Williams both enlisted in the Union Army . Pritchard entered the 4th Michigan Cavalry , Company L , as a captain . Following the Battle of Chickamauga ( September 30 – October 3 , 1863 ) , he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel . On September 1 , 1864 , while on a short leave , Pritchard traveled to Chagrin Falls , Ohio , where he was married to Mary Bently Kent . They honeymooned in Allegan at Judge Williams ' s home before Pritchard returned to his regiment . Meanwhile , his new bride was in a train wreck and subsequently had to use a wheelchair , after which she took up the art of painting . Upon Pritchard ' s discharge , they set up residence at 330 Davis Street in what is now part of Allegan ' s historic district . Rise to military fame . At Abbeyville , Georgia , 70 miles south of Macon , it was learned that Davis ' s fleeing party had crossed the ferry over the Ocmulgee River and was moving southward toward Irwinville , 30 miles below Abbeyville and 100 miles south of Macon . Lieutenant Colonel Pritchard , in command of the 4th Michigan Cavalry , marched the regiment rapidly down the river road , and , after a 30 - mile ride , reached Irwinville late in the night . There , he learned that he was now in advance of the Davis party . One of Pritchard ' s officers , Corp . George Munger ( of Allegan , Michigan ) , soon discovered the Confederate president ' s encampment . He noticed two women moving rapidly away from the camp as the 4th Michigan approached and thought they looked suspicious , so he stopped them and asked that they remove their cloaks . Upon so doing , it was revealed that the two " women " were Jefferson Davis and his wife , both wearing women ' s cloaks and shawls trying to escape capture . ( The cloak and shawl worn by the Confederate president are now the property of the National Archives . ) Davis later wrote of the event : “ I had gone perhaps fifteen yards when a trooper galloped up and ordered me to halt and surrender to which I gave a defiant answer . He leveled his carbine at me but I expected if he fired he would miss . My intention was to put my hand under his foot , tumble him off on the other side , spring into his saddle and escape . " . A number of cartoons and mockery songs appeared in the public during the weeks and months that followed , chiding Davis for the attire he was captured in . P . T . Barnum even made a giant - sized replica of " Davis in drag . " Pritchard insisted on giving thorough credit to all who played a role in the capture . He worked on the report for 48 straight hours , closing it with a recommendation that the following men receive brevet promotions : " Captain Hathaway , commanding that part of the regiment picketing the river ; Captain Charles Hudson , in command of Advance Guard of fourteen picked men who led the column into the Camp ; Lieutenant Silas A . Stauber and Henry S . Boutell who were commanding fifty men in each detachment , the latter of whom was severely wounded while gallantly leading his men ; Lieutenant A . B . Purinton who had charge of the Dismounted men and making the circuit of the enemies ' camp ; Lieutenants Dickinson and Davis for General Duties as aids and Bennett commanding the rear guard . Also , Corporals Munger of " C " Company , Crittendon of " E " Company , together with Private James Bullard " C " Company , Andrew Bee and Daniel Edward of " L " Company , who were present at the halting of Davis . " As his reward for making the capture , Colonel Pritchard was brevetted out of service as a brigadier general ( and the larger pension that came with that rank ) and a $ 3000 share of the bounty which President Johnson offered for Davis ' s apprehension ( 1868 Draft # 2186 drawn on Warrant # 3749 ) . After the war . Following the war , the now - famous national hero returned to Allegan , where he resumed his law partnership with Judge Williams , continuing the practice until 1868 . He and Mary had a daughter — Bertha Edna — on September 24 , 1869 , and a son — Harry — on August 5 , 1873 . Pritchard supported several churches , but he and his family made Allegan First Congregational Church their place of worship . Pritchard turned down the nomination for Governor of Michigan in 1884 , deferring to and supporting the incumbent , David Jerome of Saginaw . He was strongly encouraged to run for Congress , but declined in favor of continuing his term on the Allegan School Board , which position he held for many years as the only elected local post he was willing to serve from . He did , however , serve two terms of office as the State Treasurer of Michigan from 1880 to 1884 . As School Board Director , Pritchard had three new elementary schools built and annexed to North Ward school , which had stood as an autonomous district , and organized Allegan ' s first high school , which graduated its first class in 1876 ( dubbed the " Centennial Class " due to its coincidence with the Nation ' s 100th birthday ) . The school had a staff of two , both of whom taught , and one of whom simultaneously served as the schools superintendent and principal . In 1870 , Pritchard organized the First National Bank of Allegan and served as its president until 1905 . He then relinquished his shares in that bank and founded the First State Bank , which was the first bank in the county to be anointed as a state depository . It was also the first " savings bank , " offering 4 % interest to depositors , and the first bank to install safety deposit boxes . Death and burial . His family reports that he began experiencing consistent chest pains around November 12 , 1907 . On Sunday , November 24 , his family physician examined him , finding nothing wrong with Pritchard . He went to work the following day , as usual , but was stricken with acute angina pectoris at home that evening . His physician was called in and morphine was administered , but it took two hours for the pain to subside . He didn ' t report to work Tuesday , November 26 , — the first day he had taken off in forty years . At about 5 : 30 p . m . , he told his daughter that he was feeling fine and suggested she go rest . Before she could leave the room , he gasped , and his life was over . Since none outside his immediate family had been given an indication of his illness , the news of his apparently sudden death sent a shockwave across the state as the loss of one of its greatest heroes was mourned . Pritchard was interred in Oakwood Cemetery ( Allegan ) on November 29 , 1907 , the Grand Army of the Republic , the Rev . William Lucas of the local Episcopal Church , and the Rev . A . V . Brashear of the local Presbyterian Church officiating . Over 600 attended the service . State - published biography . From " Commissioner of the state land office , 1867 to 1871 , and state treasurer 1879 to 1883 , was born in Nelson , Ohio and educated at Western Reserve College . He came to Michigan in 1856 , graduated from the law department of the University in 1860 , and commenced practice at Allegan , his present home . He went into the war as captain in the 4th Michigan cavalry , and was promoted to the rank of brevet brigadier general , and a part of his war record was the capture of Jefferson Davis . He is a Republican , and president of the national bank at Allegan . " Ancestry . Roger Pritchard , immigrated from England to Milford , Connecticut in 1653 ; married Elizabeth Prudden Legacy . The ownership of Pritchard ' s Allegan house , containing some of his furniture and belongings , eventually passed to his descendant Rob Proctor and his wife Denni . Rob , Denni and the house were featured in an episode of " If Walls Could Talk " .