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THE CAPTURE OF 
 
 JEFFERSON DAVIS 
 
 PART TAKEN BY WISCONSIN TROOPS 
 
 HENRY HARNDEN 
 
 BREVET BRIGADIER-GENERAL; LATE COMMANDER 
 
 OF THE FIRS.J WSJW 
 
 MADISON, WIS. 
 1898 
 
H 
 
 
 TRACY, GIBBS A CO., PRINTERS 
 MADISON, WIS. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 THE following account of the part taken 
 by the First Wisconsin Cavalry in the 
 Capture of Jefferson Davis was originally 
 prepared substantially as it is now pre 
 sented, at the request of Comrades of 
 the G. A. R., and has already been given 
 before a number of the different Posts. 
 It has been put into its present form for 
 the reason that it is believed it will be a 
 pleasure to the surviving members of the 
 regiments, and to their children and 
 friends to have the same for convenient 
 perusal. 
 
 My personal recollection has been re 
 freshed as far as possible by re-reading 
 the official records and reports made at 
 the time, and also by letters and corre 
 spondence had with persons who took 
 part in the capture. I have endeavored 
 to make it as correct as possible, and the 
 3 
 
 M181781 
 
4 Preface. 
 
 more so on account of the very unfortu 
 nate collision which took place between 
 the First Wisconsin and the Fourth 
 Michigan Cavalry, mention of which it 
 seems almost necessary to make in any 
 narrative concerning the matter. I have 
 endeavored to tell a plain story in a plain 
 way, and as such I submit it to the judg 
 ment of my comrades who took part with 
 me in the struggle which occurred almost 
 a generation since. 
 
 HENRY HARNDEN. 
 
 Madison, November 8, 1898. 
 
Gbe Ston? of tbc Capture of 
 3effereon 
 
 ~j* FTER the defeat of Hood s 
 J^ \ army at Nashville, Tennes- 
 VS> see by General Thomas, 
 on the 1 5th and 1 6th of December, 
 1864, the Union cavalry under Gen 
 eral Wilson pursued the retreating 
 rebels until the remnants of their 
 army escaped across the Tennessee 
 river into Mississippi. General Wil 
 son encamped his cavalry at Gravelly 
 Springs and Waterloo, along the 
 line of the Tennessee, preparatory 
 to the commencement of his great 
 raid through Alabama and Georgia, 
 which resulted in the rout of the 
 5 
 
6 The Capture of 
 
 rebel General Forest, and the scat 
 tering and capture of the greater 
 part of his army, also the capture 
 of Selman and Montgomery, Ala 
 bama, and Columbus and West- 
 point, Georgia, finally winding up 
 with the capture of Macon, Georgia. 
 The First Wisconsin Cavalry com 
 posed a part of these forces, and 
 bore a conspicuous part in all that 
 was accomplished on this, the great 
 est and most successful cavalry raid 
 of the war. 
 
 The rebel army which General 
 Thomas defeated at Nashville was 
 the same that had opposed General 
 Sherman from Chattanooga to At 
 lanta the previous summer, and 
 was, at the time of the battle of 
 Nashville, composed of about forty 
 thousand of the best troops of the 
 confederacy, but so total was their 
 defeat and rout that when they 
 
Jefferson Davis. 7 
 
 finally got across Tennessee, there 
 was only about twelve thousand of 
 their infantry left. General Wilson, 
 with the First, Second, and Third 
 Divisions of the Cavalry Corps, and 
 three batteries of artillery, about 
 fifteen thousand men, crossed the 
 Tennessee river on the nth day of 
 March, 1865, at Chickasaw, Ala 
 bama, arriving at Macon, Georgia, 
 April 20, 1865. 
 
 While resting quietly in camp 
 about two miles north of the city on 
 the evening of May 6, 1865, I re 
 ceived orders to report at once to 
 headquarters. I mounted my horse 
 and rode over to headquarters as or 
 dered. I there found General J. G. 
 Croxton in command, in the absence 
 of General McCook. The General 
 informed me that it was reported 
 that Jeff. Davis was in South Caro 
 lina, making his way south into 
 
8 The Capture of 
 
 Georgia, that a portion of his cab 
 inet was with him, and that they 
 were accompanied by six or seven 
 hundred men; that I had been se 
 lected to command a detachment of 
 one hundred and fifty men from the 
 First Wisconsin Cavalry to go and 
 endeavor to cut him off and capture 
 him if possible; that I must march 
 immediately and not wait for rations. 
 I enquired if he thought one hun 
 dred and fifty men a sufficient num 
 ber to take on the expedition. He 
 replied "That in the opinion of 
 General Wilson, it was." He said 
 that the escort of Davis was greatly 
 demoralized, and many were leaving 
 him; that they would be poorly 
 armed, and it was doubtful if they 
 would fight at all, but if they should 
 fight, he would risk our being able 
 to take care of them. He also said 
 the country through which our route 
 
Jefferson Davis. 9 
 
 lay was very poor, and that it would 
 be difficult to subsist a large party, 
 and that we must start immediately 
 and not wait for rations, adding, as 
 I left him, that if there was a fight 
 and Jeff. Davis should get hurt, 
 General Wilson would not feel very 
 bad over it. 
 
 I then returned to my camp, and 
 soon had a detail of one hundred and 
 fifty men selected, all well armed 
 and mounted, ready to march. 
 
 It was about sunset when we 
 passed through Macon, and crossed 
 the bridge over the Ochemulgee 
 river, and then took a line of march 
 towards Savannah. General Crox- 
 ton had furnished me with a large 
 map of Georgia, so that I was able 
 to shape our course correctly. Dur 
 ing the night we came to a planta 
 tion where there was forage, so we 
 halted and fed our horses. Up to 
 
io The Capture of 
 
 this time the men had no idea as to 
 where we were going or for what 
 purpose we had been ordered out. 
 
 When ready to mount our horses, 
 I made known the object of our ex 
 pedition. I frankly told them that 
 if we encountered Davis and his es 
 cort they would greatly outnumber 
 us, and were probably the pick of 
 the Confederate army; that they 
 would no doubt fight desperately; 
 that it would be a battle to the death, 
 and that Jeff. Davis must not be 
 allowed to escape in any event, but 
 as we had never been whipped, I 
 had no fear of being whipped now. 
 All of which was greeted with 
 cheers. 
 
 We continued our march all night 
 and the next day (May 7th) until 
 near evening, when we arrived at 
 Dublin, a considerable town, sit 
 uated on the west bank of the Oconee 
 
Jefferson Davis. n 
 
 river. I had sent out scouting par 
 ties during the night and day, to en 
 deavor to get information in regard 
 to parties who were continually 
 crossing our road, to ascertain if 
 some of them might not be the 
 Davis party, but these men always 
 proved to be from General John 
 ston s army, who, having surren 
 dered a short time before to General 
 Sherman, were going home on pa 
 role. 
 
 These diversions caused our march 
 to be somewhat delayed. Upon ar 
 riving at Dublin I noticed the people 
 appeared considerably excited at 
 our presence, but I caused it to be 
 given out that we were establishing 
 courier posts between Macon and 
 Savannah, a little piece of strategy 
 allowable in a military campaign. 
 We bivouaced on a flat between the 
 town and the river. I had several 
 
12 The Capture of 
 
 invitations from gentlemen to take 
 up my quarters at their houses, and 
 for some reason they appeared quite 
 anxious I should do so; all of which 
 surprised me, as I had never been 
 the recipient of such attentions be 
 fore. 
 
 By some means I got an inkling 
 that a party with wagons had passed 
 through the town that day, but to 
 my questions as to who they were I 
 got only evasive answers, but I 
 finally concluded it was some sutler 
 from Johnston s army. The town 
 was full of rebel officers in uniform, 
 and as they stood in groups by 
 themselves, talking, I thought their 
 looks boded no good to us. Po 
 litely declining all invitations, I 
 made my bivouac with the com 
 mand, and being weary with thirty- 
 six hours of duty, twenty-four of 
 which had been spent in the saddle, 
 
Jefferson Davis. 13 
 
 we threw ourselves upon the ground 
 to sleep. 
 
 For several months I had been 
 served by an old colored man named 
 "Bill." He had been a slave and 
 owned by a staff officer of General 
 Bragg. He had often waited upon 
 General Bragg as well as his master, 
 but when the rebels were hustled 
 out of Tennessee by General Rosen- 
 cranse in 1863, Bill got left behind 
 and fell in with us, and I employed 
 him. He was as homely as a hedge 
 hog and a perfect tyrant over the 
 other darkies, but he was as true as 
 steel to me, and withal very intelli 
 gent. He happened to be with us 
 on this expedition. 
 
 I had scarcely lain down to sleep 
 when "Bill" came and touched me. 
 "Colonel, Colonel," he said, "wake 
 up; I have found a colored man who 
 will tell you something." "Well, 
 
14 The Capture of 
 
 what is it?" said I. It was dark as 
 pitch, but I could see the whites of 
 their eyes, and I knew they had 
 something important to tell. 
 
 The man said Jeff. Davis had been 
 in town that day. I said, "How 
 do you know it was Jeff. Davis? 
 what makes you think so?" "Well," 
 he said, "all the gentlemen called 
 him President Davis, and he had his 
 wife with him, and she was called 
 Mrs. Davis." 
 
 He said they had come over the 
 river on a ferry. They had a num 
 ber of nice wagons with them, and 
 some fine saddle-horses led behind 
 the wagon in which President Davis 
 and his wife rode. He further said 
 that they were going to dine with 
 Judge Rose (Judge Rose was one of 
 the gentlemen who had been so per 
 sistent in urging me to spend the 
 night at his house), but before they 
 
Jefferson Davis. 15 
 
 could get the dinner ready they 
 heard something that made the party 
 leave in a hurry, going south on the 
 river road. He further stated that 
 there was another large party that 
 did not come over the river. I ques 
 tioned him closely, and his answers 
 appeared straight, but I was fearful 
 of a trick to send me off on some 
 side-track. I said to Bill, "Do you 
 think he is telling me the truth, and 
 that I ought to believe him?" "Sar- 
 tin, shoor, Kurnel; you can believe 
 him; he is telling you God s troof." 
 It will be seen that if Bill had not 
 been with us we would have known 
 nothing of Davis having crossed our 
 track, and we would have gone the 
 next morning toward Savannah, and 
 Jeff. Davis would in all probabilities 
 have escaped capture and got away 
 into Cuba, in company with Judah 
 
1 6 The Capture of 
 
 P. Benjamin and others, or across 
 the Mississippi to Kirby Smith. 
 
 To get a little more information I 
 called up a couple of men and went 
 down to the ferry and interviewed 
 the ferryman as to whom he had 
 brought over the river that day, but 
 I could get nothing out of him. He 
 was either too stupid or ignorant, or 
 too obstinate, to give us any infor 
 mation of importance. I have al 
 ways been sorry that we did not 
 throw the old scamp into the river, 
 as my sergeant wanted to do. 
 
 As soon as we got back to the 
 bivouac I called up the men to sad 
 dle for a march. Lieutenant Hew 
 itt, with thirty men, had been left 
 back at some cross-roads and had 
 not yet come up, so detailing Lieu 
 tenant Lane, with forty-five men to 
 remain at Dublin, and scout from 
 there up and down the river, I with 
 
Jefferson Davis. 17 
 
 the balance (seventy-five men), 
 started south in the direction the 
 Davis party was reported to have 
 taken. It was very dark and the 
 roads in the pine woods were only 
 trails. We soon became confused, 
 and after wandering around for some 
 time, found ourselves coming into 
 Dublin again. Picking our road 
 once more, and daylight coming, we 
 struck out on the river road at a 
 rapid gait, on the morning of 
 May 8th. Five miles out we 
 came to Turkey creek where we 
 found the bridge torn up. While 
 the bridge was being repaired, I 
 strolled up to a log house near by 
 and questioned the woman in regard 
 to the party who had crossed the 
 evening before. 
 
 She said a large party had passed, 
 but she did not know who they were, 
 but she said that a couple of the 
 
1 8 The Capture of 
 
 gentlemen had been in her house 
 and drank some milk, and she 
 showed me a little scrap of paper 
 which she said they had dropped. 
 I saw it was a piece of a Richmond 
 paper of recent date. A bright lit 
 tle girl standing by, said she had 
 heard one gentleman call the other 
 Colonel Harrison, and the other was 
 addressed as Mr. President. Upon 
 my inquiring as to how they were 
 dressed, she said they were almost 
 as handsomely dressed as I was, 
 but their coats were not alike. 
 Pointing to my shoulder-straps, I 
 inquired if they had such things on 
 their coats, she said "No, they had 
 not, but one had stars on his collar 
 and gold on his sleeves, but the 
 other had nothing, and neither one 
 was like mine." The child s descrip 
 tion convinced me that one was an 
 officer of high rank and the other 
 
Jefferson Davis. 19 
 
 Jeff. Davis. So convinced was I 
 that I had really now got on the 
 track of Jeff. Davis, that I wrote a 
 dispatch and started a courier with it 
 to General Wilson, but the man was 
 captured by some confederates, 
 taken into the woods, robbed of his 
 horse and equipments and left to 
 make his way to Macon on foot, 
 which he did, but not until after my 
 return there. 
 
 The bridge being repaired we 
 pushed on again through the pine 
 woods. The wagon tracks could 
 now be plainly seen, but it soon 
 commenced to rain a regular pour- 
 down and the tracks we were fol 
 lowing were obliterated. We were 
 now in the great pine woods of the 
 south, the soil nothing but white 
 sand with scarcely an inhabitant, 
 and soon lost all track of the party 
 ahead, but still pushed blindly on. 
 
20 The Capture of 
 
 I sent parties circling around to find 
 the road, but they were unsuccess 
 ful. They, however, found a horse 
 man and brought him to me. In 
 reply to my questions, he said he 
 knew nothing of any party, that he 
 was only a poor citizen hunting 
 some lost sheep. 
 
 I noticed that he was riding a fine 
 horse. I told him that I would take 
 his horse and he could hunt his sheep 
 on foot. At this he began to plead 
 earnestly. I told him to quit lying 
 and tell me where the wagons were 
 that had been somewhere near there 
 the evening before and I would let 
 him go with his horse. He then 
 confessed he did know where the 
 party had camped over night, but it 
 was eleven miles away and in an 
 other direction entirely from that in 
 which we were headed. 
 
 "Guide us there," said I, "and 
 
Jefferson Davis. 21 
 
 you will have your horse, otherwise 
 you go home on foot;" to this he 
 agreed. In order that this man 
 might not lose his way I had him 
 ride between two good men with 
 loaded carbines. He took us in a 
 westerly direction to where the Davis 
 party had been in camp, but they 
 were gone. 
 
 According to promise, I dismissed 
 the guide, and he left us in a hurry. 
 We found here a poor plantation 
 and a little forage, which we appro 
 priated from the owner. I inquired 
 where the wagon party had gone; 
 he did not know, but thought they 
 had crossed Gum swamp, and that 
 the rains had so raised the water 
 that it would be impossible for us 
 to get through. 
 
 "Get your horse," I said, "and 
 guide us through to the other side 
 of the swamps and we will go, 
 
22 The Capture of 
 
 otherwise we shall stay and eat you 
 out of house and home." He then 
 quickly got his horse and led the 
 way through the swamp, where the 
 water for miles was up to the sad 
 dles. 
 
 Dismissing this guide, we pushed 
 on through those dense woods, over 
 a fairly plain track until darkness 
 compelled us to halt for the night. 
 During the night there came up a 
 terrible storm of wind, rain, thunder 
 and lightning, and, as if to add to 
 our already discomfort, several great 
 trees came down with a crash in our 
 near vicinity, but our weariness was 
 such that we were disturbed but for 
 a moment. 
 
 As soon as it was light enough 
 to see, on the morning of May Qth, 
 we pushed on in a southeast direc 
 tion, until we struck the Ochemulgee 
 river, the same we had crossed be- 
 
Jefferson Davis. 23 
 
 fore at Macon. Continuing down 
 the river some distance, we came to 
 a ferry. By our haste to get over, 
 the boat was damaged so that only 
 a half load of horses could be taken 
 over at a time. This delayed us a 
 couple of hours, then we pushed on 
 a few miles to a little town called 
 Abbeville. 
 
 By inquiring, we learned that a 
 party with wagons had passed 
 through the town during the night and 
 that they had gone towards Irwins- 
 ville. We halted and fed our horses 
 and then started on the road to 
 wards Irwinsville. Just as we were 
 moving out we saw four soldiers in 
 United States uniform, coming 
 down the road from the north. They 
 informed me they belonged to the 
 Fourth Michigan Cavalry, Lieuten 
 ant-Colonel Pritchard commanding, 
 and that the regiment was near at 
 
24 The Capture of 
 
 hand. Sending on our detachment 
 under Lieutenant Clinton, I rode, 
 accompanied by my orderly, to 
 meet Colonel Pritchard. After in 
 troducing myself, I inquired if he 
 had any news of Jeff. Davis. He 
 said he had not, but that he had 
 been ordered with his regiment to 
 Abbeville to patrol the river and to 
 prevent Davis from crossing. He 
 also informed me that his orders 
 were to encamp at Abbeville and 
 guard the crossings of the Ochemul- 
 gee, and he gave me no intimation 
 that he intended any other course. 
 He had left Macon since I had, but 
 up to this time had heard nothing 
 of Davis. As his errand was the 
 same as mine, I thought it my duty 
 to give him all the information in 
 my possession, in regard to the 
 movement of Davis. I told him 
 that we had been on the track of 
 
Jefferson Davis. 25 
 
 Davis for three days, and that Davis 
 with one party had crossed over the 
 Ochemulgee during the night and 
 gone towards Irwinsville, but there 
 was a larger party of confederates 
 who were somewhere the other side 
 of the river. He inquired if I 
 needed any more men, I said not 
 unless he could spare some rations 
 as our party had next to nothing to 
 eat. He said they had marched 
 suddenly and had no rations. 
 
 Bidding him good-bye, my or 
 derly, James Aplin, and I, left him 
 and pushed on and overtook our 
 party. We shortly came to the 
 place where the Davis party had 
 lunched. They had left so recently 
 that their fires were still burning. 
 We continued to march on until 
 dark, when coming to a swale where 
 there was water and a little grass, 
 we halted to rest and graze our 
 
26 The Capture of 
 
 horses. All we had for rations was 
 a little damaged corn-meal. We 
 lay down to rest for a spell, but be 
 fore the break of day, we were in 
 in our saddles again. 
 
 At this time I felt confident that 
 we were in the near proximity to 
 the Davis party, and had only 
 halted so as not to come upon them 
 in the night. I expected that Davis 
 would camp on the other side of a 
 river ahead, and I thought if we at 
 tempted to cross the ford in the 
 dark, Davis would take the alarm 
 and escape. 
 
 May loth, putting forward an ad 
 vance guard of a sergeant, George 
 Hussey, and six men, with instruc 
 tions to keep a little ahead and to 
 keep a sharp lookout for the enemy, 
 we moved on. We had made but 
 a mile or so when our advance guard 
 were fired upon suddenly, by what 
 
Jefferson Davis. 27 
 
 I judged to be twenty or thirty mus 
 kets. Galloping forward at the head 
 of ten men, I met the sergeant with 
 his party coming back with several 
 of his men wounded. He said they 
 had run into the enemy s pickets 
 and had been fired upon. I directed 
 the sergeant to follow and then 
 dashed on, when we were met with 
 another volley, so close that their 
 fire came right in our faces, and the 
 bullets rattled like hail on the trees. 
 I could just see the forms of the 
 men on account of the darkness. 
 Seeing that they were in consider 
 able force and determined to stand 
 their ground, I got my men into line 
 and dismounting a part, we ad 
 vanced on the enemy. After giving 
 us a third volley we opened fire on 
 them and they then retreated into 
 a swamp. 
 
8 The Capture of 
 
 It was now getting a little light. 
 At this time a man called my atten 
 tion to about one hundred mounted 
 men who were coming down on our 
 left flank. He said, "Colonel, there 
 is more than a hundred of them 
 coming." I said, "Never mind 
 boys, we will whip them yet." Di 
 recting Sergeant Horr, with ten 
 men of Company A, to pursue the 
 party who had fired on us first and 
 retreated, and not to let them rally, 
 I next turned my attention to the 
 new comers who were between us 
 and the light. The new comers 
 opened fire on us as they approached. 
 
 Forming a line facing the ap 
 proaching enemy, we opened upon 
 them with our repeating rifles (Spen 
 ser carbines). They were soon 
 thrown into confusion. I had left 
 part of my men under Lieutenant 
 Clinton, mounted; seeing that the 
 
Jefferson Davis. 29 
 
 enemy were in confusion, I now or 
 dered Clinton to prepare for a sabre 
 charge. Two of the men hearing 
 me and understanding I had ordered 
 the charge, drew their sabres and 
 putting spurs to their horses, dashed 
 at the enemy. 
 
 I called them back not being quite 
 ready, as I wanted to give our foot 
 men time to replenish their maga 
 zines. Just as I was about to give 
 the final order to charge, Sergeant 
 Horr came running up and said we 
 were fighting Union men. That he 
 had captured one of them and thus 
 ascertained the fact. At hearing 
 this I rode in front of our line and 
 shouted to "stop firing," which soon 
 ceased on both sides. Riding for 
 ward, the first man I met was Col 
 onel Pritchard. So surprised was I 
 that for sometime I could not realize 
 that it was Colonel Pritchard, but as 
 
30 The Capture of 
 
 soon as I knew him, I asked him 
 how it was that he was there fight 
 ing us. 
 
 He explained that after parting 
 with me the day before, at Abbe 
 ville, twenty-five miles distance, and 
 ascertaining from me that Davis had 
 already got across the river, and 
 finding that there was another road 
 to Irwinsville, he had selected one 
 hundred and fifty of his best men, 
 well mounted, and by marching all 
 night had arrived at Irwinsville be 
 fore daylight. Hearing that a party 
 with wagons was camped out a little 
 ways from the town, he had marched 
 out toward it, guided by a negro. 
 He had sent twenty-five men around 
 to the back of the camp, and it was 
 these men who had mistaken us for 
 enemies, had fired upon us so reck 
 lessly with such unfortunate results. 
 
 He said some of his men had just 
 
Jefferson Davis. 31 
 
 taken possession of the camp, which 
 was only about fifty yards away. I 
 inquired if Jeff. Davis had been cap 
 tured. He answered that he did 
 not know who had been captured, 
 as he had not been to the camp him 
 self. In this unfortunate affair, two 
 of the Michigan men were killed, 
 one officerand several men wounded. 
 Of the Wisconsin men three were 
 wounded, but none were killed. 
 
 Colonel Pritchard and I rode into 
 the Davis camp together, which was 
 just across a little swale, only a few 
 rods from where our skirmish took 
 place. The first person we saw in 
 the camp was Mr. John H. Reagen, 
 the Postmaster-General of the late 
 Confederacy, lately the United 
 States Senator from Texas. He 
 said, "Well, you have taken the old 
 gentleman at last." I said, "Who 
 do you mean?" He said, "I mean 
 
32 The Capture of 
 
 President Davis." Please point 
 him out," said I. "There he stands" 
 said he, pointing to a tall, elderly, 
 and rather dignified looking gentle 
 man, standing a short distance 
 away. We rode up, dismounted 
 and saluted, and I asked if this was 
 Mr. Davis. "Yes," he replied, "/ 
 am President Dams." At this the 
 soldiers set up a shout that Jeff. 
 Davis was captured. 
 
 Up to this time none of the men 
 who actually arrested him, knew 
 that he was Jeff. Davis. One sol 
 dier said, "What! that man Jeff. 
 Davis? That s the old fellow that 
 when I stopped him had his wife s 
 shawl on." About this time we, 
 that is Mr. Davis, Colonel Pritchard 
 and myself were the center of a cir 
 cle, composed of soldiers and others 
 of the Davis party. In the back 
 ground some soldiers set up a song: 
 
LIEUT.-COL. HENRY HARNDEN. 
 
 First Wisconsin Cavalry. Brevet Brigadier General of 
 
 Volunteers, 1865. 
 
Jefferson Davis. 33 
 
 "We will hang Jeff. Davis on a sour 
 apple tree," to the tune of John 
 Brown, which did not add to his 
 comfort in the least. 
 
 In the camp were two tents and 
 eight ambulances, each drawn by 
 four mules. There were also sev 
 eral fine saddle horses. Besides 
 Jeff. Davis, there were Mr. Reagan, 
 Colonel Harrison, Mrs. Davis, her 
 sister, Miss Howel, and a number 
 of rebel officers from Johnston s 
 army and a lot of teamsters, serv 
 ants and others, but no fighting 
 men. 
 
 It appears that when the fighting 
 began, Mr. Davis was sleeping in 
 his tent. Alarmed at the noise, he 
 hastily arose and threw a shawl, or 
 dressing-gown around him, and 
 started out, but meeting a soldier, 
 was stopped and ordered back into 
 his tent. It was some time before 
 
34 The Capture of 
 
 he could understand what had hap 
 pened. He heard the noise of the 
 sharp skirmish, and saw the dead 
 and wounded brought in, and know 
 ing that he had no fighting men 
 with him, he could not understand 
 what it meant, until explained to 
 him afterwards. 
 
 I entered into conversation with 
 him, but with poorsatisfaction to him 
 or to me. I would not call him Mr. 
 President, but always addressed him 
 as Mr. Davis, which seemed greatly 
 to annoy him, and he retaliated by 
 speaking of "yourgovernment," with 
 the greatest contempt. I said to 
 him that I came very near making 
 his acquaintance back at Dublin, 
 three days before, and if he had ful 
 filled his engagement to dine with 
 Judge Rose, that I should have done 
 so. Upon this, he turned on me with 
 great hauteur and said: "Well, sir, 
 
Jefferson Davis. 35 
 
 I can assure you that if you had 
 made my acquaintance then, this 
 thing would not have happened as 
 it has. I had those with me then, 
 who would not have permitted this 
 indignity to have been put upon me, 
 and it was well for you, sir, that 
 you were not in time to see me 
 then." I replied, that it would have 
 afforded me pleasure to have met 
 his friends and tried the question 
 with them. Every few moments 
 he would turn away from me, but 
 he would soon come back to the tilt 
 again. He wanted to know if my 
 government authorized me to har- 
 rass women and children through 
 the country in the manner I was do 
 ing. I replied no, that I was not after 
 women and children, but I was sent 
 after him. Then his wrath arose 
 again, and he poured out a torrent of 
 abuse against my government, which 
 
36 The Capture of 
 
 was treating him with such indig 
 nity. 
 
 While conversing with him I saw 
 a cask of brandy pitched out of an 
 ambulance and the head was soon 
 knocked in and the soldiers were 
 running from all parts, with cups 
 and canteens, so I called Colonel 
 Pritchard s attention to it, and said 
 it ought to be stopped, as there 
 might soon be trouble over it. The 
 Colonel went over and tried to stop 
 it, but with poor success, I suspect, 
 as the condition of the soldiers soon 
 showed. Mr. Davis seeing the way 
 things were being thrown out of the 
 wagons, turned to me and inquired 
 which of us was the ranking officer. 
 As rank depended upon the date of 
 our commissions, and we were both 
 Lieutenant-Colonels, I replied that 
 I did not know. He meant to in 
 quire which of us was in command, 
 
Jefferson Davis. 37 
 
 but as he had been insolent, I did 
 not propose to explain to him that 
 we were two separate commands 
 just come together. He then turned 
 to some confederate officers and 
 said that things had come to a 
 pretty state of affairs when United 
 States soldiers did not know who 
 their commanding officer was, and 
 that it was no wonder that the pri 
 vates were plunderers and robbers. 
 After a little more talk, his wrath 
 which had for some time been rising, 
 got completely the better of him, and 
 then he turned his back upon me for 
 the last time. 
 
 In speaking to his wife he blamed 
 her for his being captured, for he 
 said, if he had acted on his own 
 judgment he would have been with 
 the others of his party, and this 
 thing would not have happened 
 as it had. It appeared that she had 
 
38 The Capture of 
 
 persuaded him to accompany her a 
 little further than he had at first in 
 tended. Mrs. Davis took him by 
 the arm and tried to pacify him. 
 She told him "never to mind him, 
 that he was not worth minding." 
 She also said, as she was leading 
 him away, that she hoped we would 
 not irritate the President for some 
 one might get hurt. 
 
 After making all allowance for the 
 humiliating position in which Mr. 
 Davis found himself placed at that 
 time, I came to the conclusion that he 
 was a greatly overrated man. His 
 manner and all that he said, his 
 blaming his wife and other circum 
 stances, all went to show that he 
 had no real nobility about him. 
 
 It appears that up to their arrival 
 at Dublin, Mr. Davis was accom 
 panied by his Cabinet officers and 
 quite an escort of Texans, but they 
 
Jefferson Davis. 39 
 
 were separated, the main part going 
 down the east side of the Oconee 
 river, while the party of Mr. Davis 
 crossed to the west side and were 
 headed for Mississippi, the home of 
 Mrs. Davis. 
 
 Mr. Davis only intended to keep 
 her company for a day or two longer, 
 then leave her and make his way to 
 General Kirby Smith in the lower 
 Mississippi, and continue the war 
 some longer. 
 
 In regard to what would have hap 
 pened in case we had met Mr. Davis 
 at Dublin, it is only problematical. 
 The Wisconsin troops were veterans 
 selected from one of the best regi 
 ments in the service, all well armed, 
 mounted, and disciplined, while the 
 confederates although in greatly su 
 perior numbers, were disorganized 
 and discouraged. That they were 
 brave men and desperate fighters, 
 
40 The Capture of 
 
 no one will dispute, but that the 
 meeting did not take place, in my 
 opinion, was well for Jeff. Davis and 
 his escort, for in the language of 
 Mrs. Davis, "some one would have 
 got hurt." 
 
 As to the hoop-skirt story, I know 
 but very little of it, but think it 
 grew out of the remark by a soldier, 
 that, when he stopped him, he had 
 his wife s shawl on. As I saw noth 
 ing and heard nothing of any female 
 apparel at the time I never took 
 any stock in that story. After rest 
 ing for a short time and caring for 
 the wounded and burying the dead, 
 we all began our return march to 
 Macon, where we arrived the day 
 after, May 12, 1865. 
 
 I first made my verbal report to 
 General Wilson and received from 
 him his hearty approval of all we had 
 done. We then heard that a reward 
 
Jefferson Davis. 4* 
 
 of one hundred thousand dollars had 
 been offered for the capture of Da 
 vis, a fact of which, up to this 
 time, we Wisconsin men had been 
 ignorant. 
 
 The reward offered for the cap 
 ture of Davis was first awarded to 
 the Michigan regiment, although 
 the greater part of the regiment was 
 twenty-five miles away at the time, 
 but the great injustice of this was 
 so apparent that Congress appointed 
 a committee to investigate, and 
 this committee reversed the award 
 by giving to the men who were ac 
 tually present, of both regiments, 
 shares alike according to rank and 
 pay. General Wilson received a 
 share equal to that of Colonel Prit- 
 chard and myself. 
 
 As the war was then over and 
 Colonel Pritchard and myself were 
 soon mustered out of service, no 
 
42 The Capture of 
 
 military court of inquiry was ever 
 held to determine the responsibility 
 of the collision which resulted so 
 disastrously to several Union sol 
 diers, but General Wilson says in 
 his official report, that Colonel 
 Harnden was in no way responsible 
 as he had no means of knowing 1 
 
 o 
 
 that the parties in his front were 
 other than enemies. 
 
 Over thirty odd years have passed 
 and gone since the event narrated 
 above took place, and many of the 
 participants have gone to their long 
 homes, but the memory of the com 
 rades are still fresh to me and grow 
 ing dearer as time rolls on. 
 
 I will add one word more of tribute 
 to their praise. For the whole seven 
 days of the expedition, not one word 
 of complaint or a murmur was heard, 
 although marching under the burn 
 ing sun or in the blinding rain, by 
 
Jefferson Davis. 43 
 
 day or night, with scarcely any food 
 to eat, without rest, until it seemed 
 as if human nature could stand no 
 more; and yet, weary as they were, 
 they were ready to face their ene 
 mies in battle, well knowing them 
 to be more than two to one of 
 themselves. Their only thought 
 was, it is duty. 
 
 In Major-General Wilson s official 
 report, made to the war department 
 in regard to the capture of Jeff. 
 Davis, he says: "Upon receiving 
 notice that Mr. Davis was making 
 his way into Georgia, I ordered the 
 General commanding the First Di 
 vision, to detail one hundred and 
 fifty men> from his best regiment, 
 commanded by his best officer, to 
 go in pursuit of Davis, and in obe 
 dience to the order, General Crox- 
 ton sent Colonel Harnden with a de 
 tachment from the First Wisconsin 
 cavalry." 
 
44 The Capture of 
 
 It will be observed that one hun 
 dred and fifty men of the Wisconsin 
 regiment were sent out to do the 
 same work and to meet the same 
 risks for which whole regiments were 
 in other cases thought to be neces 
 sary. How well they acquitted 
 themselves of the great responsibil 
 ity is shown by the results they ac 
 complished. 
 
 QUESTIONS ANSWERED. 
 
 A number of questions have been 
 asked with respect to the capture, 
 which I will try to answer as best 
 I can. 
 
 What was done with Jefferson 
 Davis? 
 
 After he was brought to Macon, 
 he was sent under guard by the way 
 of Savannah to Old Point, Vir 
 ginia, where he was kept a prisoner 
 
Jefferson Davis. 45 
 
 for several months, Governor Up- 
 ham, of Wisconsin, then a Lieuten 
 ant in the United States army, being 
 one of the officers to guard him. 
 Davis was finally released on bail, 
 Horace Greely and others going on 
 his bond. 
 
 Who was Captain Yeoman? 
 
 He was a Captain in an Ohio 
 regiment, who somewhere in the 
 Carolinas fell in with the Davis 
 party, and passing himself off for a 
 Confederate, traveled with them for 
 several days, and it was he who 
 contrived to get the dispatch to 
 General Wilson at Macon, which 
 caused him to send a number of 
 regiments in different directions to 
 try and head Davis off, and which 
 did finally result in his capture. 
 
 How was Davis dressed? 
 He wore a common slouched hat, 
 nice fine boots, no spurs, coat and 
 
46 The Capture of 
 
 pants of light blue English broad 
 cloth; taking all circumstances into 
 consideration, he was neatly dressed. 
 
 Who captured him? 
 
 It was said and not disputed at 
 the time, that the soldier s name 
 who said "halt to Davis, was Mun- 
 ger, a corporal in the Fourth Mich 
 igan Cavalry, but he did not then 
 know that it was Davis. 
 
 How did the hoop-skirt story get 
 started? 
 
 When we got back to Macon, 
 General Wilson sent for me and 
 made me tell him all about my pur 
 suit and the incidents of the capture 
 of Davis. The General insisted 
 upon every particular as how he ap 
 peared, what he said, how he was 
 dressed, etc. 
 
 After narrating all, I told him 
 that I heard the soldier who halted 
 
Jefferson Davis. 47 
 
 him say, that when Davis came out 
 of his tent, he had his wife s shawl 
 on. This remark of mine was tel 
 egraphed north, and when it came 
 back, it had apparently grown into 
 its well known proportions. 
 
 Who was to blame for the col 
 lision? 
 
 Perhaps that is not for me to say, 
 but after the lapse of these many 
 years, and looking back across the 
 intervening time, and realizing that 
 men may be mistaken in their judg 
 ments, I feel that I owe it to his 
 torical truth and to the memory of 
 the brave men of the First Wiscon 
 sin Cavalry, who were with me, 
 and who took part in this closing 
 scene in the war, to once more care 
 fully review the circumstances of 
 that unfortunate collision, and to 
 submit to those who care to read 
 
48 The Capture of 
 
 this narrative, the evidence upon 
 the subject which I have been able 
 to gather from official reports and 
 from the statements of those who 
 were present, and personally wit 
 nessed the facts. 
 
 The official reports of the Union 
 and Confederate armies have now 
 been put in print, and are access- 
 able to every one, and all corres 
 pondence and reports relating to 
 this matter are public property and 
 easy to be examined by any one 
 who cares to turn over the pages of 
 those voluminous records. Upon 
 carefully re-reading these reports 
 and, from statements furnished me 
 by men who were with me, and 
 which I subjoin to this narrative, 
 there are some things which have 
 become more clear to me now, than 
 even at the time. One fact which has 
 grown upon me is, that it is more 
 
Jefferson Davis. 49 
 
 than probable that the Commander 
 of the Fourth Michigan Cavalry 
 knew when he left Macon, of the 
 one hundred thousand dollars re 
 ward which had been offered for the 
 capture of Jeff. Davis. In the light 
 of the evidence it seems to me im 
 possible that he should not have 
 known it, and the action which he 
 took with respect to the capture 
 has driven me to the unwilling be 
 lief that for some reason he was either 
 not unwilling that such a collision 
 should take place, or that he was 
 grossly negligent with respect to 
 preventing it. 
 
 As early as the 3Oth of April, 
 General Grant had begun to take 
 measures to secure, if possible, the 
 capture of the president of the 
 Southern Confederacy, and had given 
 strict orders to have the Mississippi 
 river patrolled and guarded. Gen- 
 
50 The Capture of 
 
 eral Thomas had also taken meas 
 ures to accomplish the same end. 
 Reports had begun to come in from 
 different sources that Davis had 
 been trying to escape with several 
 millions of specie. On the 2d day 
 of May, 1865, President Johnson 
 had issued a proclamation, offering 
 a reward of "one hundred thousand 
 dollars for the arrest of Jefferson 
 Davis, twenty-five thousand dollars 
 for the arrest of Clement C. Clay, 
 and others." 
 
 On May 6th, General Wilson at 
 Macon, Georgia, issued hand-bills, 
 a fac- simile of which is produced in 
 the February Century, 1890, in the 
 article upon "The Pursuit and Cap 
 ture of Jefferson Davis," offering a 
 reward of one hundred thousand dol 
 lars in gold, and these were posted 
 in Macon as early as the 7th, and 
 widely distributed throughout all 
 
Jefferson Davis. 51 
 
 that region. Colonel Pritchard did 
 not leave Macon until eight o clock 
 on the evening of the /th, and after 
 these hand-bills must have been 
 thoroughly distributed throughout 
 that whole vicinity. 
 
 In this I am confirmed by the 
 statement of Clark W. Seely, of 
 Company D, First Wisconsin Cav 
 alry, which is hereto annexed. 
 Seely was wounded in the collision, 
 and was sent back in the ambulance 
 of the Fourth Michigan, and upon 
 the road to Abbeville upon the very 
 day of the collision, he heard some 
 of Colonel Pritchard s command 
 asking who would get the reward, 
 and upon Seely s question they in 
 formed him that there was a reward 
 of one hundred thousand dollars for 
 Davis s capture. 
 
 The circumstances of the collision 
 itself seem scarcely able to be ex- 
 
52 The Capture of 
 
 plained upon any other theory. I 
 venture to call attention to two state 
 ments made by General Wilson re 
 specting this matter. In General 
 Wilson s report to General John 
 Rawlins, dated January 17, 1867, 
 he used this significant language re 
 ferring to my meeting with Colonel 
 Pritchard: "Colonel Harnden having 
 informed him that he had force 
 enough to cope with Davis, Colonel 
 Pritchard determined to march an 
 other road leading to Irwinville by 
 a more circuitous route. Why he 
 did not send a courier on the trail 
 pursued by Colonel Harnden to no- 
 tify the latter of his intentions, has 
 not been explained. This would 
 probably have prevented the colli 
 sion which afterward occurred be 
 tween his regiment and that of Colo 
 nel Harnden, and would not have 
 
Jefferson Davis. 53 
 
 rendered the capture of Davis less 
 certain."* 
 
 In his article in the Century Mag 
 azine for February, 1890, General 
 Wilson says: "Unfortunately, Colo 
 nel Pritchard had failed to apprise 
 Colonel Harnden of his plan of op 
 erations, and the latter, entirely 
 unconscious of all that had occurred 
 since he left Abbeville at three 
 o clock the previous afternoon, had 
 called his men without the blare of 
 bugles from their slumber, and after 
 a hasty breakfast of coffee and hard 
 bread, had taken the road to gather 
 in the party which he had been pur 
 suing with such untiring energy for 
 two days and nights." ... A 
 careful examination of all the re 
 ports made by Colonel Pritchard to 
 the various officers fail to show that 
 
 *Part I, Vol. XLIX, page 377, Official Rec 
 ords of the Union and Confederate Armies. 
 
54 The Capture of 
 
 any special precaution was taken by 
 him to prevent the collision, and 
 the differences in his reports seem 
 very marked, as the necessity for 
 making excuses for his negligence 
 became more apparent. 
 
 In his report of May 25th to the 
 Secretary of War, he says: "Sharp 
 firing was commenced between the 
 dismounted forces under Lieutenant 
 Purinton, and what was supposed 
 at the time to be the rebel forces 
 guarding a train. The firing was 
 about one hundred rods in rear of 
 the camp, and across a narrow 
 swamp. I immediately ordered all 
 my forces forward to the scene of 
 the firing, leaving only a force suf 
 ficient to guard the camp and pris 
 oners. On arriving on the ground, 
 I found my men engaging a force of 
 dismounted men who were concealed 
 behind trees, etc. I at once formed 
 
Jefferson Davis. 55 
 
 my men in line, dismounted them, 
 threw out a line of skirmishers, who 
 were advancing handsomely, when 
 I became apprehensive that we were 
 contending with some of our own 
 men, from the determination dis 
 played on their part and the pecu 
 liar report of their firearms. I 
 ordered my men at once to cease 
 firing, and rode out towards our 
 opponents and hallooed to them, 
 asking- them who they were, and re 
 ceived the reply, "First Wisconsin." 
 In his report to General Minty, 
 July 2, 1865. 
 
 Speaking of the Davis camp, he 
 says: "I at first thought that it 
 must be the First Wisconsin, but 
 upon further inquiry, learned that 
 the party had tents and wagons, 
 which I knew was not the case with 
 the First Wisconsin, but thinking 
 that there might still be some mis- 
 
56 The Capture of 
 
 take regarding the character of the 
 party, I gave my officers strict or 
 ders with reference to learning the 
 character of all parties before firing 
 upon them.""* 
 
 Lieutenant Purinton in his affi 
 davit on page 529 of the same rec 
 ords, speaking of Colonel Pritchard, 
 says: * Giving me special orders, 
 and cautioning me to ascertain the 
 character of all parties and men 
 whom I might meet before firing 
 upon them, as the First Wisconsin 
 Cavalry might be on the road. In 
 obedience to said orders, I success 
 fully executed my mission in gain 
 ing the rear of the camp without dis 
 covery." 
 
 And he then states how he carried 
 
 out that order, showing that he used 
 
 no efforts to make known who he 
 
 was, although he was expecting the 
 
 *Part I, vol. 49, p. 532, Official Records. 
 
Jefferson Davis. 57 
 
 First Wisconsin to be at that very 
 point at that moment. He says: 
 
 "I had held my position for an 
 hour or more when I heard mounted 
 men approaching us from the rear, 
 as we were then facing towards the 
 camp. When they had approached 
 to within fifteen or twenty rods of 
 my position I discovered that 
 there were six or eight of them, 
 when I stepped out in person and 
 halted them, and received the reply 
 at first "Friends," when I ordered 
 one to ride forward, which they re 
 fused to do. I then asked them 
 what command they belonged to, 
 then they replied, By G d, you 
 are the men we are looking for. I 
 then told them that if we were the 
 men they were looking for to come 
 forward, when they immediately 
 wheeled and fled, when I, supposing 
 they must be the enemy, ordered 
 
58 The Capture of 
 
 my men to fire on them." Though 
 one feels like commending the kind 
 ness of Lieutenant Purinton in thus 
 endeavoring to relieve his superior 
 officer from blame, by stating that 
 he carried out the orders of Colonel 
 Pritchard, in this blundering, negli 
 gent, and almost disobedient man 
 ner, still it seems from the above 
 conflicting statements that Lieuten 
 ant Purinton, although willing to 
 assume the blame, is not in reality 
 the one responsible for it. Both he 
 and Colonel Pritchard expected the 
 First Wisconsin at that very point. 
 Both of them say that they were 
 looking for them to come. Both 
 say that they were endeavoring and 
 taking unusual pains, but neither 
 claim that they told or in any way 
 disclosed their identity before firing, 
 and acknowledge that they were at 
 a place where they say they ex- 
 
Jefferson Davis. 59 
 
 pected the First Wisconsin Cavalry 
 to be at that very moment. 
 
 Lieutenant Purinton expected 
 friends from that direction, not 
 enemies. My command expected 
 enemies, and not friends at the 
 point where Sergeant Hussy was 
 met and halted. He did his duty 
 as a brave man and a skillful soldier. 
 He retreated and did not give him 
 self up in an unsoldierly way at the 
 command to advance from the lips 
 of a supposed enemy. 
 
 The statement of Private Seely, 
 hereto annexed is singularly perti 
 nent. He says: "As soon as we 
 halted, the men that were left at the 
 ferry, (a portion of Pritchard s com 
 mand) crowded around and wanted 
 to know how the men came to fire 
 into the Wisconsin men. Some 
 said: we were ordered to fire, so 
 we fired, but we were sure it was 
 
60 The Capture of 
 
 Union Cavalry by the rattle of their 
 sabers. I heard several say the 
 same thing." 
 
 The above statement corresponds 
 with Colonel Pritchard s remarks in 
 his report, "the peculiar report of 
 their fire arms," and explains the 
 impression evidently made upon 
 General La Grange, as shown by his 
 endorsement upon my report, in 
 which he characterized the affair as 
 "An act having- every appearance 
 of unsoldierly selfishness in appro 
 priating by deception the fruits of 
 another s labor and thus attaining 
 an unearned success, resulting in 
 unnecessary bloodshed and a sacri 
 fice of lives for which no atonement 
 can be made. What may have been 
 intended merely as an act of bad 
 faith toward a fellow soldier, re 
 sulted in a crime." 
 
 It is painful to think that the im- 
 
Jefferson Davis. 61 
 
 pression which was made upon Gen 
 eral La Grange, that the reward 
 which had been offered may have 
 been a reason for this undue negli 
 gence, on the part of Colonel Pritch- 
 ard, and his men, occasioned this 
 unfortunate collision, yet it is diffi 
 cult to forget the promptness with 
 which Colonel Pritchard claimed the 
 reward for himself and men. 
 
 I cannot forbear noting, that with 
 respect to the blame, the following 
 at least must be admitted. General 
 Wilson said Colonel Harnden was 
 not to blame. Colonel O. H. La 
 Grange said that Colonel Harnden 
 was not to blame. The committee 
 of Congress exonerated me. Some 
 attempt was made to place some 
 blame on Sergeant George Hussey, 
 who commanded my advance guard, 
 but I exonerate him from any blame 
 and certify that he acted as a brave 
 
62 The Capture of 
 
 and experienced soldier should act, 
 when challenged in the dark by one 
 whom he believed to be an enemy. 
 
 The memory of that sad collision 
 has been with me through all these 
 succeeding years. Three of the 
 brave men of my command have 
 carried their crippled forms through 
 life as the result of what might 
 have been easily prevented. And 
 though, it is with deep regret, I feel 
 justified in calling attention to those 
 passages in the official records which 
 seem to bear upon the question as 
 to who is to blame for the collision. 
 
 It is a great pleasure to me to 
 leave upon record a testimonial of 
 my respect for the bravery and the 
 character of the men who composed 
 the First Wisconsin Cavalry, a regi 
 ment which had a splendid military 
 record, much of which has never 
 been recorded, and which will now 
 
Jefferson Davis. 63 
 
 be soon forgotten, as the men who 
 composed the regiment are fast re 
 ceiving their final discharge from 
 duty. This regiment was in the 
 Second Brigade, First Division Cav 
 alry Corps, Military Division of the 
 Mississippi, Army of the Cumber 
 land. The corps was commanded 
 by Major-General James H. Wilson; 
 the division by Major-General E. M. 
 McCook; the brigade by Colonel O. 
 H. La Grange, and the regiment by 
 Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Harnden. 
 This regiment was raised by Pro 
 fessor Edward Daniels, State Geol- 
 gist, and he became its first Colonel. 
 It went into camp in July, 1861, at 
 Ripon, and was at first quartered in 
 the college buildings, and afterwards 
 quartered in tents at Kenosha until 
 it left the State. The regiment, as 
 a whole, or in part, was in between 
 fifty and sixty engagements with 
 
64 The Capture of 
 
 the enemy, and lost by death four 
 hundred and three men. My own 
 original company (L) lost forty-nine 
 men. The first chaplain, George 
 Dunmore, was killed. The first 
 surgeon, Dr. Gregory, was also 
 killed, and among the killed were 
 L eutenant-Colonel Wm. H. Tor- 
 rey, Major Nathan Payne, Lieuten 
 ant Wm. J. Phillips, Lieutenant Shel 
 don E. Vosberg. A number of the 
 officers died by disease, among 
 whom were Major Henry L. Eg- 
 gleston, Lieutenant Josiah Bent, 
 Lieutenant Geo. W. Frederick, 
 Lieutenant William S. Cooper, Lieu 
 tenant Charles W. Clinton; while 
 Lieutenant Charles N. Hoag, and 
 Lieutenant Henry W. Getchell died 
 of disease or wounds in rebel prisons; 
 and Colonel O. H. La Grange was 
 taken prisoner and remained in con 
 finement for a long time. 
 
Jefferson Davis. 65 
 
 Of the forty-eight commissioned 
 officers that went out with the regi 
 ment, only four of the original ones 
 were mustered out with it July 19, 
 1865, when the regiment was mus 
 tered out of service of the United 
 States, at Edgefield, Tenn. Of the 
 twelve original Captains, there are 
 only two or three yet living. 
 
 The men seemed to be picked 
 men, and I recall many instances of 
 their bravery and devotion to duty. 
 At the time of the collision with the 
 Fourth Michigan, it was difficult to 
 restrain them from charging upon a 
 force apparently greatly superior in 
 numbers, and I remember when 
 I gave Lieutenant Clinton the 
 order to prepare for a saber charge, 
 two of his men understanding that 
 I ordered the charge, drew their 
 sabers, gave spur to their horses, 
 and were half way to the enemy, 
 
66 The Capture of 
 
 when I called them back to the 
 ranks. 
 
 I am impressed with the belief 
 that the importance of the capture 
 of Jefferson Davis is sometimes over 
 looked, as being in reality the close 
 of the war. After his capture there 
 was no one left of prominence or 
 influence in the southern confeder 
 acy, who believed that the war 
 could continue. All reports make 
 it clear that he had not yet given 
 up hope of in some way carrying on 
 hostilities further, and there were in 
 the south a great many men who 
 would willingly have joined him had 
 it been possible. Were it not for his 
 capture, he very likely might have 
 crossed the Mississippi to General 
 Kirby Smith, and there have gath 
 ered together the troops of the trans- 
 Mississippi, and have continued the 
 war for a long period, entailing a 
 further great loss of life. 
 
Jefferson Davis. 67 
 
 It is well-known that after his 
 flight from Richmond he refused to 
 consider his cause hopeless, and was 
 determined to continue the war even 
 after his generals in the East, at a 
 council, had decided that further 
 fighting was useless. 
 
 It has always been painful to me 
 to think that in some respect, at 
 least, Jefferson Davis was personally 
 responsible for much of the suffering 
 of the poor men who starved to death 
 in Andersonville and Libby prisons. 
 During the months of March and 
 April, 1865, when the south would 
 have been short of provisions, if 
 ever, Major-General Wilson with his 
 Cavalry, and with not less than fif 
 teen thousand men and eighteen 
 thousand animals, passed down from 
 Alabama to Selma, on the Alabama 
 river, thence east through to Mont 
 gomery, and on to Macon, Georgia. 
 
68 The Capture of 
 
 We foraged off the country, and 
 lacked nothing in the way of food 
 for men or animals. We found grain 
 enough to feed our horses, and ham, 
 bacon, and sweet potatoes for all 
 the men, and this, it must be re 
 membered, was only comparatively 
 a short distance from Andersonville, 
 where thousands of Union soldiers 
 were starving to death. I am im 
 pressed with the belief that Jeffer 
 son Davis might have prevented 
 much of that suffering, and that he 
 more than any other one man, was 
 responsible for the same. 
 
 Is it true, as stated in some pa 
 pers, that some Pennsylvania and 
 Illinois troops were there? 
 
 It is not true. There were none 
 but the First Wisconsin and Fourth 
 Michigan Cavalry present. 
 
Jefferson Davis. 69 
 
 How was it that the one hundred 
 thousand dollars reward offered for 
 the capture of Davis was at first all 
 awarded to the Fourth Michigan 
 Cavalry? 
 
 I was kept on duty with the 
 First Wisconsin Cavalry down in 
 Georgia until the following July, 
 when we were marched to Nash 
 ville, Tennessee, and mustered 
 out of service. In the meantime 
 Colonel Pritchard had an opportu 
 nity to visit Washington and tell 
 his story, and the consequence was 
 that the whole was first awarded to 
 the Michigan regiment. 
 
 For some unaccountable reason 
 my official report was delayed in 
 reaching Washington, and for some 
 time I made no claim to any share 
 in the reward, supposing that Davis 
 would be tried and executed, and 
 in that case I would not have taken 
 
70 The Capture of 
 
 what might be considered blood 
 money; but when it became certain 
 that he was not to be punished, I 
 went to Washington and laid before 
 Congress a claim on behalf of the 
 First Wisconsin Cavalry to a share 
 of the money. 
 
 A committee of Congress was ap 
 pointed, of which Mr. Washburn, of 
 Massachusetts, was chairman, to 
 investigate the whole matter. After 
 due consideration, this committee 
 unanimously reported that General 
 Wilson, Colonel Pritchard, Captain 
 Yeoman, and myself should receive 
 three thousand dollars each, and 
 that the balance should be divided 
 among those who were actually pres 
 ent and took part in the capture, 
 according to rank and pay, the mem 
 bers of each regiment being treated 
 alike. I was exonerated from all 
 blame for the collision. 
 
Jefferson Davis. 71 
 
 When the bill as reported came 
 before the house, every republican, 
 except the five members from Mich 
 igan, voted for it. 
 
 In closing this narrative, I am re 
 minded that as the colored man 
 primarily was the cause of the war, 
 so it was a colored man who really 
 brought it to a close. I refer to my 
 colored servant Bill, who was an 
 unusual character. Just how he came 
 to be my servant, I scarcely know. 
 He attached himself to me quite 
 early in the last campaign, and re 
 mained with me until the regiment 
 was mustered out. He was ener 
 getic, faithful, devoted and intelli 
 gent, far beyond the average. He 
 always knew how to forage, and I 
 could safely trust him to provide me 
 with something to eat, even though 
 hams and chickens could not be 
 
72 The Capture of 
 
 found by other foragers. It was he 
 who brought to me the information 
 without which the capture would 
 have been impossible. It has been 
 to me a source of regret that he 
 did not share more largely in the 
 reward which was given. When I 
 left him, he was made happy in the 
 possession of an old mule and some 
 means of transportation, and had 
 already formed new plans. I am 
 thoroughly convinced that had he 
 not been along with me on that ex 
 pedition I should have known noth 
 ing of Jefferson Davis having been 
 through Dublin on that day, and on 
 the morrow I should have crossed 
 the Oconee River, and gone on to 
 wards Savannah, and Jefferson Davis 
 would have escaped capture, and 
 very likely got over the Mississippi 
 River to General Kirby Smith. 
 In preparing this narrative of the 
 
$100,000 
 
 1 
 
 Hi p , juarlrrs t v. t 6rp^ 
 Military IMn>-i<m ?|ississiii|i 1 
 
 - ^^"* 
 
 Otic Hundred Thaiivaiiil^DoUlSpK Reward 
 
 in. Gold, will ^>e paid to any person or persorts who w\\ a| 
 prehendftntl deliver JEFPERS >M OAVIS to any of th 
 itary authorities of the United States? 
 
 S<-.....,l ...III,,.,,, ,.C ,|, C U, rpor(fa to IfT HUh h ""l ** " l". <--nic !>< 
 
 COPY OF A HANDBILL PICKED UP IN GEORGIA AFTER THE WAR. 
 
 [From a Reduced Facsimile in The Century. } 
 
Jefferson Davis. 73 
 
 circumstance of the capture of Davis, 
 I have been assisted by the state 
 ments furnished me by many of my 
 old comrades in arms, some of 
 which I here subjoin. It has been 
 a great pleasure to me to renew 
 after nearly a third of a century my 
 associations with them by letter, 
 and to read the kind expressions of 
 good-will which they have sent. I 
 realize that the present is no time 
 for prejudice and passion to control 
 the hearts of the old veterans so near 
 the end of the final march. I have 
 endeavored only to state the facts 
 as correctly as possible, using all ( 
 sources of information at my com 
 mand, realizing too the frailty of 
 human memory, and how possible it 
 is for even the best and the most 
 sincere to be mistaken. 
 
 To my old comrades in arms, to 
 whom this narrative may come, I 
 
74 The Capture. 
 
 can only express my deep and fer 
 vent regards and best wishes for 
 your remaining years, while waiting 
 for your final summons when the 
 general assembly shall once more re 
 form all the ranks of our old regi 
 ment. 
 
I. 
 
 Statement of Sergeant Hussey. 
 
 My name is George G. Hussey; I was 
 a sergeant in Company D, First Regi 
 ment, Wisconsin Cavalry. I was one of 
 a detachment of the First Wisconsin 
 Cavalry under Colonel Henry Harnden 
 sent in pursuit of Jeff. Davis, the Presi 
 dent of the Southern Confederacy, and 
 I was present at his capture. It was on 
 the morning of May 10, 1865, and before 
 daylight that we were called to stand to 
 horse. It was then that Colonel Harn 
 den said to me: "Sergeant Hussey, you 
 will take six men and ride a little in ad 
 vance, keep a sharp lookout and report 
 to me anything you see, for we are 
 close up to the enemy, and will prob 
 ably strike, them this morning, so be 
 very careful. March." I then led 
 out, the Colonel with the main col 
 umn following close behind. It was 
 quite dark and the track we were follow 
 ing was only a trail through the pine 
 [751 
 
76 The Capture of 
 
 woods. We went forward about one mile 
 or so when suddenly out of the darkness 
 came the challenge, "Halt, who comes 
 there?" I answered, "Friends." Then 
 came the order, "Dismount and come 
 forward and let yourself be known." I 
 could just see the forms of men about 
 twenty or thirty yards away, and seeing 
 there was a large number of them I 
 spoke to my men to retreat, as we turned 
 our horses about, I shouted "Go to hell." 
 At this they fired a volley which wounded 
 three of my six men. Turning back we 
 soon met Colonel Harnden coming up 
 on a gallop at the head of a squad of 
 men. I told the Colonel that we had 
 run into their pickets, and that some of 
 my men were killed or wounded. The 
 Colonel said, "Get out of the way and 
 let us get at them." I then got my men 
 out of the road, and the Colonel, with 
 his men, went forward at a gallop, but 
 they soon received a volley which checked 
 them for a moment, the balance of the 
 men coming up, the Colonel got them 
 into line and then charged upon the en 
 emy, but before doing so, the enemy gave 
 
Jefferson Davis. 77 
 
 us the third volley, firing too high to 
 do us much harm. We drove them be 
 fore us into a swamp where one of them 
 was captured, and from this prisoner we 
 learned to our great surprise that our 
 opponents were Union soldiers, and of 
 the Fourth Michigan Cavalry. 
 
 The camp of Jeff. Davis was near at 
 hand, and his capture was effected 
 shortly after the collision took place. 
 
 Not having any intimation of the pres 
 ence of Union troops in that vicinity, 
 and after being so strictly cautioned by 
 the Colonel to look out for the enemy, I 
 feel that I should have been derelict in 
 duty had I obeyed the challenge to dis 
 mount and gone forward and surrendered 
 myself and men, and thus let the column 
 go on into a trap and been slaughtered, 
 as certainly would have been the case 
 had our opponents been enemies, as we 
 had every reason to suppose they were. 
 I have since learned that some of the 
 officers of the Fourth Michigan Cavalry, 
 those that so wickedly waylaid us, in 
 their report say, that the collision was 
 caused by the improper conduct of the 
 
78 The Capture of 
 
 sergeant in command of the advance of 
 the First Wisconsin Cavalry, and his im 
 proper reply when challenged. 
 
 Now if was I blamable, I submit to any 
 old soldier, what should I have done un 
 der the circumstances? Colonel Harnden 
 and General La Grange, whose opinion I 
 value more than all of the officers of the 
 Fourth Michigan, say that I did right 
 and acted as a good soldier should have 
 done under the circumstances. The 
 Lieutenant in command of the party, 
 who so recklessly fired upon us, says in 
 his report that he challenged when we 
 were eighteen or twenty rods away, and 
 pretends to give quite a conversation be 
 tween him and me. Now I held no con 
 versation with him except what I have 
 related, and further it is not at all likely 
 that any talk such as he describes, could 
 have been heard at a distance of eighteen 
 or twenty rods apart in a thick wood; 
 the idea that men could have been seen 
 so far away, is simply preposterous, and 
 only told to try to justify him in his 
 wantonly firing upon a party, whom he 
 had every reason to believe were Union 
 
Jefferson Davis. 79 
 
 men. The collision which was thus in 
 augurated resulted in the death of two 
 of the Michigan soldiers, and the wound 
 ing of several of both regiments. 
 
 GEORGE G. HUSSEY, 
 Late Sergeant Company C, 
 First Wisconsin Cavalry. 
 
 II. 
 Statement of Clark W. Seeley. 
 
 STATE OF MINNESOTA, / 
 COUNTY OF JACKSON, f 
 
 Clark W. Seeley, being duly sworn on 
 oath, says: "I was a private soldier of 
 Company D, First Wisconsin Cavalry 
 Volunteers. On the morning of May 
 10, 1865, I was with the command of 
 Lieutenant-Colonel Harnden. Sergeant 
 George Hussey, myself, and five others 
 were detailed to ride in advance, and or 
 dered to keep a sharp lookout ahead, for 
 the Colonel expected we would strike 
 Jeff. Davis escort that morning. We had 
 marched a mile or so, when we were 
 halted by some one a few rods in ad 
 vance of us in the dark, who said: "Who 
 comes there ? " Hussey answered, 
 
8o The Capture of 
 
 "Friends." We were ordered to dis 
 mount and come forward, which Hus- 
 sey refused to do, and ordered us to re 
 treat, which we did. As soon as we 
 moved, the halting party fired a volley 
 into us, wounding Gus Sykes and myself, 
 and I think Apply. We retired a few 
 rods, and immediately the Colonel, with 
 his command, coming as agreed upon. 
 Sykes and I dismounted here, and the 
 rest moved on after the firing party. We 
 had no ambulance with us. After day 
 light Sykes and I were put in one of the 
 captured ones, and sent with the Fourth 
 Michigan. When we got back to the 
 ferry the same day, where Colonel Prit- 
 chard had left some of his men the day 
 before, we camped for the night. These 
 men came crowding around, and asked 
 how it happend that they fired into the 
 Wisconsin men. Some of them answered 
 and said: "We were ordered to fire, so 
 we fired, but we knew they were Union 
 cavalry by the rattle of the sabers 
 scabbards." I heard several say the same. 
 At the same time some one said: "Well, 
 who will get the reward?" and one of the 
 
Jefferson Davis. 81 
 
 men who had been with us said: "We 
 will, of course, we have got Jeff. Davis." 
 I asked them what reward, and one re 
 plied: "Didn t you know there is one 
 hundred thousand dollars reward for the 
 capture of Davis?" I said no, I did not. 
 He said: "Well, there is." I replied to 
 him: "If that is so, I now know why 
 Pritchard ran around us when he said he 
 was going to stay at the ferry." I heard 
 the reward talked of by other Michigan 
 men, frequently in the next few days. 
 CLARK W. SEELEY, 
 Company C, First Wisconsin Cavalry. 
 Subscribed and sworn to before me, 
 this 26th day of February, 1896. 
 
 E. G. GRIMES, 
 Notary Public, Jackson County, Minnesota. 
 
 III. 
 
 Verified copy of the pocket diary of W. 
 O. Margrave, Sergeant Major of the 
 First Wisconsin Cavalry, relating to 
 the capture of Jefferson Davis, on May 
 10, 1865. 
 
 "On May 6, 1865, lying in Macon, 
 Georgia, part of our regiment, Colonel 
 Harnden in command, was ordered out 
 
82 The Capture of 
 
 to the south to look out for and try and 
 intercept Mr. Davis, who was reported 
 to be trying to make his escape after the 
 surrender of General Lee. At 5.00 
 o clock P. M. one battalion of our regi 
 ment started on the expedition. 
 
 Sunday, May 7, 1865, very warm. We 
 are out on hunt for old Jeff. Davis. 
 We hope that we may drop on him. 
 Travelled all last night, reaching Marion 
 at break of day, making about twenty- 
 three miles. No news of Jeff. yet. Left 
 company A to guard cross roads, and 
 patrol the vicinity, without stopping only 
 to feed horses and get dinner; pushing 
 on to Dublin, reaching there about 5:00 
 o clock P. M., making about forty-five 
 miles from Macon. 
 
 Monday, May 8, 1865. Cloudy, with 
 quite a rain at noon, and light showers 
 in afternoon. Broke camp at 4:00 o clock 
 A. M., and on strength of information 
 gained, though not very conclusive, 
 started south on the Jacksonville road, 
 along which we pushed some distance, 
 gaining some more confirmatory infor 
 mation. Before noon, the trail left the 
 
Jefferson Davis. 83 
 
 main road, and took into the pine woods 
 on an old road leading to the Poor Robin 
 ferry, on the Ocamulgee river. Came to 
 the place where the parties camped last 
 night at noon to-day. Went into camp 
 at night about twenty miles from the 
 Poor Robin ferry. 
 
 Tuesday, May gth. Cool and pleasant 
 after the rain. Broke camp at the grey 
 of day and started on the trail, some 
 times very indistinct through pine 
 woods, and swamps indescribable, reach 
 ing the Poor Robin ferry at 11:00 o clock 
 A. M. Took one and three-quarters 
 hours in crossing our detachment, num 
 ber about seventy in all. Halted an 
 hour to feed at noon at Abbeville, and 
 just as our bugle sounded the advance, 
 six or seven mounted men in our uni 
 forms charged by us on another road 
 which came in here. We were suprised 
 somewhat, thinking that none of our 
 forces were in the vicinity. They proved 
 to be the Fourth Michigan. Our colonel 
 stopped and communicated to the 
 colonel of the Fourth Michigan, Colonel 
 Pritchard, what information he had 
 
84 The Capture of 
 
 gained in regard to Davis and his party, 
 and asked the colonel of the Fourth 
 Michigan what his orders were, and he 
 informed our colonel that he was to 
 guard the ferry and patrol the river to 
 guard against Davis crossing. We pushed 
 on, following the Davis trail, sometimes 
 quite distinct, and at others faint. At 
 about 9:00 o clock p. M. our Colonel 
 called a halt, and gave me orders to have 
 the men rest on their arms, and told me 
 to wake the men at 3:00 o clock A. M., 
 not sounding the bugle, and to send a 
 sergeant and six men in advance. 
 
 Wednesday, May loth, broke camp at 
 3:45, with Sergeant Hussey and six men 
 in advance. Had made only about two 
 miles when three volleys were fired on 
 our advance, wounding two or three of 
 our men. Forward was the word from 
 our brave Colonel, and it found a quick 
 response from every heart, for we thought 
 of course that we had struck the camp or 
 forces of the arch-traitor, and the resolve 
 was to conquer or die. Our number was 
 only sixty-five or seventy men. The or 
 der was given to prepare to fight on foot, 
 
Jefferson Davis. 85 
 
 and at the order, forward we went, at 
 double quick to the front, in the face of 
 a deadly fire from a supposed desperate 
 foe. The firing was incessant. They 
 had twenty to thirty dismounted men, the 
 same that had fired on our advance guard, 
 well posted, and had covered behind 
 trees, but they were soon dislodged, and 
 driven like chaff before the wind. By 
 this time a larger mounted force con 
 fronted us, but were soon thrown into 
 confusion and were driven by our brave 
 boys half or three-quarters of a mile into 
 a narrow swamp or swale, and within 
 fifty or sixty rods of the Davis camp. 
 Here we took two prisoners which, to 
 our great surprise, proved to be the 
 Fourth Michigan Cavalry. At which, 
 our Colonel ordered firing stopped, we 
 could hardly believe our eyes, the light 
 was now strong enough to distinguish 
 their uniforms. Our feelings could 
 hardly be described or imagined. Sor 
 row and regret, yet not unalloyed, for 
 Jeff, and his train were captured. We 
 had done our duty, and the responsibil 
 ity of the collision must be on the Colo- 
 
86 The Capture of 
 
 nel of the Fourth Michigan. I cannot 
 explain it otherwise. His love of noto 
 riety had warped his sense of honor and 
 justice. He had selected about one hun 
 dred and fifty of his best mount imme 
 diately after learning what he did from 
 our Colonel, and had determined to 
 snatch the prize from our grasp if possi 
 ble, and by a forced march had got ahead 
 of both us and Jeff. s train, and had 
 thrown the twenty or thirty men across 
 the trail, between us and Jeff. s camp, the 
 same that had fired on our advance, and 
 while we were fighting, they had captured 
 Jeff., but I don t envy their position when 
 the facts became known. We had driven 
 them a half mile or more, and had we 
 not taken a prisoner and thus found that 
 we were fighting our own men, we would 
 have recaptured the train in less than, 
 twenty minutes. The fight lasted twenty 
 or thirty minutes. Our loss, two or three 
 wounded, two severely, and two horses 
 shot. Their loss, two men killed, and a 
 number wounded. The object of the 
 expedition having been accomplished, 
 Jeff, captured, soon as the wounded were 
 
Jefferson Davis. 87 
 
 cared for, and some breakfast gotten, we 
 started on our way back to Macon via 
 Abbeville." 
 
 And I would further state, that in ad 
 dition to the foregoing, copied from my 
 diary, that immediately after the capture 
 of Jeff. Davis, in talking with the Fourth 
 Michigan men, I charged them with firing 
 on us, knowing that we were not Jeff. 
 Davis 1 men, and they admitted that they 
 thought they were firing on us, and I 
 further asked them why they did so, and 
 in reply they said, that they had to obey 
 orders. I then asked them what their 
 orders were, and they told me that their 
 orders were to allow no one to approach 
 from that direction, and further, on our 
 return, after the capture, when we reached 
 Abbeville, from there into Macon, the 
 road was strewn with handbills offering 
 the reward of one hundred thousand 
 dollars for the capture of Davis, and this 
 was the first information that we had that 
 there was any reward offered for Davis 
 capture. 
 
 This to my mind explained why the 
 Colonel of the Fourth Michigan ran the 
 
88 The Capture of 
 
 risk and acted the part he did, in trying 
 to snatch the prize from our grasp. 
 W. O. HARGRAVE, 
 
 Ripon, Wis. 
 
 STATE OF WISCONSIN, \ 
 FOND DU LAC COUNTY. \ 
 
 W. O. Hargrave, being duly sworn, on 
 oath, says that the annexed and foregoing 
 is a true copy of the original diary, kept 
 by him while in the army of the United 
 States during the War of the Rebellion 
 a member of the First Wisconsin Cavalry; 
 that the entries in said diary were made 
 at the time of the occurrences to which 
 they relate, and while all the facts were 
 fresh in his memory; that he has care 
 fully compared said copy with said orig 
 inal diary, and that it is a true transcript 
 therefrom and the whole thereof, as to 
 the incidents to which such copy relates. 
 W. O. HARGRAVE. 
 
 Subscribed and sworn to before me, 
 this 1 2th day of October, 1897. 
 
 A. E. DUNLAP, 
 Notary Public, Wisconsin. 
 
Jefferson Davis. 89 
 
 IV. 
 
 Affidavit of J. J. Appling, Orderly of 
 Colonel Harnden. 
 
 STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA, \ gs 
 
 MARSHALL COUNTY. ( 
 J. J. Appling, being duly sworn on 
 oath, says that "On May 9, 1865, I was 
 orderly for Colonel Harnden, commander 
 of the First Wisconsin Cavalry. When 
 in pursuit of Jefferson Davis, about noon 
 of that day, we met the Fourth Michigan 
 Cavalry, and I was present at a conver 
 sation which then and there took place 
 between Colonel Pritchard of the Fourth 
 Michigan Cavalry, and Colonel Harnden, 
 of the First Wisconsin Cavalry. In re 
 sponse to the question asked by Colonel 
 Harnden of Colonel Pritchard as to his 
 orders, Colonel Pritchard replied that 
 his orders were to go to Abbeville and 
 patrol the river at that place, and he then 
 and there told Colonel Harnden that he 
 should observe those orders. Colonel 
 Harnden then informed Colonel Pritch 
 ard that for several days he had been fol 
 lowing Jefferson Davis, and that clearly 
 before night he would have him. At this 
 
go The Capture of 
 
 information Colonel Pritchard asked 
 Colonel Harnden to take one hundred 
 and fifty of his best mounted men to as 
 sist in the capture. Colonel Harnden re 
 plied that he had enough to take Davis 
 and his escort. Shortly after this con 
 versation, the Fourth Michigan Cavalry 
 started for the river, Colonel Harnden 
 and myself going back as far as where 
 our command had taken the trail of 
 Davis, and rejoined the regiment. I was 
 present at the collision, which occurred 
 between the First Wisconsin and the 
 Fourth Michigan Cavalry, and immedi 
 ately after the capture of Jefferson Davis, 
 in a conversation with the orderly of 
 Colonel Pritchard, he told me that there 
 was a reward of one hundred thousand 
 dollars for the arrest of Jefferson Davis, 
 Clement C. Clay, and I think some others. 
 This was while we were still on the 
 ground where the capture took place, and 
 this was the first time that any of the 
 First Wisconsin knew anything of any 
 reward having been offered. In the same 
 conversation, the orderly told me that 
 after Colonel Harnden and myself had 
 
Jefferson Davis. 91 
 
 left the place where the two Colonels 
 had their conversation, that Colonel 
 JPritchard, after arriving at the river 
 where he was to stay for orders, at once 
 gave orders for one hundred and fifty of 
 his best mounted men to charge down 
 the river towards Irvingville, to which 
 place Colonel Harnden had said Davis 
 was going, and get between Davis and us, 
 and check us while the main command 
 came along and capture Davis. 
 
 J. J. APPLING, 
 
 Co. K, first Wisconsin Cavalry, detailed 
 as orderly for Colonel Harnden. 
 Subscribed and sworn to before me 
 this 7th day of February, 1898. 
 
 W. O. CAMPBELL, 
 
 Clerk Circuit Court, Marshall County, 
 South Dakota. 
 
92 The Capture of 
 
 V. 
 
 Affidavit of Gus W. Sykes, Private of 
 Company D., First Wisconsin. 
 
 CATTLE FALLS, ) 
 WASHINGTON STATE. \ ^ 
 
 Gus. W. Sykes, being duly sworn on 
 oath, with respect to the facts of the cap 
 ture of Jefferson Davis, says: "I was one 
 of the advance squad on the morning of 
 May 10, 1865, advancing upon Davis 
 camp. As we were advancing, we were 
 challenged by what proved to be the 
 Fourth Michigan Cavalry, and by what 
 we supposed was the guard of the ambu 
 lances, which we were following. There 
 was only one man to be seen; as he chal 
 lenged, Sergeant George Hussey replied 
 Friends. The man standing in the road 
 said, Who are you? Hussey replied, 
 Some of your own men. Hussey then 
 turned to his men saying, Save your 
 selves. " 
 
 Some of the boys behind us had partly 
 turned around. I then said to Hussey, 
 "You are not obeying orders," for as I 
 had been in charge of the advance guard 
 
Jefferson Davis. 93 
 
 the day before, I remembered that my 
 orders were to charge if I saw anything 
 that looked suspicious, and we were all 
 in favor of a charge, but before I had 
 scarcely spoken the words, they began 
 firing, and at the second volley, Clark 
 Seeley and myself were badly wounded. 
 My honest opinion is there was no one 
 to blame but Colonel Pritchard. I could 
 have twisted his old neck for him when 
 I found it out. I talked with the lieu 
 tenant in charge of the pickets, and he 
 said Colonel Pritchard told him to look 
 out, there were one hundred and sixty 
 Texas rangers camped out on the road 
 one and a half miles. He did not tell 
 me that there were Union soldiers com 
 ing on that road, which he, Colonel 
 Pritchard, knew, but the lieutenant did 
 not. The above are the facts, just as I 
 saw them. 
 
 Gus. W. SYKES. 
 
 Subscribed and sworn to before me, 
 this iQth of March, 1898. 
 
 N. B. WHEELER, 
 Justice of the Peace. 
 
94 The Capture of 
 
 VI. 
 From the National Tribune. 
 
 WASHINGTON, D. C., April 2, 1896. 
 
 E. Richter, Company D, First Wiscon 
 sin Cavalry, St. Paul, Minnesota, says: 
 "In your issue of March i2th, General 
 Minty gives an account of the doings of 
 this Fourth Michigan Cavalry during 
 the war. I have no reason to doubt but 
 that the boys of that regiment were as 
 brave as any other soldiers, but when 
 any one of that regiment claims credit 
 for the capture of Jefferson Davis, it sets 
 my bood boiling, knowing the circum 
 stances, and that Lieutenant-Colonel 
 Pritchard had two of his brave men mur 
 dered, and several wounded to accom 
 plish his act of treachery toward his fel 
 low officer, Colonel H. Harnden of the 
 First Wisconsin Cavalry. 
 
 The less they say about the capture of 
 Davis the better for them, for the blood 
 of the brave men killed and wounded, in 
 the contest between the Fourth Michi 
 gan and the First Wisconsin is upon 
 Colonel Pritchard. For particulars i 
 
Jefferson Davis. 95 
 
 refer you to the official report of Colonel 
 Harnden, dated May 13, 1865, endorsed 
 by Colonel O. H. La Grange, then com 
 manding brigade and on file in War 
 Record office, War Department, Wash 
 ington, D. C." 
 
 Signed, FRED RICHTER. 
 
 VII. 
 
 Endorsement Upon Colonel Harnden s 
 Report of the Capture of Jeff. Davis. 
 
 Headquarters, Second Brigade, First 
 Cavalry Division, M. D. M., Macon, 
 Georgia, May 14, 1865. 
 
 Respectfully forwarded. 
 From this report it appears that Lieu 
 tenant-Colonel Harnden faithfully dis 
 charged his duty and no blame can at 
 tach to him in relation to the unfortunate 
 collision between his detachment and 
 Colonel Pritchard s, which he had every 
 reason to believe remained at Abbeville. 
 It is, however, a source of painful regret 
 that the satisfaction experienced in this 
 consummation is clouded by the knowl 
 edge that an act having every appearance 
 
96 The Capture of 
 
 of unsoldierly selfishness in appropria 
 ting by deception the fruits of another s 
 labors, and thus attaining unearned suc 
 cess, resulted in unnecessary bloodshed 
 and a sacrifice of lives for which no 
 atonement can be made. What may have 
 been intended merely as an act of bad 
 faith toward a fellow soldier, resulted in 
 a crime, and for this closing scene of the 
 rebellion, inglorious in itself, but historic 
 by circumstances, it is difficult to repress 
 a wish that accident had not afforded the 
 Government a Representative above sus 
 picion. 
 (Signed) O. H. LAGRANGE, 
 
 Colonel Commanding. 
 
 VIII. 
 Letter from General O. H. LaGrange. 
 
 259 W. 136 St., N. Y., 
 
 4th Feb y, 1898. 
 GENERAL HENRY HARNDEN: 
 
 Madison , Wis. 
 
 Dear Friend: My recollection of the 
 Davis capture is as follows: General 
 Wilson sent for me and said: "Captain, 
 Yeomans, of General Alexander s scouts, 
 
Jefferson Davis. 97 
 
 has found Mr. Davis in upper Georgia 
 near little Washington, where Bob 
 Toombs lives, and is moving south, trail 
 ing the confederate party, and I want to 
 send and capture the party. Have you 
 a battalion that you can send for that 
 purpose?" I replied, "yes, I can send a 
 good battalion in fair condition from the 
 First Wisconsin." 
 
 He asked, "Are the horses shod and 
 in condition for a long rapid march?" I 
 answered, "General, the First Wisconsin 
 is always in condition to march or fight." 
 He then asked, "Have you a suitable of 
 ficer to put in command?" I said, "Yes, 
 Henry Harnden, an old puritan, who will 
 follow the trail to the death, and I think 
 he would rather kill Davis than catch 
 him." Wilson then showed me his com 
 munication from Captain Yeomans, and 
 said, "Davis is evidently making for 
 Texas to join Kirby Smith, but we will 
 cut him off." I replied, "If Mr. Davis is 
 wise, he will turn east when he finds you 
 are here and try to get out through 
 Florida to Nassau." He then produced 
 a map which he examined, and then 
 
98 The Capture of 
 
 said, "I will send two battalions, by dif 
 ferent routes, to make sure of catching 
 him. I am concerned for the safety of 
 Captain Yeomans, he is very venture 
 some." General Croxton then came in, 
 and General Wilson told him briefly the 
 news from Yeomans, and asked, "Can 
 you send a battalion for the pursuit?" 
 General Croxton who, in the absence of 
 General McCook, was in command of 
 the First Division, explained that "the 
 horses of his brigade had been so used 
 up by the raid through Tuscaloosa that 
 he did not think a battalion in condition 
 for a long rapid march could be selected 
 from the whole brigade." General Wil 
 son said, "all right, I ll send to Minty." 
 He then asked me, "How long before 
 your battalion will be ready to march?" 
 I answered, "In five minutes after I reach 
 camp, and I ll run my horse all the way." 
 As I reached the door to come out, leav 
 ing him and Croxton together, General 
 Wilson called out: "LaGrange, I think 
 one of these parties will capture Mr. 
 Davis, there will be some eclat about it. 
 Don t you want to go in command of 
 
Jefferson Davis. 99 
 
 both detachments?" I replied, "If Mr. 
 Davis had a brigade down there, I d like 
 to take the Second and whip him, but I ll 
 be damned if I want to turn constable 
 after the war is over." All this is very 
 distinct in my mind because I wrote it 
 down in a letter at that time, which let 
 ter I have recently re-read. 
 
 I think Generals Wilson and Croxton 
 were preparing your instructions when I 
 left, and if you received them from 
 Croxton, it was to save time and because 
 he was commanding our Division tem 
 porarily in McCook s absence. 
 
 But I wish to emphazize the fact, that 
 I designated you for the duty, as I have 
 no doubt General Wilson will remember. 
 When you returned and sent in your ad 
 mirable and very modest report, I imme 
 diately endorsed it, and sent a copy 
 through Division Headquarters to the 
 Corps Headquarters, and another to save 
 delay direct to General Wilson. 
 
 The next morning the General said to 
 me, "You were very severe on Colonel 
 Pritchard in your endorsement of Harn- 
 den s report, won t you withdraw the pa- 
 
loo The Capture of 
 
 per and modify your endorsement?" I 
 replied, "The facts are severe on Colonel 
 Pritchard, my endorsement is true, and 
 it must stand." After arguing ineffectu 
 ally to show me the unwisdom of differ 
 ences among ourselves now that the war 
 was over, the General said, "Well, if you 
 insist, don t you think Colonel Pritchard 
 ought to have a copy of the paper?" I 
 replied, "I sent him a copy by the same 
 messenger who brought yours." The 
 General asked, "What will you do if he 
 calls you out?" I replied: "I will hit 
 him, and have some respect for him af 
 terwards, but a man who will do what 
 Colonel Pritchard has done will never 
 call anybody out." 
 
 You know the story of how your re 
 port with my endorsement, finally reached 
 the files of the War Department through 
 Fred. Richter. I do not remember when 
 we got news of the reward offered for 
 Davis, though I think I saw the posters 
 making the announcement. General 
 Wilson no doubt would recall it all dis 
 tinctly. Possibly Pritchard s regiment 
 was camped across the river from town, 
 
Jefferson Davis. 101 
 
 and did not see the posters which came 
 out after you had marched. I would be 
 lieve Pritchard s statement that he did 
 not know of the reward until after the 
 capture, but for his dastardly conduct to 
 wards you in the pursuit. I do not be 
 lieve his statement because his conduct 
 took from him all credit as a man, and 
 lying, or perjury, or subornation of per 
 jury, would be natural for one who had 
 deceived a fellow soldier to his injury, in 
 the face of the enemy. When General 
 Wilson sent me to Washington with let 
 ters to General Grant, General Howard, 
 and Charles A. Dana, Assistant Secretary 
 of War, I handed to General Hawkins, of 
 General Grant s staff, a copy of a recom 
 mendation which had been approved by 
 General Wilson, that "the reward be used 
 to create a pension for the soldiers who 
 were wounded, and the families of those 
 who were killed in the encounter between 
 your detachment and Pritchard s." Gen 
 eral Hawkins came out of General 
 Grant s room into his own, where I was 
 sitting, and said, "The General will en 
 dorse his approval." Whether that rec- 
 
102 The Capture. 
 
 ommendation went to the files, or went 
 to hunt my endorsement on your report, 
 I never knew or asked. In fact I never 
 read the accounts of the controversy over 
 the reward as published in the newspa 
 pers, I was too busy reading law at Al 
 bany. But one thing I knew then and 
 know now, and that is that your conduct 
 was manly, patriotic and honorable, as 
 became your character, throughout that 
 complicated matter, and I trust that with 
 health fully restored, you may long con 
 tinue to enjoy the esteem and honor of 
 your fellow citizens and comrades of the 
 volunteers. 
 
 Always your friend, 
 
 O. H. LAGRANGE. 
 
List of officers and men of the First Wis 
 consin Cavalry, engaged in the pursuit 
 and capture of Jefferson Davis. 
 
 Henry H arnden, Lieutenant-Colonel. 
 O. P. Clinton. Second Lieutenant, Co. B. 
 W. O. Hargrave, Sergeant-Major. 
 James J Aplin, Private, Company K. 
 Austin M. Horr, Sergeant, Company A. 
 David N. Bell, Private, Company A. 
 William Billsback, Private, Company A. 
 Martin M. Coleman, Private, Company A. 
 William Dezer, Private, Company A. 
 John Huntamer, Private, Company A. 
 Gottlieb Kleinlein, Private, Company A. 
 Sidney Leonard, Private, Company A. 
 James McStilson, Private, Company A. 
 Geo. W. Silsbee, Private, Company A. 
 Christopher Steinbrook, Private, Compa y A. 
 Herbert Shelter, Private, Company A. 
 Luther L. Blair, Sergeant, Company B. 
 Melvin T. Olin, Sergeant, Company B. 
 John Clark, Sergeant, Company B. 
 Thomas P. Culbertson, Corporal, Comp yB. 
 James H. McCrary, Corporal, Company B. 
 Ezra H. Stewart, Corporal, Company B. 
 Albert L. Beardsley, Private, Company B. 
 103 
 
104 The Capture of 
 
 Thomas Coleman, Private, Company B. 
 Rawson P. Franklin, Private, Company B. 
 Sylvester Fairbanks, Private, Company B. 
 William Gill, Private, Company B. 
 William Grimes, Private, Company B. 
 Lewis Jacobson, Private, Company B. 
 Honore Leverner, Private, Company B. 
 William Matski, Private, Company B. 
 Ira Miller, Private, Company B. 
 John L. Nolan, Private, Company B. 
 John W. Norton, Private, Company B. 
 Warren P. Otterson, Private, Company B. 
 Stephen Poquette, Private, Company B. 
 William A. Spangler, Private, Company B. 
 Frederick Steinfield, Private, Company B. 
 Joseph Smith, Private, Company B. 
 George D. Wright, Private, Company B. 
 John Wagner, Private, Company B. 
 George G. Hussey, Sergeant, Company D. 
 J. M. Wheeler, Sergeant Company D. 
 G. W. Sykes, Corporal, Company D. 
 L. P. Pond, Corporal, Company D. 
 Joseph Myers, Corporal, Company D. 
 George D. LaBordle, Corporal, Company D. 
 Nelson Appley, Private, Company D. 
 P. H. Anderson, Private. Company D. 
 Donald Brander, Private, Company D. 
 F. A. Bublitz, Private, Company D. 
 J. S. Burton, Private, Company D. 
 
Jefferson Davis. 105 
 
 Lawrence Bird, Private, Company D. 
 Joseph Beguen, Private, Company D. 
 A. J. Craig, Private, Company D. 
 Thomas Day, Private, Company D. 
 Thomas Dixon, Private, Company D. 
 Jerrod Fields, Private, Company D. 
 James Foley, Private, Company D. 
 Jacob Gusch. Private, Company D. 
 D. H. Goodrich, Private, Company D. 
 Lewis Hartung, Private, Company D. 
 N. M. Hephner, Private, Company D. 
 C. Helgerson, Private, Company D. 
 Henry Hamilton, Private, Company D. 
 A. E. Johnson, Private, Company D. 
 John Ludwig, Private, Company D. 
 M. F. Nickerson, Private, Company D. 
 P. W. O Heron, Private, Company D. 
 J. A. L. Pooch, Private, Company D. 
 Alexander Pengilly, Private, Company D. 
 Arne Renom, Private, Company D. 
 Jerome Roe, Private, Company D. 
 Herman A. Stone, Private, Company D. 
 John Spear, Private, Company D. 
 Henry Seidenburg, Private, Company D. 
 J. A. Warren, Private, Company D. 
 C. W. Seely, Private, Company D. 
 Bill, colored servant, Private, Company D. 
 
AN INITIAL PINE OP 
 
 
 
 OVERDUE. 
 
 DAY 
 
YB 37797 
 
 Ml.81781 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY