From the Dec. 27, 2012, Coulee (Wis) News "Odd Wisconsin: State troops captured Jefferson Davis."
Confederate President Davis and his cabinet fled southward after Lee's surrender. Madison lawyer Henry Harnden, commanding the 1st Wisconsin Cavalry was in Macon, Georgia, and was ordered to intercept the president.
He command set off and traveled 36 hours "24 of them in the saddle" when he was awakened by a slave who told him he'd seen Davis pass by earlier in the day. Without this bit of intel, Harnden would have pursued a different way and Davis would have escaped.
Four nights later, the Wisconsin cavalry caught up with Davis near Irwinsville, Georgia. Gunshots were exchanged, only to find out they were shooting at Michigan troops. Two men died.
Harnden and the Michigan colonel rode into the Confederate camp. Harndon wrote that he "rode up, dismounted and saluted, and I asked if this was Mr. Davis. 'Yes,' he replied, 'I am President Davis.' At this the soldiers sent up a shout that Jeff Davis had been captured."
As such, about 30 enlisted men from Wisconsin helped bring about the end of the war.
Hate When That Happens. --Old Secesh
1 comment:
I suggest you learn a few more details -- written by the soldiers who captured Davis, not by bullshitters later.
Varina Davis wrote a letter to the Blairs, she went into great detail about the capture, and their flight from Richmond. If anyone thinks they know shit about Davis capture, but don't know or refer to her handwritten letter, they have a lot to learn.
Davis refused to speak when stopped, according to Varina. SO no, he did not say Yes I am Jefferson Davis. He ran. He ran in a dress -- three layers of female garments, his wife describes each one. SHe doesn't admit it's her DRESS, but claims it was a dressing GOWN, and another garment, her shawl, and another garment, her scarf. She put the scarf on him, she says, so he would not be recognized.
SHe could not know Davis story would be to claim he stood by the tent, defending his children and wife. It's clear from the details in Varina's letter, Davis was running away, not protecting his children or her whatsoever.
In fact, she wrote that she ran to him, when he was stopped, and held him, to protect him, because he refused to speak.
Most amazing, she told the Blairs that SHE said "It's my mother". That's not what the Blairs said, thats not what I said, that's what she wrote in her letter/ "I said it was my mother".
Her letter does not exactly mirror the soldier's report, but to an astonishing extent, factually, it does. For example, the soldiers reported they told Davis to take off the dress and other female garments, which he did. Varina does not mention that. The soldiers reported Varina put on the dress Davis just took off! Varina does not say that.
But almost everything else in the report, Varina verifies.
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