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Capture of Jeff Davis by the 4th Michigan Cavalry
The capture of Jeff Davis has been the subject of much controversy. Much has been written about this capture both from a Southern and a Northern point of view.
Having been on the ground at the time, and in a measure indirectly connected with it, at the earnest solicitation of Major Thrall and a number of my companions in the commandry, I will undertake to relate the circumstances of the capture from my own personal knowledge.
On May 7, 1865, our Brigade, which was then in camp near Macon, Ga., was ordered by General Minty, commanding the division, to proceed down the South side of the Ocmulgee River to picket same, as it was learned that President Davis and members of his Cabinet, with an escort of Confederate cavalry, had left Washington, Ga. and were proceeding south along the line of the river, with a view of crossing and going into Texas, where, at this time, the only organization of Confederate forces existed.
In compliance with these orders, our Brigade commenced picketing the river a few miles south of Macon. The Seventh Pa Cavalry, my Regiment, was the first to commence placing videttes, some distances apart, with instructions to patrol carefully between same. After the entire Regiment had been placed in this position, Colonel Pritchard, of the Fourth Michigan Cavalry, was instructed to join the Pa. Regiment and continue the same formation further down along the river.
Officers of the 4th Michigan Cavalry
(Col. Pritchard, center left, Col. Minty, center right)
When Colonel Pritchard commenced placing his videttes he was near Abbeyville, which is about seventy miles south of Macon. He there learned that Davis had already crossed the river. He also met there Colonel Hardin of the First Wisconsin Cavalry, who had been pursuing Davis for a number of days with about 70 men and officers.
It was now near evening. Colonel Pritchard detailed about one hundred and fifty men and officers and immediately started in pursuit of Davis. He marched all night, arriving near Irwinsville, Ga. just at the break of day, in the meantime stopping only long enough to feed his horses. Again moving forward, he very soon arrived at the Camp of Davis and at once charged same, no resistance being offered, as it was a complete surprise to the Camp, most of whom were sleeping at the time.
Just at this time a most unfortunate mistake occurred between the Wisconsin soldiers and Colonel Pritchard’s command, each being taken by the other for the enemy. A sharp engagement took place, resulting in the killing of two soldiers and the wounding of one officer of the Fourth Michigan, and also severely wounding three soldiers in the First Wisconsin.
While Colonel Pritchard was engaged in the Skirmish in the rear of the Camp, Lieutenant Dickinson, of the Fourth Michigan, took charge of the capture of Davis and all the Confederate escort. Guards were at once placed around the Camp and at each of the tents. Davis came out of one of the tents partly dressed and at once surrendered. He stated to Lieutenant Dickinson that ladies and children were in the tent and asked that no soldiers be permitted to enter. Lieutenant Dickinson replied that he would certainly do all in his power to protect the ladies and children and that no soldiers would be permitted to intrude on their privacy. Davis returned to his tent and soon after an apparently old lady, accompanied by a young lady, came out of the tent. The young lady asked permission of Lieutenant Dickinson to go to the swamp a short distance away to get a bucket of water, she carrying the bucket on her arm. The supposed old lady was wearing a waterproof cloak that came close to her feet, with her head wrapped in a small plaid shawl. The permission was given. The guard at the front of the tent at the time was Private Andrew Bee, who had been a Crimean soldier. He was not pleased with Lieutenant Dickinson for having permitted them to pass, yet, as the privilege was granted, he let them go, but kept a very sharp watch on their movements. After they had passed him a few yards the cloak of the old lady caught on a bush, which lifted it just enough to disclose a pair of cavalry boots and spurs. It did not take Private Bee more than a second to level his seven shooting carbine at the grandmother. Just at this moment Colonel Pritchard came in sight. Davis threw off his disguise and made a second surrender to Colonel Pritchard.
Col. Benjamin Pritchard, 4th Michigan Cavalry
Just at this point, perhaps some of my Companionry present will recall a cartoon that was published in Harper’s Weekly showing Davis, his hoop skirt caught on a bush, exposing a large part of his lower extremities as he looked in the trooper’s gun with his hands extended above his head. This cartoon proved very amusing to many people at the time.
After the second surrender Colonel Pritchard said to Davis, “What and who shall I call you?” Davis replied, “you may call me what and who you please.” Colonel Pritchard said, “I will call you Mr. Davis.” Then Davis, acknowledging who he was , said, “I suppose you think you are doing a brave act in making a raid like this on defenseless women and children.”
Colonel Pritchard had no further conversation with Davis at this time, but at once proceeded to take an inventory of his captives as follows:
Jeff Davis, defunct President of the Confederacy, Mrs. Davis, his wife, and four children.
John H. Regan, Postmaster General of the Confederacy
Colonels Johnson and Lubbock, Aides-de-camp to Davis
Burton N. Harrison, Private Secretary to Davis
Major Maurand, Captain Moody, Lieutenant Hathaway of the Rebel Army, Jeff D. Howell, midshipman in the Rebel Navy, and thirteen private soldiers.
Miss Howell, sister of Mrs. Davis, the young lady who represented Davis as her grandmother,
Together with ambulances, wagons, and a complete camp outfit.
After allowing time for the prisoners to breakfast, the column was formed and they started at once on the march to Macon, Ga. A courier had been dispatched to our headquarters, arriving soon after. The balance of our Brigade, of which I was Assistant Inspector General, serving on the Staff of General Minty, met Colonel Pritchard with his capture near Hawkinsville. I was introduced to President Davis and all the officials by Colonel Pritchard. Davis and I stepped to one side and had quite a talk together. He seemed somewhat nervous, but talked pleasantly. He was attired in a neatly fitting gray suit cut in military style, plain black buttons, but with no military insignia, and wore high-top cavalry boots. He was a distinguished looking man, a man who would be noted among a thousand for his striking personality. I had no conversation with either Mrs. Davis or her sister, Miss Howell, but was near them frequently. Mrs. Davis was a large woman, not particularly good looking, but Miss Howell was a very beautiful woman. They appeared very much distressed, apparently undergoing a great nervous strain.
The other officers who were with Davis were jolly men and did not seem very much disturbed over the condition of affairs. I had pleasant conversation with all of them at different times. I think they were quite well satisfied that the conditions with them were as favorable as they were.
In my conversation with Davis he said, “Major, what do you think they will do with me when we get to Macon? I suppose they will string me up.” I replied, “There is no thought of that. You need have no fears. You will be protected as a prisoner until you can have a fair trial. What the result of that trial may be, I cannot say.” I also said to him what I believed to be true, that there was not a soldier in the command who had any thought of doing him harm. This I believe was true. While oft times during the war we heard soldiers express a desire to get a sight of Davis and they would shoot him on the spot, and other like threats, yet there was not the slightest move to carry out this, nor do I think there was a soldier in the Command who would have carried out the threats had opportunity offered.
No indignity was offered Davis but the bands of the Division continually played the national airs, such as, “The Star Spangled Banner”, “Yankee Doodle”, “Hail Columbia”, etc., which I have no doubt grated on the nerves of Davis. Mr. Davis asked me which was my native State. I replied, “Pennsylvania.” He responded, “That is a fine State. I have passed through it a number of times on my way to Washington. This part of Georgia does not compare favorably with your State.”
This was true, as the part of Georgia in which we were was one of the most desolate portions of our country I was ever in. Davis added, “This is not the pleasantest part of Georgia by any means.” I said to him, “I love my native State,” to which he replied smilingly, “I suppose you do, and I wish you had loved it well enough to have always stayed there.” I replied, “We expect now, our work being over, we will return to our homes and I shall have no desire to again return to this part of Georgia at least.”
Soon after this two of the little children of the President, a girl about six years of age and a boy of perhaps four years, were near us playing, and I separated from Davis to have a little amusement with the children. They were remarkably bright and intelligent and I was greatly impressed with their beautiful black eyes. While I was talking with them the little boy spied a bug at his feet and called to his sister. “Sister, kill that bug, Don’t you see it? Kill it.” His sister said, “No, brother, you do not want to kill the bug,” He said, “Yes, I do. Kill the bug.”
I was relating this little incident to an Aid on the staff named O’Rourke. He was a very thoroughbred Irishman and went by the name of Teddy. He was very bitter towards the South and southern people. As I related the incident he said, “That is just like the old man. Think how many men he has killed and this little devil has the same blood in him; always wanting to kill something.”
I have met Teddy several times since in Cleveland, where he established a merchant tailoring business, apparently quite prosperous, but his feeling toward the South had not changed. The young Davis boy went to Memphis after he grew to manhood, and during the scourge of yellow fever there took the fever and died. The little girl was the Winnie Davis whose name often appeared before the public and who died a comparatively short time ago in New York City.
I next met Postmaster General Regan and was very favorably impressed with him. He seemed an honorable, high-toned gentleman. I had quite a lengthy conversation with him, during which he said to me, “Our cause is lost and it is now my desire to see our country restored to its normal condition and I shall make every effort possible to effect this end.” He returned to Texas, as you all know, and was afterward elected U. S. Senator, serving in the office until his death.
After a short rest the entire command was formed and the return march to Macon was resumed. The entire Davis capture was in charge of Colonel Pritchard, and they hurried forward. The balance of the Command made a leisurely march and arrived in Macon about the 14th or 15th of May. There the command went into Camp. Many of the soldiers were discharged and soon after went to their homes. My Regiment remained in service, the different companies sent around to adjacent towns for the protection of the inhabitants, as the conditions of the country were very unsettled at the time. I was then Provo-Marshall on the Staff of General Wilson.
This little incident occurred at Macon. Davis and his family and officers were quartered in the Lanier House, the leading Hotel of Macon. I afterwards boarded for a time at the Lanier House and became well acquainted with a Major Warren, clerk of the hotel. He told me that after Davis arrived there, he and a number of his Confederate friends arranged to assist Davis to escape. He had the ropes under his desk in the hotel at the time he was retelling the incident to me that they had provided for their use in making the escape. But Mr. Davis positively refused to let this be done, which was very fortunate for him and many others.
Jeff Davis and Party Arriving in Macon, Georgia
The last of August the very welcome order for our discharge was received from the War Department. This order was received with great joy by the Regiment. Our hearts were filled with pride by the record our Regiment had gained during the four years of constant service in the field. But we could not repress a feeling of sadness that so many of our brave true men were sleeping their last dreamless sleep on the many battlefields where the Regiment had been so often engaged.
We were ordered to Harrisburg, where we were given our final discharge and bid adieu to our comradeship that had been so close and constant during our four years of service. Thus ended my war experiences.
Transcribed by Sherry Packer, August 1, 2000
Only survivor of the detail which captured Jefferson Davis, president of the southern Confederacy, at the close of the Civil war, George Raab recalls his war adventures of 70 years ago as though they were yesterday.
Sitting in his home at 315 Sylvan court, he recounts with zest the story of how the Fourth Michigan Cavalry and the First Wisconsin were sent to capture Jefferson Davis, who was suppose to be going to the Florida coast and thence to England.
It is a colorful story as he relates it. From the two regiments, 1800 men, of whom he was one, were sent ahead to surround Davis’ camp early in the morning. The Davis expedition was a small one - including only Mr. and Mrs. Davis, their two children, two of the Confederate cabinet members and some Negro servants, all traveling in an ambulance in which they slept at night.
“When we came up, Jeff Davis came out dressed in a long waterproof coat, with a woman’s shawl over his head and a water pail over his arm,” Mr. Raab recounts. “Mrs. Davis called to ask if her others’ could go to the spring to get some water, but as the confederate president started, someone in the Union forces called out to Mrs. Davis, “What the hell is your mother wearing spurs for?” Davis had his horse tied in the woods and was going to make a dash for it!
The capture was made near Irwinville, Ga., on May 10, 1865, and concluded with a brief flurry of fighting between the detail and more of their own forces who were mistaken for Confederate soldiers in the early morning. When the Union colonel arrived, Davis’ young son marched up to his captain and cried, “When I’m a man, I’ll avenge my father.”
The colonel sent a dispatch to a Union general at Macon, who sent a brigade to bring back the captives lest an attempt be made to deliver the southern leader. Mr. Raab was one of the 10 men assigned to guard the ambulance until the brigade arrived.
He still owns a hand mirror from Davis’ effects, and for a while had a gray felt hat of Davis, which he is sorry now that he threw it away a little later when he bought a new hat. He also remembers a story to the effect that in Jefferson Davis’ trunk when he was captured was $30,000, which a Union soldier buried until he could come back and get it later. He is a little doubtful about the truth of that tale, however.
The veteran remembers that the expedition to capture Davis was generally unpopular, since the Confederates had been allowed to go safely home, and the opinion even of the soldiers who made the capture was that Davis should have received the same treatment.
The Confederate leader, whom Mr. Raab describes as “a fine man and no more a traitor than any of the others,” was imprisoned in Fort Monroe for two years. The veteran recalls that one of Davis’ horses - a dapple gray- was brought back to this vicinity by a Lapeer man, who once rode the steed into Flint.
”War is an awful thing,” Mr. Raab said the other day. “People used to stand up and shoot at each other and then chat back and forth when the shooting stopped. I hope the United States will never get into another war.”
The veteran, who will be 89 on St. Patrick’s day, enlisted in Flint on January 5, 1864, at the age of 17 and was discharged Aug., 15, 1865, in Nashville. Dr. George W. Fish, prominent Flint physician and later United States consul at Tunis, Africa, was his regiment surgeon, and Dr. Fish’s oldest son was the company commander.
Mr. Raab came through the war without being wounded, although he declares that a bullet once came so close that it blistered his nose. He was thrown from his horse, however, and suffered a spine injury which has troubled his ever since.
He is the only surviving charter member of the Gov. Crapo Post of the G.A.R., of which he was president three times. The post now has only seven members, as compared with 400 soon after the war. Mr. Raab, who came to Flint when he was 10 years old, lived in the Fourth ward when it was a pine forest. He was a supervisor and assessor in the ward for 24 years. A cabinet maker by trade, he made many of the pieces of furniture which are now in his home.
The Flint Daily Journal, February 10, 1935 .