Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 21.djvu/320

 312 Southern Historical Society Papers.

but to say the least, his action was, as our Scotch friends say, " vara suspeecious."

CAPTURE OF PRESIDENT DAVIS.

Mr. Davis was captured on the morning of May gth, just a week after my interview with him at Abbeville. There were with him at the time Mrs. Davis and three children; Miss Howell, her sister; Mr. Reagan, Postmaster-General; Colonels Johnston, Lubbock, and Wood, volunteer aids ; Mr. Burton Harrison, secretary, and, I think, a Mr. Barnwell, of South Carolina. There may have been others, but I do not know. Of these, all were captured save only Mr. Barnwell.

It is not my intention to write of this affair, as I was not present, and besides, Colonels Johnston and Lubbock, Judge Reagan, and others have written full accounts of it. I only intend to tell of the escape of my old friend and comrade, John Taylor Wood, as I had it from his lips only a few months ago in Richmond. It has never appeared in print, and I am only sorry I cannot put it in the graphic language of Wood himself.

But this is what he told me, as well as I recollect:

COLONEL WOOD'S ESCAPE.

The party was captured just before daybreak on the gth of May. Wood was placed in charge of a Dutchman, who spoke no English. While the rest of the Federal troops were busy in securing their prisoners and plundering the camp, Wood held a $20 gold piece (the universal interpreter) to his guard, and signified his desire to escape. The Dutchman held up two fingers and nodded. Wood gave him $40 in gold, and stole off to a field, where he laid down among some brushwood. The Federals (under a Colonel Pritchett, I think), having finished their preparations, marched off without missing Colonel Wood.

STARTED FOR FLORIDA.

After they were out of sight, Wood arose and found a broken- down horse, which had been left behind. He also found an old bridle, and mounting the nag, he started for Florida. I have for- gotten his adventures, but somewhere on the route he fell in with