Newspaper Page Text
WE CAN,
r
t
BU mmm % WE WON’T.
Do you think wc cannot make a buggy out of paint and
varnish and call it high-grade, etc? We can, but we won’t.
When you show a NORMAN Buggy, you can say high
grade in every part—where you can see and where you
can’t see—you can guarantee it; NORMAN will back it up
We have done business this way for the past ten years.
A. C. Norman & Co.
Covington, Ga.
EXPLANATION THAT
'
ft DOES NOT EXPLAIN.
m -
s UGHT AL NELSON TO TASK A. REGARD- MILES
s HIS ON TREATMENT DAVIS. OF JEF
v c
-
■Caruthers, in Washing¬
ton Chronicle.
fipj? ^Bwhat does his explanation
Simply what we knew
wBg—that it was done purely
PJBrit to humiliate the grand
Ml ■ and not for the sake of
his imprisonment more
reader will indulge, we
a few passages from the
i|||i Life Lieutenant of Jefferson Davis,
ret Colonel John
1 pn, M. D., who was the
bn of Mr. Davis from May
p, to Dec. 25, 1865, In this
pion that will serve to show
b shackeling of President
bus not ordered to de done,
IKi it was not an act lieces
insure the safe-guarding
^^ntion bieftain. of this noble and be
Ill be seen that the author,
fni man, and one whose iu
)tnd feelings were more in
with General Miles in
!*$§■ ^Bes it of the war, writes as
understood that lie did
^■done such an act. Having
° a (1876) when
3
People, it has the weight of truth
that time has given it.
The author writes that the fol¬
lowing scene was enacted at Fort¬
ress Monroe:
On the morning ol May 23, 1865
Captain Jerome E. Titlow, of the
3rd Pennsylvania Artillery, enter¬
ed the prisoner’s cell, followed by
the blacksmith of the fort and his
assistant, the latter carrying iu his
hands some heavy and harshly
rattling shackles.
After greeting each other, Cap¬
tain Titlow informed Mr. Davis
that “I have an unpleasant duty to
perform, sir,” and as he spoke the
senior blacksmith took the shack
les from his assistant.
Mr. Davis leaped instantly from
his recumbent attitude, a flush
passing over his face for a moment
and then his countenance growing
livid and rigid as death. “My
God! You cannot have been sent
to iron me?”
“Such are my orders, Sir,” re¬
plied the officer, beckoning the
blacksmith to approach, who
stepped forward, unlocking the
padlock and preparing the fetters
to do their office. The fetters were
of heavy iron, probably five-eights
of an inch in thickness and con¬
nected together by a chain of like
weight.
“This is too monstrous,” groau
the prisoner, glancing hurriedly
round the room as if lor some
weapon, or means of self-destruc¬
tion. “I demand, Japtain, that
you let me see the commanding of¬
ficer. Can he pretend that such
shackles 2 re required to assure the
safe custody of a weak old mar., so
guarded and in such a fort as this?”
“It would serve no purpose,”
replied Captain Titlow, “his or¬
ders are from Washington, as
mine are from him.”
“But be can telegraph,” inter-
THE GEORGIA EJfTEUPRlJ'E, COVINGTON, GA., FRIDAY MORNING.
eposed Mr. Davis, eagerly. “There
must be some mistake. No such
outrage as you threaten me with,
is on record iu the history ot na¬
tions. Beg him to telegraph, and
delay until he answered.”
“My orders an peremptory,”
said the officer, “and admit of no
delay. For yonr own sake, let me
advise yon to submit with patience.
As a soldier, Mr. Davis, you know
I must execute orders.”
(As to whether these orders were
indeed “peremptory,” or were or¬
ders at all, let us here quote a tel¬
egram that Secretary Stanton sent
General Miles about the matter:
“Please report whether irons have
or have not been placed on Jeffer¬
son Davis. * * * If thev have
been, when it was done, and for
what reason, and remove them.’,’
Stanton, cruel as he had always
f hown himself, proves conclusively
by this message that he did nor
condone this deed and that the
order was not peremptory.)
“Therse are not orders for a sol¬
dier, shouted the prisoner, losing
a!) control of himsel. “They are
orders for a jailor—for a hangman
which no soldier wearing a sword
should accept ! I tell you the world
will ring with this disgrace. The
war is over; the South is conquer¬
ed ; I have no longer any country
but America, and it is for the hon¬
or of America as for any own hor.- I
or and life, that I protest against
the deeredation. Kill me! Kill
me!” he cried passionately, throw¬
ing his arms wide open and expos¬
ing his breast, “rather than to in¬
flict on me, and on my peoyle
through me, this insult worse than
dearh.”
“Do your duty, blacksmith. It
only giveB increased pain on all
sides to protract this interview.”
At these words the blacksmith
advanced with the shackles, and
seeing that the prisonei had one
foot upon the chair near his bed¬
side, his right hand resting on the
back of it, the brawny mechanic
made an attempt to slip on the
shackles over the ankle so raised;
but,as if the vebemace and strength
which frenzy can impart, even to
the weakest invalid, Mr. Davis
suddenly seized his assailant and
hurled him half-way across the
room.
“Why compel men,” remon¬
strated Captain Titlow, “to add
the further indignity of personal
violence to the necessity of your
being ironed.”
“I am a prisoner of war,” fier¬
cely retorted Mr. Davis; “I have
been a soldier in the armies of
America, and know how to die.
Only kill me, and my last breath
shall be a blessing on your head.
But while I have life and strength
to resist, for myself and my peo¬
ple, this thing shall not be done.”
Hereupon Captain Titlow called
in a sergeant and file of soldiers
from the next room, and the ser¬
geant advanced to seize the prison¬
er. Immediately Mr. Davis flew
on him, seized his musket and at¬
tempted to wrench it from his
grasp.
There was but a short, passion
ate scuffle. In a moment Davis
was flung upon his bed, and before
his four powerful assailants re¬
moved their hands for him, the
blacksmith aad his assistant had
done their work—one securing the
rivet on the right ankle, while the
other turned the key in the pad¬
lock on the left.
The author states that the pris¬
oner was surrounded by a body of
soldiers during the whole of liis
confinement at Fortress Monroe,
and that two of these were sta¬
tioned in the cell in which Mr.
Davis lay, who were his only com¬
panions. Yet in view of this Gen.
Miles, acting upon the “author¬
ity” given him—an authority that
reduces itself down to the last an¬
alysis of being no authority at all
but simply a permit to use his dis¬
cretion in the matter—pntp “light
anklets” on the feet of this re¬
nowned statesman.
We quote General Miles own
words i9 this explanation; but Dr
Craven, writing at a time when
the events were fresh in bis mind,
states that they were “of heavy
iron, probably five-eights of an
inch in thickness, and connected
together by a chain of like weight”
In this explanation, General
Miles states that one of the reas¬
ons for his conduct was the fact
that Mr. Davis’s intention was to
resuscitate the confederacy; and
to cinch the argument, he cites
the “Rise and Fall of the Confed¬
erate Government” in which Mr.
Davis ucknowledges such an in¬
tention. If this iB the first time
General Miles was cognizant of
Mr. Davis’ intention, then how
such an acknowledgement from
General Miles pales into hate when
we know that the book was not
then written. But had General
Miles known Mr. Davis’ intention
how slim the excuse when the
presence of these soldiers were am¬
ple to safe-guard and retain him.
And his attempt to explain him¬
self out of the matter by saying
that Mr. Davis’ keeling over ul
the men sent to put these irons oil
showed that he was a heart,)' man
in the full vigor of his manhood,
won’t pass muster. The author
stated that Mr. Davis was not a
robust man; and that when the
blacksmith advanced on him to
iron him, “as if the vehemence
and strength can impart, even to
the weakest invalid, Mr. Davis
suddenly seized his assistant and
hurled him half-way across the
room.”
But admit the charge! Pray
tell us, what man, even though he
was too weak to raise his arm,
wouldn’t put all the power of his
being into one effort to fight for
his honor ?
He it was, not the war depart¬
ment, the Secretary of War, Stan¬
ton, or any superior officer, who
had the irons placed on Mr. Davis.
We raise the curtain that has
long shut us out from the vista of
those years, and a scene is pre¬
sented to our view. A Major Gen¬
eral of the U. S. army sits await¬
ing the coming of some one. Hush!
A step is heard ! Then a knock !
With the answer, come ! in steps
an officer. With the salutation
and ‘ General, thy orders hare
been executed” look at the trans¬
formation of the countenance of
this mao! Look at the glitter of
of the eye—the evil satisfaction—
that only an evil and a satanic
heart could prompt 1
Nelson A. Miles, by his oaur
words, stands self-condemned I
Stands as a blackguard by his own
deeds 1
Covington & Oxford Street R. R.
The following schedule of the
Covington & Oxford Street Rail¬
road will be run until further
notice:
Lv Covington Hotel at 5:40 a m
Lv Covington Hotel at 8:50 a m
Lv Covington Hotel at 10:45 a m
Lv Covington Hotel at 2:10 p it»
Lv Covington Hotel at 4:10 p m
Lv Covington Hotel at 6:30 p tu
Lv C vington Hotel at 7:30 p m
TJ e Oxford car u c ets all trains
at t e depot.
.J. F. Henderson, Pres.
J. O Lester Sec.
The Old Reliable Georgia R, R.
Elegantly equipped passenger
trains between all points. Pull¬
man Palace cars between Atlanta*
Augusta and Charleston, also be¬
tween Augusta and St. Louis and
Charleston and Cincinnati. Fast
Freight service between the West
and Augusta, Athens, Macon,
Charleston, Savannah and all
points in Southeastern and Caro¬
lina territory.
A. G. Jackson,
Gen. Ft. and Pass. Agt., Augusta^
Mysterious Circumstance.
One was pale and sallow and the other
fresh and rosy. Whence the difference?
She who is blushing with health uses Dr.
King s New Life Pills to maintain it| By
gently arousing tee lazy organs they com
pel good digestion and head off constipa¬
tion. Try them. Only 2ac at Brooks &
Smith and The Covington Drug Co.
The Entefrjse for the ueir«