Jefferson Davis  "Confined In A Dungeon"  June 3, 1808 - December 6, 1889

Having kept faith in the success of the Southern Confederacy for as long as he possibly could, President Jefferson Davis was finally captured by federal cavalry on May 10, 1865, at a campsite in the woods near Irwinville, GA. At last realizing the futility of continuing the struggle, the proud man said simply, "God's will be done", and sat down beside the campfire. Davis and his wife and children were taken to Macon. ALong the way they were taunted by the horsemen singing the verse from "John Brown's Body" that says, "We'll hang Jeff Davis from a sour apple tree." From Macon, the prisoners traveled by train through Atlanta to Augusta, where they boarded a steamer for the trip down the Savannah River. On May 16, they sailed from Hilton Head Island toward the North.

On May 22, Jeff Davis kissed his family goodbye and entered Fort Monroe, VA, to begin what turned out to be 720 days of imprisonment. He was placed in dungeonlike Casemate #2, which had been specially prepared to be his cell until the government decided what to do with him. The next day, on orders from Washington, his guards came and, in spite of Davis's protests and resistance, shackled him in leg irons. The news of this humiliating treatment evoked an outpouring of sympathy from the South and the North, and the chains were removed five days later.

His incarceration in the cold, damp, barren cell was hard. He was under constant watch, and the guards had orders not to speak if spoken to. A light was kept burning in his cell 24 hours a day, and he could not leave the casemate for any reason. His health deteriorated rapidly; some thought it the government's intention for him to die in prison. In late July, Davis's jailer, Gen. Nelson Miles, received permission for the prisoner to be allowed walks in the open air. Prison conditions and Davis's health gradually improved until, on October 2, 1865, he left the casemate and was given more healthful quarters in a second floor room.

Fascinating Fact:  Davis was humiliated by the ridiculous rumor that spread through the North that he had been captured while wearing women's clothing. Secretary of War Stanton encouraged the rumors even though he knew them to be false.


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