Delaware Gazette

MACON, GEORGIA, May 13, 1865.

You will doubtless have seen my telegrams to the Secretary of War before this reaches you, detailing the events of the capture. Two of my best regiments, one from the 1st and the other from the 2nd Division, were on the trail together, and reached the rebel camp almost simultaneously. The fight which ensued was unfortunate, but unavoidable in the uncertain moonlight. Both parties fully expected desperate resistance, and both had gone prepared.

Col. Hardin, of the 1st Wisconsin, had only 60 men; Col. Pritchard had 130.—The story of Davis' ignoble attempt at flight is even more ignoble than I told it. Mrs. Davis and her sister, Miss Howell, after having clothed him in the dress of the former, and put on his head a woman's head-dress, started out, one holding each arm, and besought Col. Pritchard's men in most piteous terms, to let them take their "poor old mother out of the way" of the firing.

Mrs. Davis said, "Oh, do let us pass with our poor old mother, who is so frightened, and fears to be killed." One of Pritchard's men, catching sight of the President's boots below the skirts of the dress, suspected, at once, who the poor old woman was, and replied, "Oh no; you don't play that game on us; them boots don't look very much like they belonged to a woman. Come down, old fellow."

The party reached here at 2 P. M., this afternoon, took dinner at my headquarters, and after dinner I received Mr. Davis at my quarters. Our conversation was mostly about West Point, the army, the surrender of Dick Taylor, the assassination of Mr. Lincoln, and the journey North. During the conversation he brought in his little son, Jeff., and introduced him. * * * He remarked, with a smile, that he thought the United States would find graver charges against him than the murder of Mr. Lincoln, and seemed to regret that Mr. L. had been killed. He has asked no favors, but Mrs. D. insinuates, once in a while, that the "President" is not treated with becoming dignity.

Upon one occasion she said to Colonel Pritchard that she had noticed that whenever the "President" went out, the guard had their guns cocked; whereupon Colonel P. told her the guns were not cocked—only half cocked; but his men had orders to shoot Mr. Davis if he made any attempt to escape, and would certainly execute the order.

Among other things Davis said he thought Lee one of the boldest Generals of whom he had any knowledge never needing any urging. This was in comparison with Johnson, of whom his silence was marked.

Just before the last Presidential election, Mr. A. Belmont, Chairman of the National Democratic Committee, made a public offer to bet $10,000 that if Mr. Lincoln should be re-elected, the war would out-last his second term. What does Mr. B. think about the matter now?