that place. He immediately surrounded the camp, and shortly before daybreak closed in and captured the entire party. This had scarcely been accomplished when the First Wisconsin advanced from the opposite direction, and, by an unfortunate mishap, each party mistaking the other for the enemy, a skirmish ensued, resulting in 2 men killed and 1 officer wounded in the Fourth Michigan and 7 or 8 wounded in the First Wisconsin. Herewith I hand you the report of Captain Hathaway,* commanding the Fourth Michigan Cavalry (Colonel Pritchard having taken Mr. Davis to Washington), together with a list of names of officers and men engaged in the pursuit, and also a list of those immediately engaged in the capture.+ In this latter list Company H is not represented; that company was in the advance in the pursuit, and south of Abbeville was detached to guard a ford on the Ocmulgee River. In the dispatch of the honorable the Secretary of War mention is made of honorably medals and the reward offered for the apprehension of Mr. Davis. I would respectfully suggest that medals be conferred upon all the officers and men engaged under Colonel Pritchard in the pursuit of the rebels President, and that the reward be equally divided among the 153 officers and men immediately engaged in the capture.

I am, respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. H. G. MINTY,

Colonel, Commanding.

Major BEAUMONT,

Asst. Adjt. General, Cavalry Corps, Mil. Div. of the Mississippi.

[Indorsement.]

HDQRS. CAVALRY CORPS, MIL. DIV. OF THE MISSISSIPPI,
Macon, Ga., May 19, 1865.

Respectfully forwarded.

A comparison of the inclosed reports with that of Colonel Harnden, First Wisconsin Cavalry, will show that Colonel Pritchard acted strictly in good faith with Colonel Harnden. I would, therefore, in view of all the facts, respectfully recommend that medals of honor be given to the officers and men of both regiments actually engaged in the pursuit south of Abbeville. In the distribution of the reward the families of the two men should be amply provided for.

J. H. WILSON,

Brevet Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS SECOND DIVISION, CAVALRY CORPS, MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI,
Edgefield, Tenn., July 6, 1865.

GENERAL: Many of the daily papers having published the report of Lieutenant-Colonel Harnden, First Wisconsin Cavalry, of his pursuit of Jeff. Davis, together with the indorsement of Colonel La Grande, of the same regiment, in which Lieutenant Colonel B. D. Pritchard, Fourth Michigan Cavalry, brevet brigadier-general, is severely censured for the course which he pursued in capturing the rebel President, I called upon Lieutenant-Colonel Pritchard for a report covering the period from his first meeting with Lieutenant-Colonel Harnden at Abbeville, Ga., to the capture of Davis, together with affidavits from officers bearing on the unfortunate collision between his men and the detachment First Wisconsin Cavalry, in answer to which I have received a report from

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* See p. 539.

+ See p. 541-545.

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