Reward Money For Capture of Jefferson Davis

[historybuff22]

I've done numerous searches on the Internet to find a list of people that shared the reward for the capture of Jefferson Davis and how much each received. No luck Can anyone point me to such information?

Thanks in advance.

Rick Brown
HistoryBuff.com
A Nonprofit Organization

[L Verge]

He was captured by the Fourth Michigan cavalry. Would the unit's records have any information?

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You have probably seen this http://suvcw.org/mollus/warpapers/MIv1p179.htm but there's lots of names that might help get a lead on your search.

[Rob Wick]

https://archive.org/stream/awardsforcapt...0/mode/2up

Especially pages 11-19

Best
Rob

[L Verge]

Fantastic source - thank you, Rob.

[historybuff22]

Thanks for the info. It is confusing because both the Wisconsin 1st and Michigan 4th cavalry claimed to have captured Jefferson Davis. Some diaries claimed Wisconsin 1st deserved and received the reward money. Other diaries claim it was the Michigan 4th that deserved and received the reward money.

Rick Brown
HistoryBuff.com
A Nonprofit Organization

[L Verge]

Thanks for the info. It is confusing because both the Wisconsin 1st and Michigan 4th cavalry claimed to have captured Jefferson Davis. Some diaries claimed Wisconsin 1st deserved and received the reward money. Other diaries claim it was the Michigan 4th that deserved and received the reward money.

Rick Brown
HistoryBuff.com
A Nonprofit Organization

I got confused between the two also, Rick. After reading some of the letters, etc. from soldiers, I finally decided that the 4th Michigan took the lead.

[historybuff22]

This is a perfect example of why historians should NOT rely on only one source to form their conclusions. I found one veteran's diary that claimed his unit, Wisconsin 1st Cavalry, captured and received the reward money. Yet another veteran's diary claimed his unit, Michigan 4th Cavalry, captured Davis and received the reward money. Yet another example is a newspaper article I found in a 1903 newspaper stating that "only the men present" at the capture would receive reward money. The article claimed that some men from each unit - Wisconsin 1st Cavalry and Michigan 4th Cavalry - would receive part of the reward money. The source that was sited as a response to my request for info to settle the matter, a United States Government Publishing House publication printed in 1866 settled the matter. The breakdown lists about 100 men by name and amount of reward they received. It accept this as the final determination. None of the men in the Wisconsin 1st Cavalry received any reward money.

Thanks for your kind assistance and efforts.

Rick Brown
HistoryBuff.com
A Nonprofit Organization

[LincolnMan]

How much was the total amount of the reward money?

[historybuff22]

How much was the total amount of the reward money?

$100,000. 1 received $15,000; $5,000 each for 6 other officers; $2,340 for privates.Organization