Confederate Archives and Treasury Taken to Abbeville, S.C.

APRIL 24-29TH, 1865:  While in Augusta, Georgia,  with the Confederate archives and treasury, Lt. W.H. Parker learned the federal Government had rejected the convention of surrender drawn up between Generals Sherman and Johnston.  Parker withdrew his valuable cargo from the bank vaults, reformed his naval escort (consisting of Naval Academy midshipmen and sailors from the the Charlotte Navy Yard) and on the 24th set out for Abbeville, South Carolina.

He had previously concluded this to be most likely where the Davis party would pass en route to crossing the Savannah River.  Near Washington, Georgia, Parker met Mrs. Jefferson Davis, her daughter and Burton Harrison, the President's private secretary, proceeding independently to Florida with a small escort.

Gaining no information on the President's whereabouts, Parker continued to Abbeville, while Mrs. Davis' party resumed its journey southward.  On the 29th, Parker arrived in Abbeville, where he stored his cargo in guarded rail cars and ordered a full head of steam be kept in the locomotives in case of emergency.

Parker's calculations as to the probably movements of President Davis's entourage proved correct; the chief executive entered Abbeville three days after Parker's arrival,

--Old B-R'er

Confederate Archives and Treasury Arrive at Augusta, Georgia

APRIL 17-19TH, 1865:  Lt. W,H. Parker, commanding the naval escort entrusted with the Confederate archives and treasury, and President Davis' wife, successfully evaded Federal patrols enroute southward from Charlotte and arrived at Washington, Georgia, on the 17th.

Parker, still without orders as to the disposition of his precious trust and unable to learn of the whereabouts of President Davis and his party (including Secretary Mallory), decided to push on through to Augusta, Georgia, where he hoped to find ranking civilian and military officials.

The escort commander recorded:  "We left the ladies behind at the tavern in Washington for we expected now a fight at any time."  the escort again, however, managed to elude Federal patrols and arrived without incident at Augusta where Parker placed his entrusted cargo in bank vaults and posted a guard on the building.

Having learned upon arrival that armistice negotiations between Generals Sherman and Johnston were in progress, Parker decided to remain in the city and await the outcome of the conference.

--Old B-Runner

Confederate Archives and Treasury Arrive in Charlotte, N.C.

APRIL 8-11TH, 1865:  Lt. W,H.Parker, commander of the midshipmen who were escorting the Confederate archives and treasury, arrived in Charlotte, North Carolina, from Danville and deposited the important cargo in the Confederate Mint located in that city.

While waiting for more orders, Parker learned that a Union cavalry detachment was nearby and since the city was without military protection, he, on his own initiative, prepared to move the archives and treasury southward.  He added the personnel of the local Confederate Navy Yard to his escort, bringing his number up to 150 and drew quantities of provisions from the naval warehouse.

Parker offered the protection of his command to Mrs. Jefferson Davis, who had only recently arrived in Charlotte, and strongly urged that she accompany him southward.  Mrs. Davis accepted his offer, and on the 11th, the Navy-escorted entourage bearing the archives, treasury, and the first lady of the Confederacy set out from Charlotte.

--Old B-Runner

Confederate Midshipmen at the Confederacy's End

APRIL 3, 1865:  Fifty of the sixty midshipmen at the Confederate Naval Academy, under the command of Lt. William H. Parker, escorted the archives of the government and the specie and bullion of the treasury from Richmond to Danville.

There, Midshipman Raphael Semmes, Junior, was detached from the escort corps and detailed to the staff of his father.

The Midshipmen Corps continued to be entrusted with the select guard duty during subsequent moves of the archives and treasury to Charlotte, N.C.; Washington, Ga.; Augusta, Ga.; and finally to Abbeville, S.C..

The ten midshipmen who remained in Richmond under the command of Lt. James W. Billups, CSN, fired and scuttled the CSS Patrick Henry, schoolship of the Naval Academy.

--Old B-Runner