Howdy everyone-
I just got a cool letter (an envelope actually) signed by both President Jefferson Davis and Vice President Alexander Stephens.
Included was a CDV of Stephens.
What's even cooler is the story it references-
David Cable was a prisoner at Andersonville who wrote to Stephens. Cable claimed he was part of a plot to defeat Lincoln in the coming election, but he somehow ended up at Andersonville. Seems pretty fishy to me, but Stephens at least wanted to hear him out. Davis okayed it, but the order somehow never made it to Henry Wirz. Stephens mistakenly thought that Davis had intentionally ignored his request to release Cable, and the little Georgian was absolutely furious, going so far as to say something like he didn't think Davis really wanted the war to end. Davis actually hurried to send a courier to release Cable once he realized that his order had not arrived, but the courier arrived too late. Cable was dead.
View attachment 306534
The following was submitted by: Jack Lundquist, found at American Civil War Research Database:
I'm currently trying to resolve the question of civilians buried at Andersonville and I
believe that I have solved that of David Cable. what I have found is as follows:
According to the information from the Atwater list a David Cable, Citizen from Ohio,
died July 16, 1864 of Debilitas and is buried in Grave 3399. He was captured at
Olustee, Florida on February 20, 1864. He is in fact David Cable of the 7th New Hampshire
Infantry, Company A, who is "Reported to have died at Andersonville" on July 15, 1864.
He had prior service in the 20th Ohio Infantry (a ninety day Regiment), Company F.
Mustered out August 23, 1861.
He was a minister, not a religious minister, who had come south seeking to work with
the Confederates to defeat Lincoln in the 1864 election.
The fact that there is a difference of one day in the date of death is that Atwater's
information is based on the date of burial, provided by the head of he burial detail,
and not date of death. I have found this to be true in many instances when comparing
Atwater's date with that listed in the various Adjutant General's Reports.
My source of information is: the Ohio Adjutant General's Report, Vol. I, page 421;
the New Hampshire Adjutant General's Report, page 361 and "Andersonville the Last Depot"
by William Marvel, pages 42 and 112.
The New Hampshire Adjutant General's Report states that he was born in Stubenville, Ohio
and his residence was the same. Age at muster 29 and date of muster November 12, 1863.
Captured at Olstee, Florida on February 20, 1864.
The Ohio Adjutant General's Report states that he was from Stubenville, Ohio and was
mustered in as a Captain April 22, 1861, age 27 and mustered out with his Company on
August 23, 1861. Based on age this confirms that this is the same person.
The 1850 Ohio census lists the following:
David Cable, Senior, living in Stubenville with a son David Jr., age 16.
The 1860 Ohio census lists the following:
David Cable, Senior, living in Stubenville with son, David Junior, age 26, living
next door with a wife Fannie and son Frank, occupation Deputy U.S. Marshal.
The 1870 Ohio census lists the following:
David Cable, Senior, living in Stubenville with daughter-in-law Fannie and grandson
Frank, but with no listing for Davis Junior.
He is said to have initiated correspondence with Confederate Vice President Alexander
Stephens, maintain (in Stephen's words) that he has "accompanied the forces of the
enemy (Union forces) that invaded Florida as a non-combatant; that his object was,
amongst other things, was to cross our lines to have a conference with prominent men
(Confederate) by which concert of action could be procured between our authorities and
the peace men at the North, in the then approaching Presidential election, so as to
secure, if possible, the defeat of the Abolition Administration at Washington... he
stated that he had come on this mission after advertisement and consultation with the
leading peace men in the Northwest, New York and the Federal Capital. It appears from
the correspondence that Stephens was inclined to accept Cable's statement, while
Jefferson Davis responded that Cable was "captured in arms" and that "I did not deem
his tale at all probable.
Reference to the above:
Stephens-Davis correspondence is published in the Official Records, Series IV,
Volume III (Serial #129, "Correspondence, Orders, Reports and Returns of the
Confederate Authorities from January 1, 1864, to the End."
Stephens' letter to Davis, December 13, 1864, #38, pages 934-940.
Davis' response, January 6, 1865, #41 pages 1000-1004.
It would appear that David had made up a story, that he was a Citizen from Ohio and a
non-combatant which is refuted by the fact that he was captured as a combatant.
I have changed my Andersonville records to delete David Cable as a Citizen from Ohio
and classify him as being buried in Grave 3399 as a member of the 7th New Hampshire
Infantry, with the details as cited above.
Bringing the