66 Southern Historical Society Papers.
commanding, if discretion was not given him to inform an anxious wife five hundred miles away of the condition of her husband's health. (See War of the Rebellion, 747.)
About this time Mr. Davis wrote a letter to his wife, which the Major-General commanding transmitted to the War Department for its inspection before it was forwarded, at the same time calling the attention of the department to some reference to his insomnia since his confinement. As to this General Miles wrote:
"This is false in every particular, as I know he rested and slept more than he says. His usual answer, on being asked how he slept, was invariably 'very well.' " (121 War of the Rebellion, 769.)
The letter was, therefore, returned for correction.
There seemed to be something near akin to malignity in the official intercourse with and about Mrs. Davis, who, with womanly and wifely instinct, was nervously anxious to be informed of her im- prisoned husband's health and condition. The most touching appeals to the President remained unanswered and every enquiry made to offi- cial sources was neglected. In June, 1865, remembering the kindly social relations which had once existed between General M. C. Meigs and her husband, she appealed to him to use his influence to have permission granted to her to go North to a more moderate climate where the health of her children would be better, and that she might correspond with her husband. She also begged him to inform her what was the condition of his health. (121 War of Re- bellion, 666.)
To this General Meigs made no reply, but wrote to the Command- ing General at Savannah a letter, which he sent through the Secre- tary of War, in which he said :
" I was under obligations to Mr. and also Mrs. Davis for kindness and courtesy received before they inaugurated rebellion and civil war.
' ' The effect of that war, my personal loss in the death of my eldest son, murdered by one of Mr. Davis' assassins, called guerillas, my position as an officer of the government, make it altogether improper for me to enter into any correspondence with Mrs. Davis or to attempt to interfere in the course of justice."
He had the grace, however, to ask the officer to let Mrs. Davis know that her husband was better. Because his gallant son had
