The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1862-04-24

THE "CAMBRIA COUNTY SPY TURNS
Up AGAIN Ills Capture by, Ad0ent'res
rith, and Escape from the Re6els !-Our
readers NAV recollect an account publish
ed in these columns some ten or eleven
months since, concerning the adventures
at Pensacola and Fort Pickens, Fla, of a
young man named Joseph A. Kerbey, son
of Geo. W. Kerbey, Esq, the worthy
agent of the Pennsylvania Railroad Com
pany at Wilmore, this county. Young
Kerbey, it will be remembered, entered
the Rebel lines at the former place in the
dangerous capacity of Federal spy, and.
after obtaining much valuable information
regarding the strength Of the enemy, their
Notifications, guns, ETC., successfully made
his escape to Fort Pickens, where he com
municated the essential facts to the COM
aandant of that post.
Returning to New York shortly after,
Mr.. Kerbey came on home and spent some
time with his friends. a life of inactiv-
ity being foreign to his nature, however,
steps for Washington city, with the inten-
tion of finding employment in the army
of the Potomac. Siuce that period, no
tidings whatever have been heard Of him,
until, abou! two weeks ago, his father re-
ceived the gratifying intelligence that he
had just effected his escape from the Reb-
els at Cumberland Gap, and was then on
his way home! His appearance in proper
person in due course OF time dispelled all
doubts as the truth of the good news, and
filed the hearts of his parents and friends
who had mourned him as dead-With
joy and rejoicing.
Young Kerbey, or "Joe," as he is IA
Iniliarly called, has truly had an adventu-
rous tiIne of it during the past year, and
the tales he tells surpass in interest many
romantic inventions of fiction. On arri-
wing at Washington, after his return from
Fort Pickens, he found his peculiar plans
in that department spoiled by the then re-
cent Bull Run blunder, SO he wended his
way to Harper's Ferry. While across the
river at this latter place, one day, viewing
the Rebel entrenchments in the neiehbor-
hood, he was surprised by several Of the
enemy's picket and obliged to give him
self up. He was afterward taken before
Beauregard and examined as spy, but
passing himself OF as a secesh Maryland
2er, he finally succeeded in escaping death,
tand was sent to Richmond. Here he was
aconfned in the same prison with Corcor7n
Rnd Ely for about a month, and, in com
anon with the Federal prisoners, Jared
badly. He ultimately succeeded, howev-
er, in convincing his guardians that he
was a bona fde Secesh, and offered to
Show his fidelity to the 'sso-called South
{ IN Confederacy" by doing soldiers duty
This modest proposal was assented to, and
he sent to Yorktown to work on the Pc
ninsular Notifications.
Since February last, Mr.. Kerbey has
been engaged as an artillerist at Cumber-
band Pass, and has been promoted from
. private to a resp ponsible command with
one of the batteries He asserts that he
bad almost given up all hope OF escape
from his detested associates until the late
Federal advance toward Cumberland Gan. |
Having fair view one day of the tents
pf General Carter's forces, he determined
10 reach them. So, with this object in
view, he attended parade of one of the |
<ebel regiments, at some distance from the |
encampment, and, amid the noise and
cOnfusion Of the affair, wandered off un-
Ubservedly until he had succeeded in put
ung Hill between himself and his late
companions, when he forthwith made rap |
10 tracks for Carters picket. Having a |
Secesh uniform upon him. portion of
which he yet wears,-he was fora time in
mortal terror of being shot by prowling
sUnlonists. The Gap, too, being in plain
light for many miles, he was afraid to
hke the open road for fear of pursuit by
he Rebels. Finally, he reached the
cumberland river, which he was OBLIGED
swim, and soon after arrived safely at
General Carter's camp, where he was
indy received. Prior to leaving North
Fard, he gave Carter an exact account oe