The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1863-05-21
Adventures i'm RebeIdOm.

In May, 1861, Arnold Harris visited
Buffalo. 1t was the day of the departure
of the twcnty-eighth regiment for the
seat oe war, and, recognizing a number oe
his friends in the ranks, he enlisted, and
marched by their side Soon after his
arrival at the Army of the Potomac, he
was transferred to the naval service and
! placed in command of the Island Belle,
of the Potomac fotilla. A few months
later he lost his vessel and applied for
another command 1 lFfcia
The Department proposed to send him
to Richm ond, to frustrate, it possible, tho
projects of George n. Sanders, who had
! Just then secured contracts from the rebel
Government for navy to be built in
England. He accepted the sperilous
mission, and soon made his way to the
Confederate capitol. Without any dis
guise OF name or person, he succeede,, in
acquiring the confidence of the rebel
authorities, and established himself on
intimate terms with several of the most
| important officials.
His situation, however, was dangerous
in the extreme, aad he was arrested and
confined in Castle Thunder for seventeen
days. He was recognized by two Mary-
landers aS the former commander of, tho
Island Belle. Upon his trial he acknowl-
ed sed his Identification, claiming to havo
done the Confederacy more service while
holding command in the Federal Navy
than he could have done oy openly join
ing its cause at an earlier day. His
audacity triumphcd, and he not only
obtained an acquittal, bat continued TO
enjoy the confidence of the rebel author
tiles, or, rather of all but Ben njalnin, who
Was suspicious of. him throughout. ue
Soon after his discharge from Castle
Thunder, he became Il participant OF tho
enterprises of Sanders, who had recently
returned from Europe As soon as San
ders had perfected his arrangements with
jeff IL Co., he was to return to England
with money and documents necessary to
the carrying out of his schemes. His
son, Reid Sanders, and Harris were to
accompany him. The aim of the latter
was to secure Sanders mail He succeed
ed in having it arranged that George,
with his friends, should proceed by way
of Matamoras to Halifax, while Reid
Sanders and he, with the documents and
dispatches to be taken, were to run the
blockade at Charleston, aud to get to
iloiiidA DJ way VI -NdS>du LII dCCOIu-
ance with this plan, Sanders junior, and
Harris purchased yacht. which they
loaded with turpentine, and started gaily
out, in January last, to slip through the
biockading fleet and make for Nassau =
Great interest was taken in the enterprise,
and before leaving the voyagers were
entertained at dinner party with
Beauregard and the leading celebrities os
the city. -is
Meantime, Harris had succeeded in
communicating with one of the outside
fleet, and putting its commander upon
the watch. The yacht as she ran out Of
the harbor. was speedily detected, and
subjected 10 a cannonade which frightened
Sauders out of his wits and made him
eager to surrender. The mailbag, heav-
lily freighted with iron, was thrown over
board, but Harris had previously abstract
ed from it a portmanieau containing the
important dispatches and documents,
substituting in its stead his own, which
happened, as a remarkable coincidence,
of course, to be It's exact counterpart.
The capture of Rci6 Sander= will be
remembered. Harris is at present in
Buffalo on visit to his friends. He
ranks as Lieutenant in the Navy.