The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1863-05-19
A FEDERAL EMIssARY IN the SOUTH

"A n
He secures the arrest cfa son Of Geo. " Sanders.
Tn Nav. 1861, Arnold Harris visited Buffalo, N.
Y. 1t was the day for the departure of the 28th
REGIMENT for the seat of War, and recognizing
number of 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 after he lost his vessel, and applied for
another command.
The Department proposed to send him to Rich
mond to Illustrate, if possible, the projects Of
George N Sanders, who had just then secured
contracts from the rebel Government for a navy
to be built in England. He accepted the perious
mission, and soon made his way to the Confederate
Capitol Without any disguise of name or person,
be succeeded 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; and he was arrested and confined
in Castle Thunder for seventeen days. He was
recognized by two Marylanders as the former
commander of the Island Belle Upon his trial
he acknowledged the Identification claiming to
have done the Confederacy more service while
holding commission in the Federal navy, than
he could have done by openly joining its cause at
an earlier day. His audacty triumphed, and he
not only obtained an acquittal, but continued to
enjoy the confidence of the rebel authorities; or
rather, OF all but enjamin, who was suspicious Of
him throughout.
Soon after his discharge from Castle Thunder,
he became participant of the enterprises of San
ders, who had recently returned from Europe
AS coon as Sanders had perfected his arrangement
with jeff Co., he was to return to Europe wi tn
money and documents necessary to the carrying
out of his schemes. His son r. Sanders, and
ii arrIQ uar 70 Hho Of tho
latter was to secure Sanders mail. He succeeded
in having arranged that George, with his friends,
should proceed by way of Matamoras to Halifax,
while Read Sanders and he, with the documents
and dispatches to be taken were to run the block
ade at Charleston, and get to Halifax via Nassau.
In accordance with this plan, Sanders, jr, and
Harris proceeded to Charleston and purchased a
yacht, which they loaded with turpentine and star
ted gaily out in January last to slip through the
blCckading feet and make for Nassau. Great in
terest taken in the enterprise and before leav-
ing the voyagers were entertained at a dinner with
Beauregard and the leading celebrities of the city
Mean line Harris had succeeded in communicating
with one of the vessels of the outside feet and
putting its commander upon the watch. The
yacht as she ran out of the harbor, was speedily
detected, ard subjected to cannonade which
frig htened Sanders out of his wits, ard made him
eager to surrender. The mail bag, heavily freigh-
had previously distracted from it a portmanteau
containing the important dispatches and docu-
ments, substituting in its stead his own, which
happened as a remarkable coincidence, of course,
to be its exact counterpart.
The capture of Reid Sanders will be remem-
bered. Harris is at present in Buffalo visit
to his frieads. He ranks as Lieutenant in the
navy.-Yankee Paper.
The capture of young Sanders, it will be remem-
bered, created great many surmises at the time,
and it was supposed by some that he was betrayed
by the crew and delivered to the enemy. But
the above now fully explains the affair.