New Orleans daily crescent., 1866-10-19
xsresident navis and the Federal Spies,
webster and DonneIIy.


From communication of the Rev John D.
Kelley, published in the Petersburg Index, we
make the following extracts. Webster, a native
of Kentucky, was hung at Camp Lee in 1862, and
it has never been denied that he was a spy in the
pay of the authorities at Washington. His osten-
sible business in Richmond was blockade running
and carrying letters to and fro across the lines.
1t was his practice to submit all letters intrusted
to him to the federal authorities Mr. Kelley says
of him:
The first time saw him was on the occasion of
my yisitto Parke. Hewas heavily ironed looked
greatly distressed and anxious, and at first seemed
unwilling to give me his confidence. thought
his hesitancy may have been caused by the senti-
| mel in his cell who was pacing the floor with his
gun at fixed bayonet on his shoulder. got this
sentinel removed for awhile, and after a little
talk, Webster told me the most favorable side of
| his case, mentioned many things which it might
be unjust to the living 10 reveal at present; and,
upon the whole, made rather favorable impress
| sion on my mind
| II ought to be mentioned here, that long.con-
tinued course of visitation of prisons and prison,
/ ers had developed kind of power-hslf feeling.
/ half thought; by which the shadings of truth and
/ fasehood, in their statements, were received. l
4 was convinced from some evidence afforded me
/ by Webster, that there were many mitigating cir
/ cumstances in his case. That conviction was i'm
/ parted and in a measure partaken of by the
/
/ tanned passports to go through our lines to STAFF
i ford and Loudoun counties to e0llectthe evidence
4 necessary to verify Webster's statements. Unfor-
tunaely, could not get through the federal lines;
/ but the poor fellow was reprleyed from time TO
| time and it was ouly when had given up allhope
Of getting to his home that he was executed.
/ Our people wondered why this execution was put
off from time to time. Here is the secret. This
4 was one of the few occasions in my life in which
it seemed to me desirable to belong to that mud
dle-headed class, the money-loyers and the money
u havers. If had had money, thenI could have
managed to have gotten through the lines and
might have been the instrument OF saving this
mans life.
The authorities gave me every opportunity.
II None more so than our beloved President. have
no doubt noW-l had none then--that Webster
was in a good measure, guilty as charged but
the shocking sternness and ramrodism which char
acterizes courts martial excluded, in effect every
modifying peculiarly that lessened the onus Of
crime: had voluminous lot of papers about
Webster, which it was my purpose to place in the
hands of his friends at the close Of the war; but
alas! the vandas tore them up and scattered them
along with all my other things on that Sd of April
1865. Yet do not greatly blame these wicked
! because foolish men. Their trade was destruc
ton. Their business was ruin.
of Donnelly, Mr.. Kelley says:
This young man, native of New York but re
Gently from New Orleans, was sentenced to be
shotas afedera spy. In my visits to the jail, he
crouched oil III corner, and seemed desirous O.
eluding me, but at last got him to tell me tbs
particulars OF his case, which We're so favorable
that if properly substantated | felt certain hi
D would be pardoned. l got good-hearted man
d Mr. Heath, who now keeps grocery store VI
Halifax street, to 60 TO station on the Norfolf
railroad and get me the affidavit of magistrate
and his wife, in the immediate vicinity of the fed
eral lines, touching the material points in this case
and had them laid, with a personal explanation
before General Cooper, who promised me that the
case would be attended to. had previously tried
all efforts with the authorities here in vain. On
Sunday morning, on visiting the jail learned with
!; dismay, that an officer had been there few min
utes before, and had read the death warrant of the
prisoner, who was to be shot the next morning al
the Fair Grounds Before going to the church
sent this dispatch to the President: "a man is
going to be shot here tomorrow, as spy, who is
! innocent. Please forbid it. ,. D. KELLEY"
received message shortly after saying that
-. D. Kelley shall not be shot tomorrow, nor
any other day, by order of JEFF. DAvIs.n
On applying at the Office of the commanding
general here, learned that they had received a
dispatch forbidding the contemplated execution
) In my anxiety and haste had forgotten to men.
ton the prisoners name, hence the tenor of this
: dispatch. The afidayits were recovered and laid
before the President, and in due time the prisoner
I was discharged. His aged and venerable mother
sent me afterwards letters of thanks and promised
that she would pray for me as long as she lived
Precious beyond diamonds to me are these letters
and prayers.
r The success attending these various efforts ant
a great many others Of a like kind led me to be
lieVe that the President the United States wou
: give favorable hearing to the case of one, who
a when in supreme power, was himself so accessibl
F to appeals Of this sort-one who, unlike thes
partially guilty parties was the idol of us all 70
. his stainless purity Of character, and his massiv
strength OF intellect. was notso successful as
n had hoped to be- on account of the unsettled stat
! of the country But do not by any means des
pair. The success of our Northern brethi an il
I their elections may soften their hearts and max
: them more willing to be merciful. There is s.
! much of intrinsic deception in the mere 1sin,5u
RI political parties for the sake of affecting tn
votes of the uninteligent and impulsiye, that
have no doubt the medium portion of all parties il
this Christian land, mean well and will try to d
what is right.