The tri-weekly news. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1865-1876, 1866-08-23
How United StateS Spies and Confederate
Traitors Operated in Richmond During
The War. -,

The Richmond correspondent of the
New York Times, "E. Co." in his let
ter of the 7th, relates the following
unique story:
The country will remember that du-
ring the winter, our Government re-
ceivcd the assurance of the hopeful
lessness Of the rebel cause by coming
into possession of the testimony of
Gen. Lee before Committee oiBthe
rebel Congress, which was never re-
ported to the Houses, except in secret
session, if at all. A full history of
the manner in which the Government
obtained that information would be
more Interesting than any romance,
but it is too soon yet to do more than
outline it. The evidence Of Gen. lee
was taken late in the winter by this
Committee, and long before the Com
mittee had determined what course
they should pursue--almost before the
ink was dry upon their notes-Tbe en-
tire statement of the rebel General,
word by word, was in possession of
President Lincoln at Washington.. In
the room where the Committee met
was closet, and from that closet i'm
mediately after their adjournment
came the priceless information. Out
side the house it at once changed
hands, and second party walked lei
surely through the streets Of Rieh-
mond with it, until upon the snvifSDs
he encountered one of the commoa. :.
country carts of this section proce@S-2 ?
ing with the half Of newly killed Deyf
toward the rebel lines in Butlef&
'front.' No communication that the
most lynx-eyed could perceive passed
between the man and the cart, but the
former gradually changed his direc-
ton and was soon,walking back in the
direction whence he had come. The
cart went on, reached. and passed
through the rebel camps without mo-
lestation and reached the pickets,
where it halted as matter of course.
The beef was destined for the house of
planter, just beyond. therebol lines
and in plain sight, of the outposts, and
about equi-distant between them and
our own outposts. These explanations
made and a careless search of the
cart made by the rebel, sentry, that is
a look into it, the cart proceeded on it's
way. Just as it nearqd the house a
small party of our, cavalry made a
dash at it, and to the utter surprise of
the rebel pickets,who saw the whole =
affair, our men only hovered moment
around the cart, then galloped, back
with one more man than they came
with, leaving cart and beef, and driy-
er and mule behind thom. They did
not know it, then, bat under, tbH beef
a man, and the man Lad a psekaec,
and the package contained tie Ito
ments, of Gen. Lee before the commit
tee of Congress few hours before
In outline, this was how the thing
was done. 1t may seem strange, but
Lincoln and Grant knew long before
many of the highest officials, of the in
surgcnt Government the sworn state
mcnt of their commander as tolthe
hopelessness of further resistance.
Knowing that the Government and
Grant had this information explains
many things in connection with the ar
rival, within our lines Of Hunter, Ste
phcns and Campbell, at The time Of the
Hampton Roads Conference, which at
the time were inexplicabie. The feat
of obtaining this information is unri-
vailed in the annals Of war, and gradu-
ally, as the facts come to light, II will
be found that Grant had every day
such particular information from the
rebel capitol that he knew what JEFF.
Davis was talking about each; dayin
F, the most private Of his conversations
with his Cabinet and members of his
Congress ies .,a sed ID
THE Central Church in New Haven
have raised a fund OF $40 600 for tho,
benefit Of their retiring pastor, Rev
l1ieonatd Bacon, ID. D., who has been
fappointed professor in the New Haven
Pathological Semihory. Rt9@4 Fqaw
$50 y -----!--A-s 800 v--4-i liDGe