The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1866-08-21
IIov thc t,oN ctnnCut got lnlor-
nation non Richmond.
4 Richmond corn Hpaldut q q

A Richmond corr, p0lagut 81 The
New York Tones gives tbc foilowing
Tho country viii remember that lur
ing lhc winter our Government obtain
e3 assurance Of tbo hopeicaes ai The
rebel cause by coming into pos Sion
.of tha testimony ot Gen Iao before @
committee of thc rebel Congress which
was never reported O. the house, except
4 in secret session. II at ALL A iull his
tory of the manner in which the Gov
orameut obtained that information
would be more interesting than any 10
nance, bat It is teo soon yet todumorc
than outline Il. The evidence Of Gen
Ice was taken lato in the winterby this
committed, and long before tho com.
mtteo had determined what course they
should pursue almost before the lnk
WAS dry upon tAgir notes tbe entire
statement of the robal General word
for word, was ia the possession Of Pros
lident Lincoln at Washington. In the
room where the committee met was %
closet, and FROM that closet immediate
ly after their adjournment came the
priceless information, Outside the
house it once changed hands, and @
second party walked leisurely through
the streets Of Richmond with it, until
upon the cnyirous he encountered one
Of tho common country carts of this
section proceeding with tho half Of %
newly killed beef toward tho rebel lines
in Bntlor's front. No communication
that the most lynx eyed could perceive
passed between tho man ard the cart
bat The former gradually changed his
direction, and was soon walking back
i'm the direction whence be had come
The cart went on, reached and passed.
on through tho rebel camps without
Imolestotion, and reached tho pickcts
where it halted as mattor Of course
The beef was destined for the house Of
planter Just beyond the robel lines
and in plain sight Of their outposts, and
about cquidistant between them and
our own outposts, These explanations
made and careless search Of the cart
made by the rebel sontrc, That is a look
into it, the cart proceeded on it's way
Just as il nearod the house q small par
" Of our cavalry made a dash ut it, and
to thoutter surprise of the rebel piclets,
who saw the whole affair, our men only
hovored moment around the cart
then gailopcd back with one more than
thcy came with, leaving cart and beef
nnd driver and mule hahind them.
They did not know il then, but under
the beef was man, and the man had q
package, and the package contained the
statements OF Glen Lee before the COM
mittce of Congress a few hours before.
In outline, this was how Tie thing
was done. II may seem strange but
Iimcoln and Gf~at knew long before
many Of the highest officials Of the IN
surgcnt Government tho sworn state
mcnt8 Of their commanders MS to the
hopelcssncss Of further resistance.
Knowing that the Government and
Grant lad this information explains
many things in connection with the ar-
rival within our lines OF Hunter, Stoph-
ems, and Campbell at the time OF the
Hampton Roads conference, which at
tho time were inexphcablo. The feat d
obtaining this information is unriyalicd
in the annals Of war, and gradually, as
tho facts come to light, it viii DO found
that Grant had every day such partic-
ular information from the rebel Capitol
that he knew what JEFF. Davis was talk
ing about each day in the most private
Of his conversations with bis Cabinet
and members Of his Congress.