The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-04-03
The secret service.

constitute one of the most interesting
and thrilling portions of our war
chronicles. We trust that some annal-
ist will gather and weave together, in
readable and preservable shape, the
labors, adventure and hairbreadth es-
capes of those whose vocations consist
ed in "oDtaining information from the
enemy" aaaa
Therewas undoubtedly, some grounds
| for the impression generally prevailing,
that the insurgents were more success
| full in this business than we. Owing to
the fact that our armies We're operating
in their territory, they found il less ditii-
cult than we to ferret out facts concern
| ing-the hostile forces. Their Northern
allies, too, aided them materially in
obtaining information about the North.
For instance, General Heath, who COM
manded a division during the advance
upon Cincinnati, was in that city the
other day, and stated in conversation
| that he knew the exact position of the
Federal forces at the time of the siege.
| He was fully aware of the absence of
veterans, knew the number of men on
duty, and telegraphed to headquarters
| from time to time as Union reinforce
ments arrived. --.-..,,.
| ington authorities, however, the praise
of having displayed much ingenuity
/ and enterprise in obtaining "contra-
band intelligence" For example they
performed no mean achievement when,
/ in February, 1865, they obtained from
official ;recorls in the rebel Var De-
partment, the number and location of
all the insurgent forces. The Richmond
ElQairer, of "Wednesday, in alluding
| to this circumstance, remarks: ut was
(" but too well known during the late
'twnr, that there was treachery on the
'spart of some employees of the War
Department of the Confederate States.
"We allude not now to the perhdy
(which kept u secret diary of extracts
=" from the current official reports, and
4" has lately put them in the form of a
i :. book; butto the correspondence which
was kept up by paid spies with the
Washington Government, purporting
''to give Information, and often giving
sit correctly, of the most vital charac-
"ter."
The secret service embraced consid-
erabIe body of men, many of them ma
tive of, and thoroughly acquainted with
the South, who passed to and fro with
i'm the rebel lines, not untrequently
commanding general. Mcclellan made
but very little use of spies, though val
uable information was frequently COM
municated by deserters. Through the
latter he became Immediately aware OF
Jackson's presence, when "Stonewall,"
in June, 1852, took position upon Lees
right, preparatory to the furious on
slaught upon our lines. Burnside sad
ly felt the need of spies and informers,
though for some reason he was unable to
obtain them. When encamped oppO-
site Fredericksburg, just before the
bloody battle of December 13, he offered
very large sum TO any one who would
81, r;N aT11 6ntnFn1ina the
strength and position of Lees forces.-
To General Hooker is due the credit of
having first made the spy system ettec-
tive in the army of the Potomac. Dur
ing his period of command valuable re-
ports were almost daily brought
And when he began the Chan
ceIlorville campaign he was fully post
ed up in regard to the number of
Lees troops and the weak points in his
lines. Had Fighting Joe" been as
skillfulin command as he was in details,
charlottesville would have been VIC
tory instead of a terrible defeat, Among
our w Western Generals Rosecrans, per-
haps, made the most efficient use of
spies. Hekept them constantly going
and coming, and while obtaining all
the Information he could conceruing the
insurgents, kept a careful watch that
I they should obtain none from him.
Two rebel officers, who dressed In
Federal uniforms, boldly entered his
lines and announced themselves as As
sistant Inspector Generals sent ito in
spect the Army OF the Cumberland,
were summerily shot by Rosecrans on
the very day they were discovered. He
did this in order to strike terrorinto the
rebel spies, and prevent repetition of
such experiments. 1T is needless to say
that none were afterward attempted.
General Grant apparently attached no
be seemed intuitiveiy 10 divine the
strength and position ofhis antagonists.
The same was true, to certain extent,
of General Sherman. '---,----.''