Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1866-11-14
THE CHRONICLE.
FOUR YEARS
A SCOUT AND SPY.
'GE NERAL BUNKER, {,

Z A SCOUT AND SPY
'GE NERAL BUNKER, ;
One of Gen. Grants most successful
SCOUTS.
LEXTRACTl
Being a narrative of the Thrilling Adventures
Narrow Escapes. Noble Daring, and Amusing
Incidents in the Experiences of Corporal Rug
giles, during -Four Years Service as a Scou
and Spy. for the Federal Army Embracing
c guished Generals in the u. S. Army. By
T. DOWNS, Major of the Twentieth QhiC
z Veteran Volunteer Infantry.
: Having fully determined to do nc
T more detective service, l went to Col
e Hillyer, of General Grants, staff, and
told him that l was desirous of making
d trip to jackson, Mississippi, and also
: 10 Vicksburg, and that General Ross
had frequently promised me an oppor.
tunity of doing so. The Colonel said
that he was not only willing but desi-
rous that l should do so, and that, as
! General Grant had gone down to Mil
! ikin's Bend. l had better report to
General Mcpherson, and tell him what
wanted. L did so, and was informed
; by the General that, as Twas a stranger
to him, if Colonel Hillyer wanted me
to go, he must give me written order
. to that effect. On reporting back to
the Colonel, he gave me a written or
der, and on that authority General
Mcpherson at once gave me his instruc-
tions, and furnished me with funds to
supply myself with an outfit. also
received from Colonel Hillyer a large
roll of Confederate money, with which
to bear my expenses.
Ny instructions were to go down on
the fernando road from Memphis to
Grenada, and see how many troops
were there, and whether the enemy
was fortifying at that place, and wheth-
er appearances indicated determina-
ton to remain there long. was then
to go on to jackson, Miss, and see how
many troops were there, and ascertain,
If l could, from a reliable source,
whether the rebs were still operating
the Confederate States armory at Co
lumbus, Miss, or had removed it, as
had been reported, to the State of Ala
bama. Then l was to go to Clinton,
Miss, and see how many troops were
there; and then to Edwards Station,
and see how many were there; and
then to Black River bridge, and see
its defenses, and gather all the infor-
nation that L could concerning them,
and find out, if possible, how many
forces were at Haines' Bluff; and then |
return to Memphis, and if General Nc |
Pherson was not there, to follow down |
the Mississippi River until found him. |
When he had finished his instruc- |
I ~
confident that can get to jackson,
Mississippi, easy enough but what ex-
cuse can l make, or business can pre-
tend to have, that will call me to Black
River bridge Why not instruct me
to 60 on TO Vicksburg, and then there
can be no suspicion on my visit to the
bridge"
He replied. "Ruggles, the Govern
me mt has sent six men into Vicksburg
already, and none of them have re-
turned it is of no use to send out
men unless they return. Act your
pleasure about it, but go no further
than you can 60 and get back"
felt uneasy about trying to go to
Black River bridge without going to
Vicksburg, and | did not like to as
sumo the responsibility without saying
something about it, for fear l might
fail to get back. l decided to 90 in
only on condition that circumstances
favored a certainty of return.
The disguise that chose was that of
well-to-do Southern planter, accom-
panied by a servant-myself on horse
back, and my servant mounted upon a
mule. Spence went with me as SER
want We were both of US richly
dressed. | carried on my shoulders a
pair of field glasses, and had in my
possession a splendid gold watch, which
was furnished me as part of my out
fit, and afterward given to me by Gen
eral Grant. My hair, at that lime, was
very long, hanging down upon my
shoulders. l wore very broad -brim-
med black hat.
Every thing being ready, started out
on the road leading to fernando on
the morning of the oath day of Febru
airy, 1868. When we were fairly out
side of the Federal lines, Spence be-
gan to reflect on what the consequent
ces would be if / were found out to be
spy. After riding several miles with
out saying a word, and appearing to be
more than usually serious, he said =
'Mr. Bunker, amt you gwine right
down in among de rebils" |,
Eyes; why ?"
''If de secesh dun git us, won't dey
hang us both?"
'You keep that TO yourself if you
don't they will certainly hang US both \
Remember what l say : all you have to
do is to obey me promptly at all times.
You must be my nigger-raised with
me, and just day and a half older
than am. Do you understand me ?''
81 spects Dat / do"
mo matter" | continued, "how
much l scold or boot you, you must .
carry out the character of a tip top
genteel niger waiter; and you must !
make every body think that you have !
got the best master in the world. Can !
you do il ?" :
81 spects dat l can"
Spence was too deeply impressed ;
with the reality of the situation to say
much but however much he feared !
the consequences of a discovery, he ;
acted well the part assigned him, and
that, TOO, knowing the certain fate
awaiting him if my real character
should be found out. ;
At the time that l started, the wealth
er had been rainy for some time, and :
the ground had become completely :
with water, the roads muddy :
and the streams very high. l had gone E
but about twenty miles, when l found !
that the bridges across the streams had ]
all been destroyed either by the enc !
my or swept off by the water, and that
they were too high for me to ford them
then turned TO go back to Mem +
phis, but found that squad of guer- .
rillas had got between me and the city. :
Not wishing to encounter them, made !
my way across to Lafayette, town on 7
the Memphis and Charleston Railroad. !
At that place l found Brigadier-Gene- f
raj Lee formerly Colonel of the 7th +
Kansas Cavalry.) 1 called on him, and '
him to inform General Nc
Pherson that on account of the high q
water, l was unable to get through on !
the fernando road. From Lafayette
went to Lagrange. at which place l .
found General Denver. requested of ?
him pass to go through his lines
He inquired who l was. l told him, =
j 1 4 L