The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-11-27

HOW THE GOVERNMENT GOT INFoR-
NATION PROM RIoHMoND.-A Rich
mond correspondent of a New York
paper is responsible for the following
account of how the Federal govern
ment got the information from Rich
mond that Gen. Lee had testified In se-
cret session Of the rebel congress of the
hopelessness ofythe rebel cause. It
looks very much as though the writer
had drawn largely on his Imagination,
but the story is good one neverthe-
less - -I.
The evidence of General Lee was ta-
ken late in the winter by committee,
and long before the committee had de-
termined what course they should pur-
Sue-almost before the ink was dry up
on their notes.-the entire statement of
the rebel general, word for word, was
in the possession of President Lincoln
at Washington. In the room where the
committee met was q sCloset, and
from that closet Immediately af-
ter adjournment, came the price
less Information. Outside the house
it at once changed hands, and
the second party walked leisurely
through the streets of Richmond with
1t, until upon the environs he encoun-
INGAGN OAG vi A46 GOu1LuuA GDuubE.y C1EL1
of this section, proceeding with half OF
a newly killed beef to the rebel lines in
Buffers front.
No communication that the most
lynx-eyed could perceive passed be-
tween the cart and the man, but the
former gradually changed his direc-
ton, and was soon walking back in the
direction whence he came. The cart
went on, reached and passed through
the rebel camp, without mOlestation,
and reached the pickets, where it haltt
ed as a matter ofcourse. The beef was
destined for the house of a planter just
beyond the rebel lines, and in plain
sight of their outposts, and about equi-
distant between them and our own out
posts. Those explanations made and a
careless search of the cart made by the
rebel sentry, that is, look into it, the
cart proceeded on its way. Just as 1t
neared the house small party of our
cavalry made dash at it, and to the
utter surprise of the rebel pickets, who
saw the whole affair, our men only
lowered moment around the cart,
then galloped away with one more man
than they came with, leaving cart and
beef and driver and mule behind them.
They did not know it then, but under
the beef was a man, and that man had
package, and the package contained
the statements of Gen. Lee before the
committee of Congress few hours be-
fore. .ag-,s 5-.-.a
In outline this is how the thing was
done. It may seem strange, but Lin
coin and Grant knew, long before many
of the highest officials of the insurgent
government, the sworn; statements of
their commanders as to the hopeless
ness of further resistance. Knowing
that the government and Grant had
this information explains many things
in connection with the arrival within
our lines of Hunter, Stephens and
Campbell at the time of the Hampton
Roads conference, which, at that time,
were inexpliCable. The feat of obtain
ing INSTRUMENTATION is unrivalled in the
annals of war, and gradually as the
facts come:to light, it will be found that
Grant had every day such particularin-
formation from the rebel capital that he
knew what jeff. Davis was talking
about each day, in the most private Of
his conversations with his cabinet and
members of his congress.