The Shasta courier., 1866-10-06
How our Government Obtained Rebel In
formation During the War.

Thus much of time present, and | 90 back
to the closing days of the rebellion to mar
rate bit of the romance of the war. The
country will remember that during the win
ter our government received assurance of
the hopelessness of the rebel cause bv com
ing into possession of the testimony of Gen.
Lee before a committee of the rebel Congress.
which was never reported to the Houses, ex-
cept in select session, if at all. A full his
tory of the manner in which the govern
ment 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 General Lee was taken late in
the Winter by this committee, and long be.
fore the committee had determined what
course they should pursue-almost before
the ink was dry upon their notes.-the entire
statement of the rebel General. word for
word, was in possession of President Lincoln
at Washington. In the room where the
committee met was a closet, and from that
closet, Immediately after their adjournment,
came the priceless information. Outside the
house it at once changed hands, and second
party walked leisurely through the streets
of Richmond with it, until upon the environs
he encountered one of the common country
carts of this section proceeding with the half
of a newly killed beef toward the rebel lines
in Buffers front. No communication that
the most lynx-eyed could perceive passed
between the man and the cart, but the form.
er gradually changed his direction and was
soon walking back in the direction whence
he came. The cart went on, reached and
passed through the rebel camps without
molestation, and reached the pickets where
it halted, as a matter of course The beef
was destined for the house of a planter lust
beyond the rebel lines and in plain sight of
their outposts. and about equidistant be-
tween them and our own outposts.
These explanations made, and careless
search of the cart made by the rebel sentry
that is, look into it, the cart proceeded
on its way. just "a it neared the house a
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
hovered moment around the cart, then gal
loped back with one more man then 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
the man had a package. and the package
contained the statements of Gen. lee before
the rebel 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 high
est officials of the insureent Government, the
sworn statement of their commander as to
the hopelessness 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 confer
ence, which at the time were nexplicable.-
The feat Of obtaining this information is un
rivaled in the annals of war, and gradually
as the facts come to light, it will be found
that Grant had every day such particular
information from the rebel capital that be
knew what jeff Davis was talking about
each day in the most private of his conversa-
tions with his Cabinet and members of his
Congress. Washington Correspondence Ner
York Tmes