Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1867-04-04

overdrawn, and if men ever lived
who could dare and suffer as much
for any cause as did these three, and
many others. The experience of a
few months of active campaign was
a sufficient answer | learned 10
look upon the men who were employ
ed in the secret service Of both ar.
mics, and who periled their lives al
most daily in the discharge OF their
different duties, as something more
than ordinary men, as they assuredly
were. Many of them were as rough
and uncouth in their physique as
Daniel Boone's hunters, unlettered
and unlearned in the language of
schools and they had self reliance,
a cool daring, and faculty of quick
perception OF human nature which is
never the offspring oi education
They were in many cases borderers,
natives of Tennessee, Kentucky,
West Virginia and Ohio men who
were equally acquainted with the pc
culiarities- of the soldiers of both
Union and Rebel armies, and who
could assume either character at
pleasure To say that the business
in which they engaged required nerve
is merely to repeat the intuitive con-
viction of every reader who shud-
ders over the stories of John Andre
and Nathan Hale-stories which, to
my knowledge, have had numerous
counterparts in our late war. To the
Generals of the contending armies
these men were indispensable. . The
knowledge of the position, numbers
and probable intentions of the ene-
my which they were able to obtain,
entered largely into the plans which
were devised at headquarters, and in
more than one instance saved whole
armies from defeat, and indicated cor
rectly where and when successful
blows might be struck. 1t has often
seemed to me as if such men must
be thoroughly indoctrinated with the
Mahometan's creed of fatalism, and
must look death as something which
no act of their own can hasten or
bring before its appointed time
While in command of advanced pick
cts in the enemy's country, upon more
than one occasion, Ihave been called
to distant post to scrutinize a man
who sought to pass outside. | re-
member upon one occasion, in West
ern Louisiana, examining horseman,
dressed in suit of shabby citizens
clothing, and looking much like an
inhabitant of the parish, who present
ed himself at the picket line, with
the pass of the Commanding Gener-
al. knew the signature, and could
not doubt the genuineness but wish
ing to verify the person beyond all
doubt, searched his face narrowly,
and demanded his business. A half
smile came to the corners of his res
olute mouth, and his keen black eyes
shot forth glance of peculiar intel
ligence as he bent down over the
neck of his sorry-looking horse, and
asked in a low tone, so that my men
might not hear him:
Captain, have you ever heard of
-, the leader of Banks
scouts ?"
Very often" | think there was
not soldier of camp-follower in the
whole Army of the Gulf, who had
not heard some camp fire story of
this audacious scout.
"Well, | am he. Pm bound on a
little trip up the country shall pro
baby be at Dick Taylor's headquar-
ters before night. The General wants
some information, and | think | can
get it,"
l wished him good luck, and safe
return, and he went out into the dark
ness on his shambling way. Before
the twenty-four hours were completed
i have no doubt that he was bemoan-
ing to the rebel General some ruth
less capture of his pigs and chickens
by the Yankees, and noting with eyes
and ears everything that passed in
the camp.
Under the name Of Bernard Bart
lett, | wish to disguise the personali-
ty of a young man of not more than
twenty-three years of age, formerly
a private in one of the cavalry regi-
ments of Custar's command. Lest
his extraordinary story should be
thought one of the fictions to which
| have alluded, am prepared to say
that from personal knowledge of my
self and of the military situation in
the Shenandoah Valley at the time of
his adventure, | most unheatatingly
believe it, and can lend it my full en-
dorsement. 1t refers to one of the
most exciting and important episodes
of the war--the surprise of Sheri-
dams army near Cedar Greek, Vir-
ginia, on the morning of October
10th, 1864, and shows how complete
ly a great military disaster (as our
defeat that morning certainly was
may hinge upon one obscure soldier.
With the wonderful spy system
which Sheridan organized, and with
the daring scouts which he had at
his headquarters, it has always SEEM
ed incomprehensible to me how our
Generals could have remained in
such utter ignorance of the designs
and movements of the enemy as pre-
vailed among them upon that terri
BILE morning. The rebels were in pos
session of important information as
to our numbers and dispositions, and
they knew, or claimed to know, that
Sheridan was absent from his army /:
but, the false security security in
which we had enveloped ourselves
will be remembered by the men of
that command. In my brigade, as |