Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1867-06-07
Adventures of Detective Baker
His experience as a Spy in
Richmond.

Adventures OF Detective Baker
His experience as a Spy In
/ Richmond.
Early in the late war Gen. L. G. Bak-
er was authorized by General Scott to
undertake a secret expedition to Rich
mOnd. COncealing his character not
only from the enemy but from our own
| troops, he found that not the least diff
/ ficult part of his task was to pass the
! Union lines. He failed twice, but was
more fortunate the third time, when he
| crossed the Potomac near Dumfries,
| and after making his escape from two
! Confederate soldiers who had arrested
him as spy, pushed on afoot toward
! Manassas junction. He was again
| stopped by the Rebels and sent to
/ BrentsviIle, and after having been ex-
! amined by BOnham and Beauregard,
was forwarded to Richmond and inn
| prisOned in an engine-hOuse. On the
way, however, he had managed to learn
| a good deal about the mum Der and dis
\ position of the troops. The following
| is his account of an interview with
| jeff. Davis:
On the fourth or fifth day of my con-
/ finement, a commissioned officer at
| tended by a guard, entered the apart
ment and said the President wished to
see me. I obeyed the summons, and
after reaching his room waited nearly
| two hours before 1 was presented to
! Mr.. Davis with the simple expression,
| ''This is the man, sir :" The room Oc-
cupied by him in the Spotswood House
/ was a front parlOr connecting with a
| bedroom. The weather was warm, and
! he wore simply a light linen coat, with
! out vest, collar or cravat. He then said,
! ''YOu have been sent here from Manas-
sas as a spy what have you to say ?''
/ I related the circumstance of my cap
ture, complaining bitterly of my treat
ment, to which he listened with perfect
4 Indifference. He then asked subStan-
! TALLY the same questions Beauregard
| had proposed, and which were answered
| as nearly as possible in the words used
during the interview with him. 1 was
/ taken back to the engine-lOft, and at
| the expiration of three days was once
! more escorted to the executive apart
ment. The Confederate President was
| out, engaged in the inspection of troops
/ who had lust arrived from the South,
and I returned to my quarters without
/ an interview. At the expiration Of
week, I was ordered for a third time in
! to the presence of Jefferson Davis. The
| following inquiries were made by him ::
"How many troops do you suppose
there are in Washington and its vicini-
I answered, ST have no means of
| knowing probably $4,000 or 100000,
with more daily arriving"
'sWho commands the Yankee
troops ?''
Il suppose, General Scott
'fWhere are his headquarters ~
f'In Washington"
tThen he is not with the troops ?"
EENo : General Mcdowell is in imme-
diate command"
I was then marched back to my pris-
| on chamber.
| At the next interview the arch trail
tor determined to make a thorough and
| satisfactory examination of his prison
er.
He began :''What is your name, Sir?'
samuel MunsOn.'
''Where were you born ?"
"In Knoxville, Tennessee"
"What is your business here ?'
s'The settlement of certain land
claims in California for man whose
agent am"
'tWhO is the man ?"
"The Rev. Mr.. S., of Barnwell
Courthouse now, I believe, chaplain
in the army"
Having brought with me from the
Pacific Coast land claims in behalf OF q
minister who returned to BarnweII
Courthouse, his former place of resi-
| dence. and whose name as chaplain
was on the army roll, my statement
had certainly an air of plausibility:
How long have you resided North ~
81 have been in California eight
tsWhen did you leave California ,"
con the first day of January 1851"
''Were you in Washington ?'
"Dfd You come here directly from
Washington ?"
Were there many troops in Wash.
ingtOn %
CHOW many ?"
'Itis impossible to say, as they were
] avH 6nT0u Y-tI -
|; E'Where were they concentrating ?''
''In Virginia, opposite Washington
Throwing up Notifications, are
they ?"
"Are they fortifying Arlington
0 Heights ?''
. 81 do not know"
= cor in the vicinity Of Long Bridge ?
81 do not know"
"Are they fortifying about AleXan
dria?"
81 cannot say; I have not been there.
''Can YOU tell me the names of any 0
the regiments now in Washington ?"
= I mentioned the name of a few @
x which he could not have failed to knoT
4. something through the press and ~
= mOrs ahOat.
He continued
on ''Where is General Scott ?'
s. "I do not know. He is said to be /
le ''Do you consider yourself a souther
p man ?''
- ''Do you ssympathize with the South
ern people ?'
81 do"
m ''Are you willing to fghtwith them2
Isl eyes, Sir"
es "Wii you enlist?''
,e "No, Sir"
e. 'sWhy not ~
ri because I am here on busine
W. which I ought first to accomplish"
The guard was summoned to tai
''NTr. MunsOn" to his prison again. b
fore leaving, I stepped forward to tt
IS BILE on which stood pitcher of lce-wi
ter, and, turning to the Rebel chic
~ ssWiII you allow me to take a drir
of ice-water ?'' I get none where 1 am
"Certainly," he replied.
Three additional days of monotone
life in my loft were passed, when W
summoned once more into the presen
of Davis. He sat by his table WrltIn
with his back toward the door, VIII
&c. ! nearly opposite, reclining upon
vii lounge half asleep, and looking mu
1 on1 like a man who had imbibed strO
ali drink too freely, was Robert Iooml
}. He reused himself as 1 entered, to Ii
- en- to my examination by the Preside
who, layiL,5 down his peni turned
me and said
tn "Have YOU any other way of prOvi
ali that your name is MunsOn, except
lort | the letters found in your pocket ?'
any 81 am not acquainted here, Sir, a
'oH0 do not know any one"
Davis resumed his writing for n
, y moments, then said
IL L; "Do you know how far they are II
ming the cars on the Alexandria a
E. Orange railroad ?"
- 81 don't know. I have not been
shes that side"
hes, "Do you know whether they are RI
n ming the cars on the Leesburg road :?
" ~ do not"