The New York herald., 1871-03-08
Hiss GENERALISSlMO CARROLL.
Have We q Female Str.ategist
Among Us!
~~c~o~~~~<~~o<-o~~~~~e~
congressman, Senators and Cabi-
net OAoers Say Yes.
>-~>~~>>>>~-~>~~~>-~~~~c~
She Claims to Have Suppressed
the Rebellion.
One Hundred Thousand Dollars
Asked for Her Services.
Committeeman Only Offer Five, Which She
Regards as a BafleSque
WASHINGTON, March,


e1nce the close or the rebellion each successive
Congressional session has brought TO light and sub
mitted for public criticism huadreds OF important
claims to which the dread necessities OF war gave
birthciaims OF al kinds and from all kinds OF per-
cons. In some cases the losses suffered by the
claimants were small and the benefits derived by
the government from those losses very great: In
others the reverse is equally true; but IN ALL small
and great, Congress is looked to Tor compensatng
appropriations, and endless the number OF claims
are the proofs OF LOYALTY put forth.
We're the stuffed pigeonholes Of Congressional
committees thoroughly ransacked and the most
curious war claims carefully assorted 1t is doubtful
whether more unique and more
INTERESTING CASE
than that of Miss Anna Ella Carroll, Of Maryland,
could be discovered. And hardly could there be
found one OF importance concerning which the
general public know SO little; for whatever effect
upon our destiny as nation the labOrs OF Miss
Carroll may have had, whatever bright martial
nOnOrs some OF our commanders may have won
through her suggestions, the quiet little lady with
native modesty has kept herself and her curious
case comparatively hidden from pupiIc view She is
not "strong minded" woman as that term Is gen.
orally understood and does not court popularity,
most Of the strong-minded women do. She
Is q descendant Of the famous Charles
C&ETOb, VI Mu, Ollc Cl tlc sloucIS VI
Declaration OF Independence, and is native and
resident OF Maryland. In personal appearance she
is rather Short and stout, looks to be about fifty
years OF age, has pleasant face and fine forehead
nanked by
LITTLE CORKsCREw CURLs.
Her manners and intelligence are indicative OF cul-
ture as well as native talent. She converses with
great ease and elegance, though her hearing is SO
defective to necesstae the constant use Of an ear
trumpet Whatever may be the merits of her claim,
she is certainly q remarkable woman. From the
statements put forth by herself and others In her
BEHALF it would appear that her services were more
important to the United States than those Of the
Maid OF Orleans were to France. In
HER MEMORIAL TO CONGRESS,
presented in the Senate last March by Senator
Morrill,, OF Maine, she says that, being con-
vinced at the inception Of the rebellion that
1t would demand for its overthrow the united
exertons OF all patriots Of every capacity, she
hesitated not to devote all her energies wholly to
the cause or the Union, and to this end wrote and
published at her own expense continuously for the
dissemination Of information, and as opportunity
offered, communicated throughout the struggle i'm.
portant facts and suggestions to those who were
of1cialy charged with the maintenance Of the gov
ernment that after the battle or Bull Run the
administration satisfied that the best plan
vised, and in the hope Of being useful in that
exigency she visited West In the autumn Of 1s8I
and after careful observation became thoroughly
satisfied that the expedition then in OF pre-
parauOn to descend the MISSISSIPPI could not sue
ceed, and from the Information eiclted from steam
boat pilots and other practical men who were
familiar with those Western waters she was con-
vlnced that
THE TENNESSEE RIVER WAS THE ONLY WAY TO
PENETRATE THE vITALs or THE REBELLION
with our then available forces And for the pur-
pose of inducing our government to abandon
The Mississippi and to adopt the. Tennessee
river instead, she prepared the plan for the cam
palgn, which is annexed to her memorial, and
placed 1t In the hands OF Hon. Thomas A. Scott,
81 ma Se 'ae os %
himself highly gratifed ana said he had no doubt
but she was rights and alter the success OF the expe-
dittOn he informed her that sne had saved the gov
ernment lncaculaDe millions ana was unquestlon-
ably
that she was not advised as TO how ner paper was
used by the War Department, but does believe that
as the stratesecai line in 1867. and thereby most
materially lniuenced the desttnies OF the war; and
she asks Congress If the facts reced shall, upon in
yestigatOn prove to be well grounded, 1Or c0mpensa
ton commensurate with the service.
The plan sets forth all the sources Of danger that
must have attended military campaign down the
Mississippi at that day, and the grave mistake our
civil aud military authorities were making In under
that numerous m battles would have TO be fought and
the greatest risks incurred before ANY i'm.
preston could be made upon the enemy whose
were almost impregnabe to assault while their
f0ruflcaons were regarded as their stronghold and
Alter showing why che entire plan should be aban-
doned, she suggests the Tennessee river instead,
a. the true strageical movement pointing out Its
superior advantages over the Mississippi or Cum
berIand, Its navlgable powers for medium class
boats 10 the foot the Muscle Shoals III Alabama.
she stated that by thus river We would avoid all the
70 take with our gunboats, which, injured In any
way, would, on account OF the current, be swept
d0wL the stream to the enemy whereas, by the Ten.
nessee, they would drop back with the current and
escape capture. "Butn she continues 80 still
greater advantage would be
IT'S TENDENCY TO CUT THE ENEMY's LINES IN TWO,
by reaching the Memphis and Charleston Rail-
road, threatening Memphis, which lies one hun
between also Nashville only ninety miles
northeast and Florence and Tusoamoa in North
rection would DO more 10 relieve our friends IN Ken.
tucky and aspire the loyal hearts in Cast Tennes
river. Ii well executed 1t would cause the eyacua-
ton Of all those 'midaDle fortiicauons on which
the rebels ground their hopes oil success and, in the
OF our lleet attacking Mobile the presence o.
our troops In the northern part OF Alabama would
be material aid to the feet.' Again she says,
..the aid forces would receive from the loyal men
In Tennessee would enable them 10 soon crush The
last traitor in that region and the separation OF the
two extremes would do more than 100 battles
for the Union cause" In concluding what Sue now
calls this
PROPHETIC PLAN,
Miss Carroll says:-"The Tennessee river IS
crossed by the Memphis and Louisville Rail-
road and the Memphis and Nashville Railroad.
At Hamburg the river makes tho big bend on
the east, touching the northeast or Mlssls-
sippi, entering the northwest corner OF Alabama,
forming an arc to the south, entering the state OF
Tennessee ut tne northeast corner OF Alabama, and
if 1t does not touch the northwest of Georgia
comes very near IT, 1t is but eight miles from Ham
burg to the Memphis and Charleston Railroad,
which goes through Tuscnmbia, only two miles from
the river, which II crosses at Decatur, thirty miles
above, intersect,ng with the Nashville and Chat-
tanOoga road aG stephenson. The Tennessee river
has never less than three eet TO Hamburg on the
shoaest bar, and during the fall, winter and spring
m0ntIs there IA always water Tor the largest boats
that are used on the Mississippi river. 1t follows
from the above facts that III making the Mississippi
the key to the In the West, or rather In over
looking the Tennessee river the subject Is not under
stood by the superi0rs IN commandn
These papers were referred 10 the senate Com
mittee ON Min.ary Affairs and the Militia, and to
them were added several
LETTERS ADDRESSED TO MISS CARROLL BY OFFICERS
OF MIR. LINCOLNS CABINET,
prominent Senator'S and members, all OF whom spoke