The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-09-18
A CONFEDERATE AMAZON.
Exploits on the Tented Field of BII
bonner, Alias Lieut.. Harry BufOrd.


Exploits on the Tented Field of aIrs.
Bonner, Alias Lieut.. Harry Buford.
Saturday Mrs. E. Fl. Bonner, better
known throughout the south as Lieut..
Harry T. Buford, arrived in this city
from New Orleans, en- route to New
York. This distinguished lady has per-
haps gone through more hardships and
Tone more for the Confederate States
during the slate uDpleasantness" than
any woman within the borders of the Sec
lions designated. During the month of
June, 1861, she left New Orleans, in the
full uniform of recruiting officer, and
went direct to ArkansaG, where she soon
succeeded in raising a company of vete-
rams. As first lieutenant, under Cap
tain Weatherford, she left Arkansas
with the company and went to Key
West. Here she was reluctantly COM
PEELED to leave the command which she
had organized, and to which she became
so much attacced, on the ground of in
competency, as alleged by the COM
mander of that post. Determined to
allow no impeachment to make her
swerve from the line of duty marked
ont by herself, she at once proceeded to
Virginia. aud joined Drew's battal on
of New Orleans the day previous to the
first battle of Manassas, and participa-
ted in that memorable struggle. A
short time after this she Joined the 8th
Louisiana, and for the first time her sex
was questioned, and she was arrested
and ordered to assume female attire.
Among hundreds of amusing adventures
perhaps the best with which she was
connected took place during the time of
her imprisonment after this arrest. A
committee of ladies waited upon her by
order of the commander, for the pur-
pose of settling the vexed question, but
after seeing the dashing looking young
officer they concluded not to perform
their mission. She was taken before
the mayor, released, allowed to retain
her uniform, and at once commissioned
to perform any services for the confed-
eracy which she might be called upon
to perform. As her sex had been ques-
toned, if not known, she resolved to
leave Richmond, and rejoiced when
Gen. Winder ordered her to the western
army for the purpose Of scouting in the
vicinity of Oklahoma, Mississippi. The
reliability of the daring young recruit
was soon recognized and appreciated,
and General Quantrell sent her with
dispatches as a spy into Missouri. At
ter rendering inestimable service in this
capacity she went to Mississippi, and
from there back to New Orleans, where
she joined the Dist Louisiana regiment,
then being organized, and reported 10
General Villipigue.
Receiving her commission as first
lieutenant, she went to Memphis, and
from there to Shiloh, where she was
badly wounded in the right shoulder on
the first day of the battle, April 6, 1862
While recovering from the effects of her
wound her sex was again discovered to
her modification, and Gen. Beaure-
gard and others were astonished to find
out that the gallant young officer was
not of the stronger sex. Unable to dis
suade her from participating in active
warfare, she was commissioned to go to
atlanta, pass through the lines, and act
as a spy. Upon reaching Atlanta she
was compelled to wait several days
for further orders, and instead of stay
ing in that city, she ran up to Dalton
and Chattanooga, and participated &C
lively in both fights, returning to At
lanta day or two before the necessary
orders arrived. From this section of
the country she was ordered aboard of
ports to the Indies, and often was the
bearer of important dispatches to for
eign ports for the Florida and Shenan-
doah. She seized every opportunity,
whether in the south, in the north, or
in a foreign land, to render assistance to
the southern confederacy. She has
receipt now in her possession for $3.50,
which she collected from the United
States soldiers of Commodore Brissels'
fleet, then at Bridgeport, Bar badoes,
and sent to southern hospitals, although
the money was supposed to have been
given for the benefit of federal soldiers.
She was now sent to San Diego and Ha-
vana for the purpose of buying coffee
and sugar for the contederacy, and from
there, after making the necessary pur-
chases, she went to South America, in
the interest of the confederate govern
ment, with Prices expedition. From
South America she proceeded to the
West Indies, charged with some impOr-
tant mission for the country which she
loved so we'll and served so faithfully.
The deeds of this noble woman are well
known throughout the south, and have
been recited on manV a hearthstone by
well-scarred veterans and inmates of
federal dungeons. The starved, iRhu-
manity-treated prisoners of Camp Chase
have every reason to remember her who
nursed them, fed them and furnished
them with every cent she could spare,
day after day.
She is in possession of genuine dUcu-
ments, given her everv step she has
made, and from all of them it can be
seen that she was trusted unhesitating
", and bore an unblemished character
from the beginning to the close of the
war. Even after her sexhoOd had been
questioned, throughout the entire war
be it said to the credit of the men of
the south that not syllable was ever
repeated in her hearing unfit 10 repeat
in the presence of the most reserved
lady. Mrs. Bonner removed to New
Mexico. after her adventurous life, and
engaged in mining speculation, and has
realized a handsome fortune from her
investments. She has been well en-
ployed otherwise, and has finished a
book given a truthful account of her
adventures during her connection with
the confederacy. She is an intelligent
looking lady, of about thirty-five years
of age, and has a particularly refined
appearance for one who has experienced
the hardships of camp Ii and per
formed the duties of man for more
than four years.
She is on her way to New York, and
has a number OF letters of introduction
to prominent gentlemen of many south
ern and northern cities, and other evil
dences of an irreproachsble reputation.
While here she called upon several of
our distinguished citizens, whose con-
nection with the war rendered her de-
sirous of forming their acquaintance,
and 10 maUy Of whom she brought
letters of introduction Mobile Reg.
"A glowing description of the coun-
try traversed by Gen. Clusters expedi-
ton to the Black Hills is furnished to
the New York Tribune by special cour-
Ter. The correspondent writes that the
country is beautiful beyond descrip-
ton, the land well adapted for stock
raising and agriculture, water and tim
Der good and plenty, and gold in pay