The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1876-04-14

to his side, and was looking in his face
with bright tear-drops falling from her
beautiful eyes. The commandant looked
as If he believed every word she said.
The moment I had spoken to him, he
drew up to his table, opened his port
folio, and wrote the much-coveted
pass. The young lady, on receiving it,
bounded from her seat, and then, as l
could plainly see, made a strong effort
to restrain her gladness. Controlling
her steps, she went quietly to the door.
Her companion followed her with equal
ly-suppressed animation, bearing the
precious document, which she had i'm
mediately passed to him, and that as
sured them of a safe conduct beyond
the Union lines.
In a moment more we heard the rat
tie of the wheels in the hard road lead
ing out of Winchester, directly towards
the Confederate headquarters. 1 was
sure of it. The horse, though not much
to look at, was a thoroughbred. Once
up the street, he flew over the ground
like lightning. They were out of sight
even as l looked.
$50 you found nothing contraband
in the venerable Virginia vehicle?" said
the commandant, in a somewhat hesita-
ting tone, and moving back and forth
uneasily.
"There was nothing contraband in
the carriage Men," l replied, "but |
am not so sure about its contents now."
"What do you meanP" he inquired.
"I mean," said l, "that if there were
a Union lady among our acquaintance
in Winchester" (the officers wives had
been sent away or account of the ex-
pected fight), cit would have been bet
ter to have had the lady herself search
ed. l am almost sure that papers of
Importance are secreted in her cloth
ing"
The commandment started suddenly to
his feet.
"Too late!" he exclaimed, looking
seriously troubled. 81 never thought
of that. 1t is my first experience Of the
kind, and something tells me that l have
been deceived" He sat silent for some
moments. At length he spoke.
"Danger will probably be upon us
tonight. l fear l have sacrificed to the
pleasant memories of peace among the
absent, the stern duties of war which
belong to the present. Call out the
guard!"
The whole post was Immediately put
in as complete a state of defense as II
limited would allow.
Next morning, long before the break
of day, the shells of Stonewall Jackson's
Napoleons were bursting in the air over
our heads, the fragments carrying death
and ruin in our ranks. Our magazine,
where u principal defenses were
stored, was on fire. Our horses and cat
tie taking fright, came stampeding
through the town, carrying confusion
and uproar along with them. The
smoke of u burning materials of pro-
lection rose thick in the sky, and the
streets were soon so filed, that neither
men nor horses could be well distin-
guished in the darkness.
1t was plain that every part of our
plan of action had been revealed to
Jackson, and he had not lost a moment
of active preparation. Some spy had
revealed to him our condition, and he
was now rapidly advancing towards us,
nay, was upon us. The young COM
mandant, so manly and handsome, paid
dearly for his moment of weakness, for
with the rising sun, the sun of his gal
liant life set. Struck in the breast by
the huge fragment of a shell, l found
him gasping for breath in the house
where he had been carried. He died in
my arms.
Half an hour later, on a commanding
hill, overlooking the whole field of ac-
ton, we could see through our glass
Stonewall Jackson sitting ike an iron
statute on his iron-gray horse, his
slouched hat drawn, or fallen partially
over his left eye, surveying the move
ments of his troops. Not far of, and
waving her white handkerchief in the
direction ofthe late Union headquarters,
well mounted on q spirited charger,
while behind her waved the colors of
the victorious forces, was the young
lady to whom our commandant had
given the fatal pass.
1t was the daring, handsome spy OF
the Virginia Valley-Belle Boyd
Youths Companion.