The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-08-16
SHERIDAN AT WINCHESTER.
The Message in Tin-Foil--A Romantic In
cident of the Campaign OF 1864.
iCorrespondence in Free Pressl


Correspondence in Free PressJ
The Conlederates had it all their owr
way for long time in the valley, ant
Grant was beginning to fear mistake
had been made in placing Sheridan there
The Southern army were massing abou
Winchester, evidently for another inva
sion of Maryland. Affairs had discour
aging outlook for the Federal army:
marching and fighting had ended ihvaria
bly, in retreat.
A round moon, warm and golden, ,shone
on the quaint old town of Winchester, Va
one evening in the middle of September
1864 In the vine covered porch of a
house, whose broad, brooding roof envel
oped it in sombre shadow, sat a brown
haired, hazle-eyed girl waiting for a Wis
itor.
A man erect and soldierly, wearing a
gray uniform, came up the walk. The
moonlight reburnished the faded gold
lace of his epaulettes and sword knots as
he advanced. They talked of the then
all-absorbing topic, the war that was
blazing its way through the lovely valley
at their feet with the ashes of homesteads,
+, the charred skeletons of mills and forges
and foraged lands. The officer was a
member of Gen. Early's staff, Louisian.
ian, fervid with hope and fierce with de-
sire to drive the Union soldiers back. The
girl was Virginian Of that simple faith
which disbelieves in strife and bloodshed,
and her name was Rebecca. 1t was an
other "Rebecca at the WELL" with this diff
ference-that she drew out Of the glibe-
tongued officer the number and position
Of Gen Eary's army, their intrenchments
and batteries on the Oppequan, and what
troops had been withdrawn. This was
done in the most natural manner possible,
for to know these things was interesting,
and she had no idea of making history or
becoming a heroine, for the two had only
met few evenings previous at social
gathering, when he had sought an intro
duction and the privilege Of calling upon
her. This was his first visit,and Il proved
his last. When the young aide de camp
departed that Wednesday night he had
told so much that he had placed the for
tune of his command in the keeping Of
Rebecca.
On the following Friday, while sitting
on the same porch, she heard bird call,
low and tremulous, in the shrubbery of
the lawn. She answered it by capping
her hands softly, when man, as black as
the shadows she sat in, came up, and
taking something out of his mouth, hand
ed it TO her and vanished into the night.
Speeding up to her chamber, she found
the gift to be small roH Of lead loil, such
as is wrapped about various articles,
among others, chewing tobacco. Care
fully unrolling it, small bit Of paper was
within, on which was written:
"Have you any definite information OF
the forces and position Of Gen. Early"
If So transmit by bearer. "SHERIDAN."
How strange is destinyl She alone of
the few Union-loving souls in Winchester
knew what the harrassed cavalry com
mander desired. To put the information
down and roll it into the same receptacle
did not require many moments when she
again appeared upon the porch clapping
her hands. The slave seemed to rise up
out of the earth. He hastily placed the
tiny packet in his mouth, and without
word or gesture disappeared.
Before daylight on the 10Th of Septem-
Der, 1864, the Confederate pickets were
charged on the Oppequan, and Sheridan
moved like an avalanche upon Winches.
ter. A terrible contest followed, the two
armies advancing and retreating like the
surging pillows of the ocean. The battle