The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1879-08-02
A FAIR SPY.
She Sends Valuable Information to Gen.
Sheridan in Tin Foil-A Romantic In.
cident of the Campaign of 1854.

She Sends Valuable Information to Gen.
Sheridan in Tin Foil-A Romantic In
cident of the Campaign of 1854.
Corr. Detroit Free Press
A round moon, warm and golden,
shone on the quaint town of Win
chester, Va, one evening in the middle
of September, 1864. In the vine-cover-
ed porch of house, whose broad, brood
ing roof enveloped it in sombre shadow,
sat brown-haired, hazel-eyed girl wait
ing for q visitor.
A man erect and soldierly, wearing
gray uniform. came up the walk. The
moonlight reburnished the faded gold
lace of his epaulettes and sword knots
with something of their pristine splendor
as he advanced. They talked of the then
all-absorbing topic, the war which was
blazing its way through the lovely
valley at their feet with the ashes of
hemesteads, and charred skeletons of
mills and FORCES and foraged lands.
The officer was member of Gen. Early's
staff, Louisianian, fervid with hope and
fierce with desire to drive the Union
soldiers back. The girl was Virginian
of that simple fate that disbeli yes in.
strife and bloodshed, and her name was
Rebecca. 1t was another "Rebecca at
the well,'' with this diference-that she
drew out of the glib-tongued officer the
number and position of Gen. Early'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been withdrawn.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
oh hoI 1loo Of I-,re. or
becoming a heroine, for the two had only
met a few evenings previous at a social
gathering, when he had sought an intro
duction and the privilege of calling upon
her. This was his first visit, and it
proved his last. When the young aide
de camp departed that Wednesday
night he had told SO much that he had
placed the fortune 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 clapping
her hands softly, when man, as black
as the shadows she sat in, came up, and
taking something out of his mouth,
handed it to her and vanished into the
night. Speeding up to her chamber, she
found the gift to be a small roll of tin
foil, such as is wrapped about various
articles, among others, chewing tobacco.
Carefully unrolling it, a small bit of
paper was within, on which was written:
Have you any definite information of
the forces and position of Gen. Early? Ifso
transmit by bearer. SHERIDAN.
How strange is destiny! She alone,
of the few Union-loving souls in Win
chester knew what the harassed cavalry
commander desired. To put the in
formation 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 dis
appeared.
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 never ceased until shutdown,
leaving Sheridan the victor of the battle
of the Oppequan. A series of disasters
pursued Early, and on the 10Th of
October-a month later-was fought the
memorable battle of Winchester-which
brought peace to the valley of the
Shenandoah. / talked with the gentle
Quaker lady recently. She said she
was unconscious of doing anything
of moment at the time. She had
known General Crook, of General
Sheridan's staff, and during the brief
occupancy of Winchester by the Union
troops, had said to him: If he ever saw
way that she could serve the Union
cause, to command her; and he had
mentioned her name to Gen. Sheridan
She showed me an elegant watch, a
souvenir of the event, gift from Gen.
Sheridan. On the inside is engraved: