Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1879-12-29
Dan Harrison and the
Widow.

certainly mdn OI lnucu OuUlGieS. Ooeu d9
one time you would say that Dan Har-
rison had blue eyes. Five minutes af-
terwards you would make oath that they
were black.
Dan also had wonderful control over
his voice. He could mimic the voice of
any man in the brigade. He could
bark like dog, bray like mule. whis-
tie like bird, and was the wonder of
the camp.
There were other reasons why Dan
was considered greater than menag-
erie. He could drop one shoulder three
inches lower than the other. He could
cramp his hands until they seemed to
have been drawn all out of shape by
rheumatism. He could make it appear
that he had squint in either eye, and
he could raise his eyebrows clear up
into his hair. He was farmers son,
genial, brave and good hearted, and he
never was tired of doing something to
amuse US.
Soon after Heintzleman made his rec
onnoissance, from in front of Alexandria
down toward Centerville, he sent for
Dan Harrison, and the result of the in
terview was that Dan was engaged by
the government as spy. His curious
physical structure and his natural cool
ness and bravery fitted him for such
dangerous work, and l may say here
that for three years he was accounted
the most successful and daring spy in
the service.
One lonely, rainy night in the begin
ming of '62, Dan Harrison set out to
work his way into the Confederate in
trenchmets around Centerville, charged
to see everything that could be seen and
hear everything that could be heard and
be turned to value to the Federal cause
The spy left the Federal outposts and
headed directly for Centerville. He
met with no adventure that night, laid
in the woods all next day, or advanced
under cover of them, and at dark again
took the highway. He knew that dan
ger lurked in every fence corner for one
who skulked along, and he therefore put
bold face on the matter and walked
briskly forward, passing quite number
of negroes and several white men with
out being disturbed. just then many
slaves were trying to reach the Federal
lines, and this fact got Dan into trouble.
About o'clock, as he stepped brisk
ly along. patrol consisting of three
men sprang from the bushes and con-
fronted him, supposing him at first to
be negro, when, finding that he was a
white man, the leader of the patrol be-
gan asking leading questions and insist
ing upon prompt replies. For some rea-
son Dan thought best to change his
plans. Dropping his left shoulder and
= humping up his back, he replied to their
> questions in whining, drawling voice.
+ in imitation of half-wit.
r Laid for niger and captured a
fool % growled the leader, as Dan began
i to ask silly questions and dance around
d "Whar do ye live ?" asked one of the
others.
o "In-ze-moon, drawled Dan, laugh
g ing as loud as he could.
"How did you get down here ?"
u on-a-string-ha ha hal" And ht
- jumped up and down and chuckled as i
!. he had got off good joke.
d "Well, l suppose we'd better give hin
IS kick and let him CO." remarked tn,
n leader. "He's no niger, don't know
:; enough to be soldier, and we'd bette,
hurry him along"
l. 81 don't know about that p remarked
J. the third man, who had all along beer
g silent. 81 don't know of any fool il
g this neighborhood, and we shouldn't le
. this chap go until we have closer lool
4 at him. Here. you Internal idiot, d,
r you know any one around here ?"
a ''Missus Brown-Missus Brown ~ re
g piled Dan, using the first name tha
! came in his way.
K "Well. it's only step down thar,
d said the man, sand if she know him it.
1t all right"
= So there was Mrs. Brown close a
hand No one could have been NOR
- surprised than the spy, and he feare,
% that he had gotten himself into ba,
,e scrape. There was no chance for hir
"a but to 60 along, and 60 he did, amusin
le the men for a quarter of mile wit
y strange antics and silly talk. Mrs
N Brown was widow, living in a com
is Portable though small farm house, an
,h Dan was marched straight up to he
III door. She was woman about fft
>, years of age, with kind face and moth
ye erly ways.
o. "Widder Brown" began the leader G
is the party. as he put his hand on th
- spy, ''we captured this fool down tn
m road thar. He acts and talks like
- fool. but we want TO mako eDra tbat h
D. isn't tricking us. He says he know
'k you. If you know him that's all W