The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1880-11-11
A REMARKABLE MAN.
The Private Soldier who Could DO All
Eorts OF wonderful Things That No
Other Man Could DO,


Eorts OF wonderful Things That No
Other Man Could DO,
One of the most remarkable private
soldiers on either fside in the late war
was a young man named Tom Kelley, a
private in the Second Michigan in
fantry. The remarkable began with his
build. He had arms full hand longer
than any man who could be found. He
had no more backbone than snake,
and could almost tie himself in knot.
He could tell the date on silver quarter
held up twenty feet away, and he could
hear every word of q conversation in
common tone of voice across an ordinary
street. He could run half mile as fast
as any officers horse could gallop, and
there was standing offer OF Sl0 to any
man who could hold him down. On q
bet of box of sardines he once passed
six sentinels within an hour. On an
other occasion he entered the colonels
tent and brought away that officers
boots.
When Toms remarkable qualifica-
tions were discovered he was detailed as
scout and spy, and was changed from
one department to another. In the capac-
ity of spy be entered Richmond three
times. He entered Vicksburg and
preached a sermon to the soldiers a
week before the surrender. He was in
New Orleans five days before that city
was taken. He was man VINO hrmly
believed that he could not be killed by
an enemy, and he governed his move
ments accordingly.
While under the orders of General
Hooker, Kelley proved on several oc-
casions that he could see further with
the naked eye than any officer could
with fiel6-glass. II he could get 3
place of concealment within fifty feet
of q picket he could catch the counter
sign He visited Lookout Mountain,
intending to spike as many OF the Con-
federate guns as possible. His disguise
was that of a farmer who had been
driven from home by the Union forces.
The enemy somehow got suspicious OF
| him, and he was placed in the guard
| house for the night. There was a SEN
| tinel at the door, and Others near by
| standing guard over guns and stores,
but it was all the same to Kelley.
| With an old tin plate Tor use as shovel
and scoop he burrowed out at the back
end OF the building, and walked UP to
| two pieces of artillery, and spiked both
before any alarm was raised. When
the sentinels began firing at him he ran
out of camp, but bt fore he was clear
of it he had been fired on fifty times.
Kelley was once captured when asleep
| by Missouri guerrillas. When he opened
his eyes he was surrounded by five or
six men on foot and Others in the saddle.
1t was under q tree in an open field, and
he mad been tracked by dog. AS he
rose up at their command he resorted to
his wonderful skill as a gymnast. BY
dodging a,ad twisting and jumping he
got out of the crowd, pulled a man OF
his saddle, and would have escaped had
not the dog fastened TO his leg. He
was then put under guard in log
house with only one room. Two SEN
tinels sat at the door with revolvers in
their hands and kept watch OF his every
movement. After an hour or two
Kelley approached as if to offer them
tobacco, and jumped clear over their
heads like a deer. He had half mile
of open field to cross, and he crossed il
uader the fire of score of muskets and
revolvers without being hit.
During his three years and hall in
The service Kelley captured iifty-two
Confederates, and turned them over a:
prisoners. He himself was captured
and escaped five tim :s. AS a spy he en-
tered more than thirty Confederate
camps aud forts. He was fired upon al
least 1000 times, and yet was nevel
wounded. He had said that he would
never die by the hand of an enemy, anc
his prophecy came true. In the last
year of the war, while bringing a cap
tured Confederate scout into camp
both were killed within forty rods OF th'
Union lines by a bolt Of lightning
Detroit Free Press.