The Northern Pacific farmer., 1880-05-27
HOW DAN PLAYED THE FOOL.
[By One Of Clusters Troopers.]

war. been at one Time, YOU WOulu say
that Dan Harrison had blue eyes. Five
minutes afterward yon would make
an oath that they were black, as indeed
they were.
Dan also had wonderful control over
his voice. He could mimic the voice
of any man in the brigade. He could
bark like a dog, bray like mule,
whistle like bird, and was the wonder
of the camp. On one occasion our
wagon master was asleep in his wagon,
with his six mules roped near by. Dan
crept behind bale of hay and brayed
loud and long. The wagon-master
awoke and jumped down and pounded
the nearest mule, growing out as ne re-
entered the wagon:
''There, blast ye-I guess you'll feel
humble for awhile!'
In about two minutes Dan repeated
the words. The voice was so exactly
the same that dozen of us, who were
hiding near by, thought it Was the wag.
on-master again. The latter individual
stuck his head out, looked around in
surprise, and then said:
"Well, it took that echo long time
to get around this wagon!"
There we're other reasons why Dan
was considered greater than a menager-
ie. He could drop one shoulder three
inches lower thnn the other. He could
walk as if one leg was shorter than the
other. He could work his ears like
horse. He could cramp his hands un-
til they seemed to have been drawn all
out Of shape by rheumatism. He could
make it appear that he had a squint i'll
either eye, and he could raise his eye
brows clear up into his hair. He was
farmers son, genial, brave, and good
hearted, and he was never tired of do.
ing something to amuse us.
Soon after Heintzleman made his re-
connoissance from in front of Alexar-
dria down toward Centeryille, ne sent
for Dan Harrison, and the result of the
interview 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 I may say here
that for three years ne was accounted
the most successful and daring spy in
the service. Just one more curious
trait about him, and then I will relate
-an adventure Of his which cost him q
bad wound.
A dozen of us would sit in circle
around him, and somebody would ask:
'Dan, what is the name of the COL
oner of the third Maine?'
He would close mis- eyes for perhaps
three seconds, and then, eight times out
of ten, would give the true name. How
it came to him he could not explain;
but he seemed to divine things intuit-
lively. I have seen him stand in front
Of the guard just being dismissed, and
all strangers to him, and, call of the
first names of four out ol every five.
at Fort Michigan, in the winter of 1862.
4 made g. wager of $40 that he could
. 3 the christian names of twenty out
I twenty-five men in line before him.
# another regiment and brought the
4 and q crowd of more than 500
4 ed to see the wager lost or won.
i on it. Passing slowly along the
\ called twenty-five of the twenty
- = j 3S=====-=nen by their right names. The
+ whom he missed were named
4 iah, Philetus, Joshua, and Dams
4 for missing them was that he
4 .ot fully up on Scripture.
A lonely, rainy night in the begin
/ .'62 Dan Harrison set out to work
I ay into the Confederate intrench-
K around Centerville, charged to
4 + vorything that might be turned to
Ito the Federal cause. Dan had
4 srticular makeup except the dress
Virginia farmer, and no story to
except that he was (when he got
re) within the Confederate lines to
lure some sort of compensation for
N.ree horses seized by party of Con-
tderate raiders. circumstances might
liter his plans and his story, but if SO
he would have something else at his
tongues end.
The spy left the Federal. .outposts and
headed directly for Centerviile. He
met with no adventure that night, lay
in the woods all the next day, or ad-
vanced under them, and at dark again
- ook the highway. He knew that
Hanger lurked in every fence corner for
me vino sku)ked along and he there
ore put bold face on the matter and
talked briskly forward, passing quite
lumber of negroes and several white
hen without being disturbed. Just
hen many slaves were trying to reach
-he Fedral lines, and this fact got Dan
.nto trouble.
About 8 o'clock as he stepped briskly
along, q patrol consisting Of three men
sprang from behind the bushes and