The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-05-26
AN INCIDENT OF 1914.
A Woman's Attempt to Trap General Scott
and How His Legs Saved Him.

/ anu HOW Legs saved Hin.
| Thuriow Weeds Autobiography.
One evening after our rubber, said to the
General There is one question I have often
wished to ask you, but have been restrained
| by the fear that it might be improper" The
General drew himself up and said in his EN-
phatlc manner Sir, you are incapable of
| asking an improper question" said: you
are very kind; but if my inquiry is indiscreet
am sure you will allow it to pass unan-
swered."
II hear you, sir" he replied.
well, then, General, did anything re-
markabe happen to you on the morning of
the battle OF the Chippewas?'
| After brief but impressive silence he
said; YES, sir, something did happen to
me-something very remarkable, and | will
| now, Tor the third time in my life repeat
the story; The 4th of July, 1874 was one
of extreme heat. On that day my brigade
skirmshed with a British force commanded
by General RAIL- from an early hour in the
morning till late in the afternoon. We had
| driven the enemy down the river some
twelve miles to Streets creek, near Chippe-
wa, where we encamped for the night. our
| army occupying the west, while that of the
enemy was encamped on the east side Of the
creek. After our tents had been pitched |
observed flag borne by man in peasants
| dress approaching my marquee. He brought
| letter from lady who occupied a large
mansion on the opposite side of the creek, in
! forming me that she was the wife of a men,
| Der OF Parliament, who was then at Quebec;
that her children, servants and young lady
| friend were alone with her in the house; that
General Rail had placed a sentinel before her
| door, and that she ventured, with great
| doubts of the propriety of the request, to
ask that | would place a sentinel upon the
| bridge to protect her against stragglers from
our camp. I assured the messenger that the
lady's request should be complied with.
EARLY the next morning the same mesSen-
| ger, bearing white flag, reappeared with
note from the same lady, thanking me for
the protection she had enjoyed, adding that
| IN acknowledgment of my civilities she
begged that [ would, with such members of
my staff as | chose to bring with me, accept
the hospitalities of her house a a breakfast
which had been prepared with considerable
attention and was quite ready. Acting upon
an impulse which have never been able TO
analyze or comprehend, | called two of my
aids, Lieutenants Worth and Watts, and
! returned to the mansion already indicated.
We met our hostess at the door, who
ushered US into the dinning-room, where
breakfast awaited us, and where the young
lady previously referred to already seated by
the coffee urn. Our hostess asking to be eX-
cused for a few minutes, the young lady i'm
mediately served our coffee. Before we had
broken our fast Lieutenant Watts rose from
the table to get his bandana (that being be-
fore the days of napkins,) which he had left
W,
glancing through which he saw Indians APP
preaching the house on one side and red
coats approaching it on the other with an
evident purpose of surrounding it and US,
and instantly exclaimed: General, we are be-
trayedp
'Sp ringing from the table and clearing the
house L saw our danger, and, rememb boring
Lord Chesterfield had said: Whatever it is
proper to do it is proper to do WE'LL and as
we had to run and my legs were longer than
my companions, l soon outstripped them.
AS we made our escape we were fired at, but
got across the bridge in safety.
4 felt so much shame and modification at
having so nearly fallen into trap that
could scarcely fix my mind upon the duties
which how demanded my undivided atten-
ton. l knew that had committed great
indiscretion in accepting the singular invita-
ton, and that if any disaster resulted from it
| richly deserved to lose both my commission
and character. | constantly found myself
wondering whether the lady really ntended'to
betray US or had been accidentally observed
The question would recur, even amid tine
excitement of battle, Fortunately, however,
my presence and services in the field were
not required until Generals Porter and Rip
ley had been engaged at intervals for several
hours so that when my brigade, with Tow
sons artillery, were ordered to cross Streets
creek, my nerves and confidence had become
measurably quieted and restored
wa. That belongs to, and is part OF, the his
tory of our country. 1t is sufficient to say
that at the close of the day we were masters
of the position, and that our arms were in no
way discredited. The British army had fall
EN- back, leaving their wounded in our pos
session. The mansion which had visited in
the morning was the largest house near, and
to that the wounded officers in both armies
were carried for surgical treatment
As soon as l could leave the field
| went over to look after my wounded. l
found the English officers lying on the first
floor and our own on the floor above / saw
in the lower room the young lady whom
had met in the morning at the breakfast
table, her white dress all sprinkled with
blood. She had been attending to the Brit
ish wounded. On the second floor, Just as
was turning into the room where the officers
were, | met my hostess. One glance at her
was quite sufficient to answer the question
which had been asking myself all day. She
had intended to betray me, and nothing but
the accident of my aid rising for his handker-
chief saved us from capture.
Years afterward, in rejecting upon this
incident, was led to doubt whether had
not misconstrued her startled manner as
suddenly encountered her. That unexpected
meeting would have occasioned embarrass-
ment in either contingency, and it is so diff
cult to believe a lady of cultivation and re-
| fnement guilty of SUCH an act, that | am
now, nearly half a century after the event
disposed to give my hostess the benefit OF
that doubt. And now, sir" added the Gen
eral, this is the third time in my life have
told this story. do not remember to have
been spoken to before on that subject for
many years"
He looked at me and seemed to be consd-
ering with himself a few moments, and
then said Remembering your intimacy
with General Worth, | need not inquire how
you came to knowledge OF our secret"
"Well, General" | replied, II have kept
the secret faithfully for more than forty
years, hoping to obtain your own version of
what struck me as most remarkable Incl
dent in your military life"