The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-07-28
den. Kelly Saved the Spy's Life.

uen. Kelly Saved the Spy's Life.
Grafton Sentinel.
/ while in Washington the other
day, we had the pleasure of meeting
zen. b. F. Kelly, we'll known to
many of our citizens as the man who
struck the first effective blow for the
unlon, at Philippi, in the war of the
benellion. The old veteran is hale
HaiN hearty and possesses the same
JoNlai nature which characterized him
ln years gone. He is greeted every
Wiefe with warmest feelings by his
oi& eomrades and friends of the days
wnen, with dauntless courage and
Tate military genius, he planned and
won Victories for the Union cause.
10 this day General Rosecranz refers
I0nlm as his Irish shellalah. ''be-
cause" says the old warrior. s'he was
eve prompt in action and never
missed fire." One day, week before
last, an incident occurred at the Ma
tlonal Hotel which shows that indi.
viduals are not always, like repub-
lies, ungrateful, and which we give
to the readers of the Sentinel fresh
from thelips of the General himself.
In the spring of 1862 Kelly was
stationed for a while, with his regi-
ment at Clarksburg. One day Cap
tain Gordon, Confederate spy, we'll
known to this section of the State,
was captured by some Union men
and turned over to Kelley. who i'm
mediately forwarded the prisoner to
Fort McHenry, where he was tried
and condemned to be hanged, accord
ing to the usages of war. His execu-
tion was fixed for certain day within
a short time after the trial. Mean
time, during some skirmishing in the
vicinity of Petersburg, Captain Robb,
of Wheeling, and an officer of Kel-
ley's regiment, was captured by the
Rebels and held as a sort of hostage
for Captain Gordon. The Confeder-
ate sent General Kelly word that if
Gordon was hanged they would re-.
taliate by a similar treatment of
Robb. This reused the sympathies
of the General and he at once sent a
statement of the case to President
Lincoln, concluding his letter with a
request that, in order to spare the life
of Rhaub, who was a brave and val
liable officer, the President would
commute Gordon's sentence. Mr..
Lincoln granted the request and Cor
don was sent to Fort Delaware. OF
course Rhaub's life was spared and
he was soon after returned to his reg
iment. Kelly did not hear from Cor
don after his removal to Fort Della
ware. and was never able to learn his
fate. Twenty years passed. Last
Tuesday week, while the General
was sitting in the lobby of his hotel
in Washington, he was approached
by stranger, who said:
"Have / the pleasure of addressing
Gen. B. F. Kelley, of West Vir-
ginia ?"
On being answered in the affirma-
tive, he continued: 81 see you do
not recognize me. The last time we
met was under rather trying circum.
stances-to me. l am Captain Cor
don, the Confederate spy whom you
captured at Clarksburg and caused
to be condemned to die. L recognize
ed you instantly, and as this is the
first opportunity L have had to thank
you personally for saving my life 1
do so now. You possibly may not
know how near to death L was when
you asked Lincoln to spare me. Well,
sir, it was within three hours of the
time set for my execution My
father, mother, and. in fact, the en-
tire family had taken what we sup
posed was their last farewell of me.
1t was a sad interview-more than
even a soldier could stand, and as
they babe me the last sad goodbye,
never expecting to see me alive
again, completely broke down. AT
ter they departed set about making
my preparations to die, for it wanted
but three hours until the time would
arrive for me to meet that terrible
death. But Lincoln's message came
to withhold the execution of the SEN
tence. 1t is beyond the power of
tongue to describe the feeling of re-
lief that came over me on receipt of
the news. None but man under
similar circumstances can understand
or appreciate my feelings. When l
learned it was you, my captor, to
whom / owed thanks for my deliv-
erance, 1 resolved 1 would thank you