Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-07-25
How Miss Van Lew Aided Grant.

becoming.
August
How Miss Van Lew Aided Grant.
The appointment by the postmaster gen.
eral of Miss Van Lew, of Richmond, Va,
as clerk at salary of $1,000 year, has
opened rich vein of war "reminiscences
in the minds of men who were actors in
the scenes before Richmond during the
last 16 months of the rebellion. One of
these men is Col. d. B. Parker, who Is
now chief inspector of the post office
department. He enlisted as Il private
soldier in n volunteer company in Chata.
qua county, N. Y, early in 1861, was
promoted, and afterward he organized
the postal service of the army of the
Potomac. Col. Parker was with Cen
Grant after he assumed command of the
armies of the United States, and made his
head quarters with the army of the Poto-
mac.
In recent conversation Col. Parker said
81 know Miss Van Lew very well.
made her personel acquaintance the day
Richmond fell but | mad known of her
long before that. When Gen. Grant had
his head quarters at City Point we used to
receive the Richmond newspaper in time
for breakfast every morning through the
kindness of Miss Van Lew. Of course
the newspapers were very interesting, and
to considerable extent valuable, but
other intelligence received from the same
source was Of much greater importance
Miss Van Lew had friend-a trusty
Union man-who was clerk in the adju-
tant generals department, where he had
access to the returns showing the strength
of the rebel regiments, brigades, divisions
and corps, their movements and where
they were stationed. From him invalu-
able information found its way to Gen.
Grant regularly through Miss. Van Lewis
instrumentality. She also had man in
! the engineer department and he made
beautifully accurate plans of the rebel
defenses around Richmond and Petersburg
| which were promptly forwarded to Gen.
| Grant Then Miss Van Lew got young
Ross, a nephew of Franklin Searns, the
rich unonisl of R edmond appointed to
an office in Libby prison. Ross helped
great many of our officers TO escape from
that horrible place, and so well did he
play his part that not only was he suspect
i gu ny luC DuI tIlt uuOSI Vi
our boys in the prison who did not escape
considered him one of the most brutal of
| their iaiers, and when the end came would
have been very glad to put an end to him.
Several years ago met Capt. Louis berry
who had been confined in Libby and he
asked me about Ross, who died several
years ago Louisbery said that one after.
noon Ross came into the prison as usual
to call the roll, cursing the d-Yankees,
and, as he passed him, said in low tone,
BE in my office at $3.50 tonight Louis.
berry did not know what to make of this
but he determined TO find out what it
meant To his surprise he had no diff.
Guilty in getting TO the Office past several
guards. Once there he found Ross, who
gruf1iy said See here | have concluded
to try and see if you can do cooking. Go
in there and look around. See what you
can find and l will see to your case after
while Louisbery went into back
room, where he found complete confed-
crate uniform hanging over chair. He
took in the situation instantly and donned
the uniform as speedily as possible. and
walked back into the office, which he
found vacant, and stepped out into the
street. The guard did not stop him nd
he had walked only few steps from the
door when black man accosted him and
asked if he desired to find the way to
Miss Van Lewis house. He replied that
he did and was guided to her residence on
Church hill, where he was secreted until
an opportunity was found to get him out
of Richmond. He got off safely and came
into our lines, Miss Van Lew kept two OF
three bright, sharp colored men on the
watch near Libby prison who were always
ready to conduct an escaped prisoner to a
place of safety. Not all of them were
several safe places of refuge in Richmond
supported by her means. When Col |
Streight of Indiana and his companions
dug their way out of Libby, he and sever.
al of his comrades we've secreted for
several days in the house of man named
Quarles, which was situated across a
ravine only few hundr ed yards from
and in full view Of the mansion occupied
by Jefferson Davis. But Miss Van Lew
was the guiding spirit, and she it was who |
took upon herself the dangerous duty OF
providing means of maintenance and |
escape for such Of our men as were so
fortunate as to escape from the horrible |
walls of Libby. She had farm in the |
country on the other side of the James
river from US and below Richmond |
Every day two of her trusy negro SER
wants drove into Richmond with some
thing to sell--milk, chickens, garden truck
etc, These negroes wore great, strong
brogans, with soles OF immense thickness, |
made by Richmond shoemaker whose |
name will not give because he is still |
living and doing business in that city. |
Shoes were pretty scarce in the confedera-
cy in these days, but Miss Van Lewis |
servants had two pairs each and changed |
them every day. They never wore out of
Richmond in the afternoon the same shoes |
they wore into the city in the morning
The soles of these shoes were double and
hollow, and in them were carried through |
the lines. letters, maps plans, etc, which |
were regularly delivered to Gen. Grant, |
at City Point, the next morning. The |
communication was kept up at our end by
means of n steam launch, which used to |
landa scout-usually Kearney-on the op
posite side of the James early in the night. |
Before daylight he would communicate
with Miss Van Lewis messenger and |
return to our side of the river. '-WaSh |
ingtoW letter TO New York Tribune.
Tom THUMBS FUNERAL. The remains |
Of Charles Sherwood Str.ttnn (Con IT,,