The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-07-17

| Confederacy.
The following Washington special Is
from yesterdays New York Tribune, and
dated the 18th:
| The appointment by the Postmaster
General OF Miss Van Lew, OF Richmond,
Va, as clerk, at salary OF 81, 200 year,
has opened rich vein OF war reminis-
cences in the minds Of men who were ac-
tors in the scenes before Richmond during
the last sixteen months OF the rebellion.
One Of these men is Colonel ID. B. Parker,
who is now chief inspector Of the Post-O Of
fee Department. He enlisted as private
soldier in volunteer company in Chatau-
qua county, N. Y, early in 1861, was pro-
NOTED, and aiterward he organized the
postal service OF the Army Of the Poto-
mac. Colonel Parker was with General
Grant after he assumed command OF the
armies Of the United States, and made his
headquarters with the Army Of the Po-
| tOmac.
In recent conversation Colonel Parker
said: "I know Miss Van Lew very well.
made her personal acquaintance the day
| Richmond fell. but / had known OF her
| long before that. When General Grant had
his headquarters at City Point we used to
receive the Richmond newspapers 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 in-
telligence received from the same source
was OF much greater Importance. Miss
| Van Lew had q friend-a trusty Union
man-who was clerk In the Adiutant-
| Generals Department at Richmond, where
I. n inn ftn
strength OF the rebel regiments, brigades,
divisions, and corps, their movements, and
where they were stationed. From him in
valuable information found its way to Cen
eral Grant regularly through Miss Van
LeN's instrumentaIity. She also had a
man in the Engineer Department, and he
made beautifully-accurate plans OF the
rebel defences around Richmond and Pc
tersburg, which were promptly forwarded
to General Grant.
UNION AGENT IN LIBBY PRISON.
"Then Miss Van Lew got young Ross, a
nephew OF Franklin Stearns, the itch
Unionist OF Richmond, 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 not suspected by
the Confederates. but the most OF our boys
in the prison who did not escape consider
ed him one Of the most brutal OF their
iailers, and when the end came would have
been very glad to put an end to him. Sew
eral years ago l met Captain Lounsbery,
who had been confined in Libby, and
he asked ME about Ross, who died
several years ago. He was burnt up
in the Spotswood Hotel.l Lounsbery said
that one afternoon Ross came into
the prison as Usual to call the roll, ours
ing the d. Yankees, and as he passed him
said in low tone, Be in my office at $3.50
tonight Lounsbery did not know what
to make OF this, but ne determined to find
out what it meant. To his surprise he had
no difficulty in getting to the Office past
several guards. Once there he found Ross,
who gruffly said: 'See here, have con-
cluded to try you and see II you can do
cooking. Go in there and look around.
See what you can find, and will see to
your case after awhile Lounsbery went
into a back room, where he found
complete Confederate uniform hanging
over chair. lie took in the situation in
stantly. 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, and he had walked only few steps
from the door when a black man accosted
him and asked II 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 I'M
ill an opportunity was found to get him
out OF Richmond. lie got off safely and
came into our lines.
COLORED GUIDES FOR ESCAPED PRISONERS.
"Miss Van Lew kept two or three bright,
sharp colored men on the watch near Lib
by prison, who were always ready to con-
duct ali escaped prisoner to place OF safe
ty. Not all OF them were secreted at her
house-for there were several safe places
OF refuge in Richmond supported by her
means. When Colonel Streight, OF Indi-
ana, and his companions dug their way out
OF Libby, he and several OF his comrades
were secreted for several days in the house
OF q man named Quarles, which was situ-
ated across a ravIne only few hundred
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 rs were so
fortunate rs to escape from the horrible
walls Of Libby"
WAR SECRETS CONCEALED IN BROGANS.
GLOW did she manage to open and keep
up correspondence with General Grant 2"
"Well, she had farm in the country
on the other side Of the James river from
us and below Richmond. Every day two
OF her Iusty negro servants drove into
Richmond with something to sell-milk,
chickens, garden-truck, etc. These ne
groes wore great, strong brogans, with
soles of immense thickness, made by a Rich
mond shoemaker, whose name L will not
give because he is still living and doing
| business in that city. Shoes were pretty
scarce in the Confederacy in those days,
but Miss Van Lewis servants had two pairs
| each and changed them every day. They
never wore out Of Richmond in the after
noon the same shoes they wore into the
city i'm 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 10 General Grant, at City Point,
the next morning. The communication
was kept up at our end-by means OF a
/ steam.Elunch, which used to land scout
usually Kearney-on the opposite side Of
the James early in the night. Before day
light he would communicate with Miss Van
| Lewis messenger and return to our side OF
the river.
Mss VAN LEWIS SERVICES RECOGNIZED.
"When we got the news that the Con-
federates were evacuating Richmond, Gen.
eral Grant. who was at the front, before
Petersburg, sent back dispatch to Col
onel Ely s. Parker, of his staff, TO 60
into the city at once and see that order
was preserved and that all OF Miss Van
Lewis wants were supplied. / accompa-
MED him, and went Immediately to Miss
Van Lewis house TO carry out General
| 80 rho house was filled with