The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-10-22
saved By a. Bullet.

bv the president on the 18th OF April
and was quickly filled. Among the
first to answer the call was Connor'
enlisting in the Twelfth Ohio infantry.
colonel commanding. He served the
most of his time in Western Virginia
and was chiefly engaged IN scouting
the enemy's position. Disgusting him.
self, Connor would fearlessly enter the
enomy's camp. minsle with the soldiers.
listen to their conversation. and adrolt-
ly draw from them all the information,
concerning their movements, number
of their troops. etc, carefully noting
the number and situation of their guns
and the approaches to their camp,
Under the covel of the darkness he
would quietly slip from the camp, and,
passing quietly between the pickets'
: would, by the time the morning reyellle
awakened the slumbering soldiers, DO
well on his way to the federal camp,
oftentimes with such information as
would enable the federal commander
to make successful attack against his
adversary, or check some contemplated
movement against his own lines. On
the return of the three months troops
to their homes they were disbanded.
while the call for the quota of three
years troops was being rapidly filled.
Again Connor's love for adventure led
him forth and he enlisted in the COM
mand raised by Captain William d.
, Free, which afterwards became Com
pany D., OF the Thirty-trst regiment,
Ohio Volunteer infantry, commanded
by Colonel Moses B. Walker.
After the evacuation of Corinth and
the return of the army to Tennessee
and Kentucky, Connor became one of
Colonel Truesdale's spies. Taking
package of small articles that were
scarce within the Southern lines, he
would assume the role of a peddler,
and claiming to be for the South, he
would travel to Franklin. Springhill,
Columbia. Shelbyvillc and Murfreesboro.
disposing of his stock, gaining all the
information possible, and returning to
Nashville. During one of his idle times.
Connor had taken a musket ball, and
separating it in the middle, followed it
out, forming box. de had written
certificate that he. the bearer, Henry
Raybold, was Southerner, true to
the cause, and employed on secret SER
vice, and signed by General Ii. Nor
gan. This paper he deposited in the
bullet.
1t was on the last trip he made just
before the battle of Stone river that
Connor, or Raybold, as he was called,
! had been to Murfreesboro and Shelby
| vile. AS he was returning between
Nolensville and the Franklin pike he
was captured by company of guerril-
las, who took him with them to Frank
lin, where he was denounced as a spy
by person he had often seen at Nash
+ VILE and at Col. Truesdale's S headqnar-
ters The guerrilla chief concluded to
take him to General Hardie, at Triune.
/ Going but a few miles they came to the
conclusion that it was useless to take
him any further, as he was only
/ Yankee spy, anyhow, and that they
could hang him as well as old Hardio.
F.! The leader of the troop, with an oath.
ordered that he should be hanged then
aud thar
Connor protested his innocence in
! such strong terms that the confederate
/ leader hestated and then moved on. At
last the command was again halted and
| Connor was told to prepare for death,
/ he only had few minutes more to live.
dc now remembered having the bullet
IN his pocket, and putting on bold face
he told the guerrilla leader OF his inno-
cence; how he had served the confedcr
.acy, ana how he was on mission to
! Nashville in the service of one of the
confederate leaders; that before being
hanged he had one request to make. and
he called upon the company to see that
the request was fulfilled Taking the
4 bullet from his pocket in a solemn man
Z ner. he handed it to the confederate
chief with the request thatimmediatcly
after the hanging he would take the
bullet with all possible dispatch to the
headquarters of General John H. Nor
gan and tell him that they had captured
ana hanged the owner without trial.
Now" said Connor, lam ready to
be hanged" For moment the confed-
crate leader seemed nonplussed. Care
tuliy examining the bullet, he found tho
device Taking the piece of lead apart
he read the certificate, and was horriied
to find how near he had come to hang
ing one of Morgan's most trusted men.
All the valuables taken from Connor
were hastily returned to him, and his
forgiveness was eagerly asked for all
the rudeness and suspicion with which
he had been treated. And then he was
set free Connor, on his arrival at Nash.
vile, came to the conclusion that he was
becoming too we'll known in the confed-
crate lines for the safety of his neck:
and that his usefulness as spv and
scout had about come to an end. He
wisely accepted his discharge. and re.
turned to his Ohio home, where. at las,
accounts, he was still living -Philqdel
1)hin Times.
/ The Sweetest Time.