The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1886-01-28
A SPY IN THE CAMP.
BY AN EX-CoNFEDERATE.

In the winter of 1864, when Johnstuns
army lay at Dalton in winter quarters,
made two or three excursions in the di-
rection of Chattanooga, picking up more
or less valuable information, and was
resting after one of these raids when the
incident am about to relate occurred
That Yankee spies were penetrating
our camps was well known fact. Two
or three had been arrested, but it was
only two Or three out of a dozen, and Or
ders had been issued to all rcgimental
officers to be VII liant and alert in seek
ing to detect The presence of strangers.
All the scouts had, as matter of course,
received the same Instructions, but for
week nothing resulted from this COM
bined watchiulncss.
One afternoon, while sitting in the
quarters of an old friend belonging to a
brigade band, crowd gathered outside,
and l heard the music OF a fiddle Step
ping to the door, saw German about
40 years of age in the center of a circle of
soldiers seated on a cracker-box and play
ing the fiddle in rude sort of way as
if entirely unmindful of their presence
The man was in citizens clothes, and for
what seemed very good reason. His
right arm had been amputated at the ell
bow. Hooked him over closely as he sat
there, eyes half-closed and keeping time
with his foot, and could not say that |
had ever seen him before.
Give US song, cried dozen men in
chorus after he had played for spell,
and he at once complied. The first verse
ran as follows:
"Oh doan' you see my falling tears?
Oh doan' you know dat Ylias sad?
Dot While you laugh uud merry vhas,
No home haf to make Inc glad.
He had not yet finished it when l was
trying hard to remember where and when
had heard it before. His voice was
soft and plaintive, and the air of the
song was one to captjvate soldier. They
crowded closer and were silent while he
rang the second verse:
"Nopody what's to welcome me,
Nopody cares which way go;
vhalks alone, adown life's path,
My happiness vlas turned to Woe"
I was struggling like prisoner to
break his bonds. Years ago had heard
that song, and had not heard it since 1t
was in vain ! cIG geled my brain, but Just
when Twas in despair happened to no.
tice how he was holding and playing the
fiddle. His right arm was gone, as l
have told you, but with the stump he
was holding the bow by a simple contri-
vance and with his left hand he was fin
gering the strings. Indeed, the soldiers
were remarking on the novelty Of it. l
had not watched him thirty seconds when
my memory came to my aid.
In the summer Of 1859 made trip to
a watering place in Wisconsin-a bridal
tour. One evening, as my wife and
sat on the porch of the hotel this man
came along, having little girl with him.
and as he played that fiddle and sang she
Joined in the chorus and accompanied
him on the banjo. This was one of the
songs he sang that evening-scvcn or eight
verses to it-and it was so sad and plain.
tive that we paid him to repeat it two Of
three times.
Now l could not say that he was moi
Confederate, but the fact that he was
not in our uniform, and that had seer
him so far North, was enough to rouse &
suspicion. As soon as he had finished his
song he offered for sale from his pack
buttons, thread, needles, pencils and
other small wares, and did rushing busi
ness for half an hour He could have
sold everything right there, but he sud
denly packed up and moved away, ever
when a dozen customers had money il
their hands This action seemed queer
if not suspicious, and followed the man
In half an hour was certain that he wa
spy and had been making an estimate o
our strength.
Without entirely losing sight of th'
man, l communicated my suspicious Il
the officer -cf-the day, and the result wa
an arrest. The man did not even chang
countenance when he found himself be
tween the bayonets, but marched off as /
such affairs were down on his programme
Upon reaching the guard house b
calmly submitted to thorough search [
, his person and pack This lasted ful
hour, but we made no discovery of i'm
| portance The man denied that he wa
ever north of the Ohio River, and claime'
New Orleans as his residence. He learnet