The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-09-29
Saved by a Bullet.

A writer in the Philadelphia Times
tells the story of the adventures of an
Ohio soldier named Conner, one of the
most successful scouts of the Union
army. We copy one of these stories,
as follows {" After the evacuation of
Corinth and the return of the army to
Tennessee and Kentucky, Conner be-
came one of Colonel Truesdale's spies.
Taking package of small articles that
were scarce within the southern lines,
he would assume the role of peddler,
and claiming to be for the South he
would travel to Franklin, Springhill,
Columbia, Shelbyville and Murfrees-
boro, disposing of his stock, gaining all
the information possible and returning
to Nashville. During one of his idle
times Conner had taken musket ball
and, separating it in the middle, hol
lowed it out, forming box. He had
written certificate that he, the bearer,
Henry Raybold, was southerner, true
to the cause, and employed on secret
service, and signed by General John
II. Morgan. This paper he deposited
in the bullet. 1t was on the last trip
he made just before the battle of Stone
River that Conner, or Raybold, as he
was called, had been to Murfreesboro
and Shelbyville. AS he was returning,
between Nolensville and the Franklin
pike, he was captured by company of
guerillas, who took him with them to
Franklin, where he was again de-
nounced as spy by person he had
often seen at Nashville and at Colonel
Truesdale's headquarters. The guerilla
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 go any further, as he
was only a Yankee spy, anyhow, and
that they could hang him as well as old
Hardie. The leader of the troop, with
an oath, ordered that he should be hung
then and there Conner protested
| his innocence in such strong terms that
the confederate leader hesitated and
then moved on. AT last the command
was again halted and Conner was told
to prepare for death, as he only had a
few minutes more to live. He now re-
membered having the bullet in his
pocket and, putting on bold face, he
| told the guerilla leader of his innocence
how he had served the confederacy
and how he was now on mission to
Nashville in the service of one of the
confederate leaders; that before being
hung he had one request to make, and
he called upon the company to see that
the request was fulfilled. Taking the
bullet from his pocket, in a solemn
manner he handed it to the confederate
chief with the request that Immediately
after the hanging he would take that
bullet with all possible dispatch to the
headquarters of General John II. Nor
gan and tell him that they had captured
and hanged the owner without trial
Now, said Conner, am ready to be
hanged For moment the confederate
leader seemed nonpldssed. Carefully eX,
aiming the bullet, he found the device
Taking the pieces of lead apart he read
the certificate, and was Mortified to fine
how near he had come to hanging one
of Morgan's most trusted men. All the
valuables taken from Conner were
hastily returned to him and his forgive
ness was eagerly asked for all the rude
ness and suspicion with which he haC
been treated. And then he was sci
free. Conner, on his arrival at Nash
Vile, came to the conclusion that he was
becoming too well known within the
confederate lines for the safety of his
neck, and that his usefulness as a sp,
and scout had about come to an end
He wisely accepted his discharge ant
returned to his Ohio home, where, a
last accounts, he was still living"