Savannah morning news., 1886-04-21
AN ARMY SPY.
The Bold Bluff Tried on Gen. ROsecrans
at Chattanooga.
From he Chattanooga Times

From he Chattanooga Times.
When Bragg had Rosecrans shut up in
Chattanooga there were four of us scouts
irJm headquarters who penetrated the
FEDERAL lines almost daily. Every move
made was discovered and reported and
most of them checkmated.
About a month before Grants arrival,
when things were at their worst with
ROsecrans,a scout named viii ROssmore,
who was rather new in the business, hav-
ing been detailed only a few weeks, was
sent in to try and ascertain certain
things. The Federals were keeping a
sharper lookout than formerly, and the
young man was instructed to exercise ali
possible caution and take no extra risks.
He rode boldly into the city on an old
horse, claiming to have been commission
ed by certain refugees to look alter their
property. He was, of course placed un-
der arrest and taken before the officer of
the day. He was ready for the ordeal.
He had the name of three citizens who had
fled the place; he pretended lameness
which incapacitated him Tor military SER
vice; he had the talk and actions OF a
country lout. lie was questioned in the
closest manner, and when nothing could
be made of him he was allowed to go his
way. 1t Is likely that he would nave
secured his information and passed out
in safety, but before he had been in the
town three hours an unfortunate thing
occurred. He was seen and recognized
by deserter from our Ilnes-a man who
had formerly messed with him and, of
course, knew HIM well
The deserter saw ROssmOre without
being seen himself, and at once went TO
headquarters and gave him away. When
brought face to face at headquarters the
scout must have realized that his doom
was sealed, but he did not yield his lie
without an effort. He denied his iden-
tity. He offered to send for people to
prove he was what he claimed to be, and
he challenged the officers ( | think it was
ROsecrans himselD To send for surgeon
to inspect his lameness and pronounce
upon it. While his bold speech staggeT-
ed the deserter, the man could not doubt
mis- own eyes, and he persisted that Ross
more was u spy from Bragg's head
quartz rs.
"Was Rossmore lame?' asked the
| officer.
''NO, sir"
''But this man is cripple for life"
"WeIl. l don't know how that comes.
am certain, however, that be is the
man."
"lf the surgeon says have been lame
for years will you admit that you are mis-
takenr coolly asked the scout.
"Why, Pll have to. VIII Rossmore was
as sound as / am"
every well, General, send for the sur
geOn," quietly remarked the scout.
He must have realized that the fraud
would be detected, but it seemed to be
his only hope of blufing the deserter
down. II he had a thought that the sur
geon would not be sent for it was quickly
dispelled. The General felt that it was
a serious case, and he wanted bottom
facts. A surgeon came, ROssmOre strip
ned off, and after brief examination
the medical man announced his
opinion that the scout was shamming.
| The little toe on his right foot had been
cut off at the joint in bOyhoOd. The de-
serter had seen the foot several times,
and now he suddenly remembered the
lump.
When Rossmore saw that he was DOOM
ed he owned up to his identity, and point
! ing his finger at the man who had betray-
ed him he said:
slew Warner, listen to me! Through
| you | shall hang, but sooner or later my
death Will be avenged upon you. General.
| am ready"
He was led away, TO be hanged at sun
rise next morning.
Warner was from Tennessee, in the
neighborhoOd of Knoxville. In August
! 1865, he returned there to settle down,
| ana one evening, before he had been home
| two weeks, some one fired a bullet
! through his heart as he traversed one OF
the back streets.