The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-04-06
A STORY OF THE WAR.
sENon1rA LOPEZ AS 1 SAW HER.
The abandonment Spy in the Federal Army.

siege she created quite a sensation
among the gallant young. officers who
were fighting oil day and dancing all
night. The scnorita was pretty. She
had that dark Spanish beauty which
has a certain lurid d%eviltry about it.
Her flashing eyes seemed to look right
through q man, and her manner OF tlut-
terlng u fan was too eloquent for any
thing. Just where the Scnorita Lopez
came from no one knew. She said that
her father, n New Orleans refugee, was
in Richmond, and that in returning
from a visit to friends in Charleston
she had received instructions to await
his arrival here. OF course this ex-
PLANTATION was satisfactory, and if there
had been any doubts the young lady's
glittering diamonds, bright eyes, and
ardent Confederate principles would
have won the day.
We were not entirely given over to
sackcloth and ashes during the seigc.
Balls and receptions took place almost
every night, and there were. various
amateur entertainments. In all the fcs-
~tivities OF the time the charming Span
ish senorita bore her part. She was the
acknowledged belle of the siege, and
her almost reckless daring completely
fascinated the officers, from the gen
erals down. One thing about Marie
no terrors for her, and when other
ladies shricked and ran unccrcmonious-
ly IRON their visitors to plunge into a
bomb-proof, this brilliant and fearless
creature would simply clap her hands
and make some scornful remark about
the wrctchcd aim of the Yankee gun
ners. After our Notifications around
the city had been nearly completed, the
senorita rode out every day with some
of her military admirers to view the
works. This wds rather perilous.
Stray bullets and shells were always
whizzing by, and it was q common
thing to see Il general or Il colonel dodge
behind n tree. But it was soon noticed
that the scnorita never even ducked her
proud little head. She would sit her
horse like a statue. and laugh in dcri-
sion when her escorts proved them
selves unable to stand the racket.
ooh, l would give anything to be a
soldier" she said one day, after look
ing through Colonel Blanks field glass.
II would glory in the opportunity of
showing ncn how to fight and die for n
great cause"
Perhaps this was too intense, too
bombastic, but in those days every
thing we wrote and spoke was in this
tervid strain. So the senorita's talk
provoked no comment, except a tribute
of admiration.
One day our heroine passed me at a
galiop on her way back from the breast
works. Something white futtered
down from her riding habit. I picket
it up, but the lady was out of sight.
riding like the wind. Thoughtlessly I
allowed the paper to come open. What
l saw troubled me not a little. saw
traced out in detail the plan of fully
half of our forts and trenches. The
paper also contained the location of GER
tain government buildings, and an esti-
mate of our forces.
There was but one thing to do. l
hated to get a pretty woman into trou-
BILE, but | had to do my duty. In an
hours time the paper was in the hands
of the provost-mashal. The next day I
was brought face to face with Marie
Lopez. The hearing was in private,
and a circle of colonies, and majors sat
around the accused, frowning at me as
if l had been guilty of some criminal
act. When I related the circumstances
attending the finding Of the paper, the
little Spaniard looked at the officers
with a merry smile.
81 thin <" said she, chat you don't
care to hear from me. l will say, how
ever, that l never saw the paper, and
therefore could not have dropped 1t.
h young man perhaps found it, but he
could not have seen me drop it," She
smiled swcetly On the provost-marshal.
"Ahem!" said that individual.
e'Therc must be some mistake here. We
do not doubt your fidelity, sir, but we
had better hear no more of this"
I was d~umbfounded and abashed.
Knowing very little about the ways of
the world, l hastily retired, thanking
my stars that I had saved my head. In
a day or two the Senorita Lopez disap-
peared. Her lovers did not have time
to mourn her loss, because Slocnm's
corps crossed the ~Chattahoochee, and
our forces had to get out in a hurry.
But l was destined to see the Senorita
again.
Many Of us failed to follow Hoods
army south. We were whirled about
in sue a vortex of confusion that We
were glad to escape with our lives.
Among other fotsam and jctsam I was
thrown beyond the Federal lines.
Stranded in Nashville, at that time q
vast military camp, l felt badly enough.
could not 60 South, and 1 could not
get a pass to 60 North. One night I
went to the theatre. During one Of the
scenes there was a buzz, and people
stood up to look ut a nan in the dress
circle just above my head. Finally, l
rose, as somebody said:
''He is the most successful guerilla
and spy on the Union side"
l stood up until my face was on n