Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1886-02-24
Playing For Life.

When Gen. Early made his grea
raid on Washington l was scouting
between his advance and the city, ant
was captured within the city limit
twenty-four hours before his battle
flags appeared in sight. was dressed
in citizens clothes, pretended to b'
deaf and dumb, and claimed to have
been driven out of Richmond, becaus,
I had written threatening letters t.
Jefferson Davis.
/ had been inside the fortifcation,
for half day, and was slowly work
ing out, when a couple of young men
both of whom were considerably the
worse for liquor, halted me and want
ed to fight. had pencil and &
block of paper with me, and l wrote
81 am deaf and dumb"
That made no difference with them
Indeed, they declared that it would
be novel idea to lick deaf and
dumb man, and one of them gave me
a cuff on the ear.
In those days l weighed 100 pounds
and had the muscle of prize fighter
l tried to get away from them without
further trouble, but when they seemed
determined to have row | gave
them all they wanted, and wasn't
many minutes about it. A crowd OF
soldiers and civilians collected, the
provost guard came up, and the re.
suit was as had anticipated. / was
arrested and carried off to guard
house. One of the young men, who
afterward turned out to be related to
q member of the Cabinet, followed
me to the office of the Provost Mar
shal and charged me with being a spy.
No one seemed to entertain q doubt
that l was deaf and dumb, as claim
ed, and my examination was carried
on in writing. was asked my name,
age, where born and hundred other
questions, and then searched. They
found nothing on me of eliminating
nature, and l reasoned that | would
be detained until after the excitement
had passed and then turned loose.
After being detained three days an
officer entered my quarters one morn
ing and said to me-:
"Well, dummy, you can pack up
and get out"
The minute l heard his step outside
| was on my guard, but he spoke in
such natural tone that I came near
giving myself away. On three differ
ent occasions during the war played
the part of a deaf and dumb man, and
! tell you it takes all the nerve and
presence of mind man can call up. |
sat facing the door, and, while l heard
his words, 4 made no movement. He
came closer to me and said:
"Come, pack up your traps, you
arc to be turned loose"
| looked him straight in the eyes,
without winking, and after bit a
look of chagrin stole over his face
and he motioned for me to follow
him. He took me to the Provost
MarshaPs office, and ! was ushered
into a private room where the Marshal
and three or four other officials were
seated. On the way to the office, as
we crossed a wide street, the officer
suddenly exclaimed
There's runaway horse-look
outp'
If l hadn't been expecting some
such thing on his part l must have
betrayed myself. AS l gave no sign,
continuing on with my head down, !
heard him growing:
"They think they've got a sucker,
but they'll find out their mistakep
l entered the Office, knowing that
every trick would be resorted to to
break me down, and my nerves were
braced as if to charge a battery of
artillery. l was left standing by the
door for moment, when one of the
officials looked up and quietly said:
"Take seat, sir, and we'll attend
to you in moment"
made no move, but looked around
the room in stupid sort of way. /
was looking out of the window onto a
roof when the same official said:
"You may come forward and take
this chair"
stood like stone, and lie rose
up, came over to me, and led me to a
chair at the table. When l was seat
ed one of the others remarked:
"Write your name, age and last
place of residence ON a slip of paper"
That was trick number three, and
it failed as the others had done. BY
and by the Marshal wrote on slip of
paper:
"Who are you, and where from ?"
| vrofo -, ro,.I,,