St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-07-05
MISCELLANY.
A sPY's ADVENTURES.
Ne.o York Sun.


When Halleck was besieging Beaure-
gard at Corinth, was commissioned
as a spy to find the state of affairs in
the enemy's lines. The main thing
was to get into Corinth. When / sci
out just before shutdown had $500 in
gold in my pockets and bundle oil
clothing in my hand. At midnight,
when had reached the point aimed
at, bow backed old man of 20, lame,
gray-haired and tOOthless, might have
been seen sitting in fence corner of a
highway to await the passage of time.
I was within seven miles of Corinth,
and my plan was to go in with some
vehicle. Within 10 miles of me were
two great armies getting ready for a
death grapple, but just then the frogs
croaked, the insects buzzed, and Peace
spread her mantle as in a graveyard.
Indeed, l was in browse when heard
the rattle of wheels, and was only on
my feet when young man, driving a
horse to an open buggy, came along.
He had six jugs of milk in the vehicle,
and was bound for town.
"Hey, youw called to him. "Can' t
you give an old man a lift up town
My boy has run off and jined the sol
diers, and l must see him and try to
get him back"
"Who are you 7" he asked.
"Judge Lexington of Guntown.
Started to come by rail, but the engine
broke down, and in trying to get
ahead I've got lost, reckon"
81 should say you had p! You amt
anywhere near the railroad"
"Reckon not. Pretty hard on the
old man, but feel as if l must get the
boy back"
"Well, jump in. suppose you've
got pass 7"
"Oh, yes"
He was kind-hearted, simple mind
ed young man, and had pass which
enabled him to come and go at pleas
ure. We had not gone over half a
mile when l "suddenly discovered"
that l had lost the important docu-
ment which would admit me into Cor
inth. He stopped the horse while L
searched anew, but the paper could
not be found.
"And what will they do if l don't
have pass ?" l asked.
"Take you before some of the gener-
ais, and they may lock you up. They
are mighty careful of late"
"And l may not get to see my boy ~
"Perhaps not"
l 'took on" for about five minutes in
a pathetic strain, and when L saw that
l had enlisted his sympathies [ said =
"My young friend, don't want to
be delayed. You must help me. When
we come to the picket post, am to
pass as your father who has come to
town to look around. Even an hours
delay may take my boy away"
"Oh, but l wouldn't dare"
"YOu'd dare a great deal for these"
l said, as l put couple of $40 gold
pieces into his hand.
"Why-yes-I-Ife feel sorry for you
and want you to get in. might say
you was my father, but"
"I'll chance the rest"
don't think he expected any trouble
for the matter did not seem to trouble
him any. When we drove up to the
first picket post he halted the horse
and was fumbling for his pass, when
one of the pickets said =
"That's all right-drive on. Oh, but
who is that with you2"
"The old man. He fit in the Mexi-
can war, and wants to see how things
look in Corinth."
"And if was ten years younger I'd
shoulder musket," l added.
"Bully for you'll" shouted the three
or four men at the post, and they we're
laughing as we drove on.
The inner picket did not stop US at
all, and we drove into town in the gray
of the morning. My first move after
losing sight of the milkman was to go
to hotel. There 1 boldly registered
as "JOhn William Richardson, Mobile"
and dropped hint to the clerk that
was furnishing Beauregard with sup
plies. AS soon as | went to my room |
peeled off my outer suit, removed wig
and spectacles, took out three of my
false teeth, which were on plate by
themselves, blackened my eyebrows,
and in 10 minutes 1 was in new dis
guise. L went down to breakfast, and
then slipped over to the other hotel
and registered and took a room as
"Prof. E. G.. S. La Due, New Orleans"
| had the French twist to my speech,
and also had a discovery relating to
a new explosive. l had come to the
front to put it in practice.
1t was about 10 o'clock when l start
ed out, and who should | run against
the first thing but my friend of the
milk business. He had sergeant and
three privates with him, and as they
passed me he said =
ooh, can tell him half a mile off.
His gray wig got rumpled up, and |
saw light hair under it, but he was off
before [ knew what to do"
L followed them to the hotel where l
had first registered, and entered it just
as they went upstairs to my room.
They thought they had their man, but
were doomed to disappointment. Two
of the men were left in the office, how
ever, while the other two, accom- panied
by the milkman, went out to look for
me on the streets.
The afternoon of the third day,
while [ was returning from the confed-
crate left, provost patrol picked me
up. My pass was all right and secur-
ed my liberation, but it gave me an
uneasy feeling to observe that the
milkman was among the guard. He
had evidently pointed me out for ar
rest, for | heard him mutter to the of
ficer:-
81 may be wrong, but | can't get
shut of the feeling that he's the man.
No two men could have such eyes,"
| knew [ should be under surveil-
lance now, and the first thing l did af-
ter reaching the hotel was to replace
my teeth, rub the black from my eye
brows, part my hair in the centre, and
give new twist to my mOustache, and
as | descended to supper my left eye
had a slight squint. After supper, as
sat in the Office smoking, | observed
the milkman moving about as if look
inc for 7 want diract1u mn 70 liz,