The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-11-15
ANTIETAM CAMPAIGN.
The HangIng Of the spy Rleharas.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: The spy Rich
ards, who was executed by the cavalry near
Frederick, Nd, just before the battle of South
Mountain, was the same man who in the Win
ter of '6l and Spring of '62 had pass from
headquarters to sell papers, songs and periodi-
Gals ia the camp of the Fifth Corps at Nun
sons and Miners Hills Camp Pierpont, Falls
Church, etc. He was supposed to hail from
Louisiana. He was of medium size, dark hair
and dark complexion Being very ioval-
natured, he soon made friends with the boys.
In the Winter of 81, 62 he remained in the
camp Of the GA Pa, and occupied a bunk with
Lieut. JEFF Truitt (then Sergeant Co. ID, 62d
Pa, Second Brigade, First Division, Fifth
Corps, at Falls Church. and during the night
shiYered continually with cold under the same
cover that kept Lieut.. Truitt warm, convinc-
ing him that he truly was from the warm
climate of the Gulf States.
Richards had quite a collection of patriotic
songs, (which sold readily at dime each, one
of which / remember four stanzas, which the
spy sang, mounted on w0odpile inside of the
camp Of the gid Pa, to wit:
A story viii now relate-the facts you know full
IT'S OF the sad and mournful fate of Mason and
Slideil,
Who sailed from Charleston's sunny shore, their
They thought their troubles all were DER, and they
from sorrow free.
Ctorus-she-ling, shielding, she-la. ETC.
They embarked board the Trent, their work
nearly done,
The wind was fair, and on they went-no fear of
The san Jacinto, Capt wiIlss, soon brought them
to a stand,
And they, alas! were in q fix-both seized as con-
tTaDand.
Lieut. Fairfax then appeared. and thus to them he
" Now come on board, we're bound for Bunker
Hill
Wen battle Britain if we must but now our hands
fun;
Wen crush our own rebellion first, them battle
Johnny Bull"
o, if Mason and Sldel should die. as I sometimes
hope they will,
My song will only serve TO keep their names in
But if they both should chance to live and YOU
think them worth a dime,
just open your poczetbooks and pass your change
along.
The spy Richards was frequently seen in the
Army of The Potomac and known by thousands.
yet never suspected, and his real character was
only known at the time of his capture near
Frederick Md, which was on the 18th or I4th
of September, 1862. Rumor put it down this
way that the spy had passed all the guards
and sentinels Oh his way toward Turner's and
Champions Gap, except the videts of the cav
airy, and the officers IN charge even passed the
scout and spy out A Sergeant and a soldier
perceived something in his manner and cOun-
tenance which caused them to ask for permits
sion to shadow him. They accordingly fol-
! lowed him, and when in a lane timber on
/ either side, near Frederick, Nd the spy halted
| his horse, sat for minutes in his saddle gazing
| intentIy front and rear, after which he dis
/ mounted, Vaulted over the north side of fence
raised up a fat stone, took out some mail and nut
some uuder'it At this juncture lie was can't
| ured, and the evidence was sufficient to cause
| his immediate execution. This is where Gen.
! Mcclellan obtained Lees famous order. of
which there has been so much dispute Gen.
! Mcclellan learned here that Lee was occupy
| ing gaps in South Mountain with but %, 600 men.
| Hence his bold order to fight right up and over
the mountain and cut Lee and Jackson in two.
| Lee succeeded, however, in placing his army
| behind Antietam Greek, and hence the hard
fought battle of Antietam on Sept. II, 1862. in
which I think Mcclellan fought his best battle /.
and had he at IL o'clock thrown the Fifth
Corps against Lee, his victory would have been
| complete before rebel forces from Harpers
| Ferry could have joined Lee The Union loss
was II, 469 Confederate loss %, 800. Only three
! days before this, at Turner's Gap, the Union loss
| was 2,249; Confederate loss was 1913 And had
| the spy succeeded in communicating with
| Lee and had Mcclellan not positively learned
that $4,000 Confederate troops occupied gaps at
| South Mountain, Lees army at Hagerstown
aud Jackson stealthily creeping on Harpers
Ferry the battle would never have been fought
at Antietam. There was another spy, perhaps.
| HING In Maryland not far from Frederick dur
| ing the Gettysburg campaign, and / think is
confounded with Richards. Now this NAV not
be all correct but it viii bear careful investiga-
ton, and more fact found than poetry.