The National tribune., 1888-02-23

sion uv SAYING, >tu&b0f AohaH Nl1CSeSu AbO
TO hand you this personally"
With sharp glance OF impalienee at me
be took the letter, walked to his desk, and
without opening it began deliberately TO
lock oyer his pile Of cards. l stood nay
ground right in front Of him, feeling very
much like q guilty school-boy who had been
called up by bis teacher for punishment
When 4Ir. Stanton raised his eyes from the
cards and spied me standing in front Of bim,
he locked toward me; then, as if remember
ing The letter, he said to nae:
"Where is the note from Senator Ccwsn?H
i gave 1t to you, Air. Secretary" said l
trembhugiy.
Re Looked around found The envelope,
and wflle lie read thC contents slowly IeIt
IN IHy soul that ! would
RATHER FACE JEFF DAVIS
and the whole rebel army again than the
Secretary cf War. / resolved that II ever
GOT out ii that alive I'd risk anything IN the
front rather than 60 back into that room and
face The Secretary OF Var.
Nhea be had read the letter he looked
me over earnestly as he folded 1t up slowly,
and said in pleasant tone:
would like to talk with you, but I'm
tAs y
Assistant Secretary to-day"
l was 700 BADLY scared to make an lmme-
diate reply. The Secretary calling the
Orderly te him said to him, as he indorsed
something on the bottom Of my letter:
Take this gentleman to the Assistant
Secretary
That was all, and that was enough for me
for one day. II there was any one person IN
ali Washington city for whom l entertained
an uninst prejudice might say deep
seated hatred-it was MT. p. III. Watson, the
Assistant Secretary OF War. l had never
met hiTl IN fact I had never seen him, but
the simple fact that he had taken the place
Of my oid friend, Col Tbos. 4. Scott, in the
War Ofice since CEmer0ns removal, was OF
itself Sufficient to turn me against him; but,
in addition 20 this fact. had gathered from
Mr.. Covo5e and the Fest Of the Pennsylvania
delegation, as well as the telegraph boys IN
the War Department, that Mr. Watson and
his Clique of friends lad scandalously ma
hgned III. Scott personally and abused Mr.
Cameron politically.
was ushe9ed into the presence Of large,
red headed. sandy-eampleXieD Eaan, to
whom I vas introduced rs the young man
the Secretary had directed TO be presented
to him. AIr Watson al the moment We en-
tered was basy with some papers He was
surrounded by clerks occupying other desks
In his room, bat at once dropped everything
to receive us. Upon reading the Senator's
letter aid the Secretarys Endorsement, he at
once became very gracious toward me. And
as he shock hands and drew me to a chair
near him and began some comp plimentaTy re-
marks about my valuable services" was
not only disappointed at the Secretary In
having Eaid not 2 word about the matter
which was uppeImost IN my mind, but 1
was also really angry at being handed over
10 Mr.. Watson to be pumped. Therefore, l
didn't pump worth cent. ] was dry. BIZ.
Watson made it worse for me by the first
question be put:
7 presume you are in Mr. Pinkerton's
seryiceG"
That ws.s adding insult, and resented
this insi8Uati0n by asserting emphatically
an not a detective at all"
The interview did not last long. It ended
rather abruptly, when AiT. Watson further
suggested laat l should put myself in COM
mnnical5cn with Mr. Pinkerton, who had
charge ef ali these things / declined pos
itively 70 have any communication with the
CHEZ Of The Secret Service, and told Mr.,
Watson, IS my friends had ali frequently
EuEeessed. that had done important secret
service work for the Secretary, or the WaI
Department direct; and 1 wanted some
thing nsw wherein I could make available
my past ex peLiences.
AsI had promised Mr. CoEOde not to make
any engage gleRts with any one, and had full
filed my agreement to see the Secretary
retired from the War Office in disappoint-
nent End disgust
! saw Gr Coyode and the other friends K
whom ] related my experience with Mr.. Stan
ton sad biz Watson, and al the same time de
clsred ny intention 10 leave the city for the
front j was strongly urged by nearly all mI
friends not 10 undertake any more secret ser
vice expeditions; aud these protests eame Z
ne in saea nanneF that / could not resis
their influence, and I t2citly agreed not to b
II 4 hurry about IL
The day following. before could get an op
porLanitF to AGAIN see Gen. Stager IN regard {
lis pEegosal, Sir. Covode sent for me. When
reachsd BIS rooms be said IN his blunt way
II you are bound TO be in the field, I'll Civ
you q letter to Gen. Hsupt, who has charge Q
the railroad between Fredericksburg and Aqui
Greek, AID be VIII give you something TO 90 t
keep you busy down there tall we can &C
EometEing fixed Up here"
eagerly accepted this proposal; it was no
what / waited exactly, but it admitted Of Tn
going 70 tle -sal 'front.' and that, tOo ia o1iicia
position Wherein I could be on hand and So
eTerythiEE that was being done. ] had know
Gen. Hzu-r Eeil as the accomplished Chic
Engineer q Tie Pennsylvania Railroad, an
Ar. Coyoac had been assured by him, If seem
that ne would be delighted to have ne in hi
Dilit4Ty - road service.
We we're going 10 rebuild that road Tigh
into kic5i.3gno next week, and / eonsoled my
SELF with ..ls thought that if did not re-cnte
Richmond o. q morse 81 an officer, might e
there al TIE same on q locomotive.
] was - 5e paid 2 good salary and expense
All my friends thought il just splendid, and
imagine n0W, though ] didn't think 50 &C th
time, thzt tic position was created Cor ne jul
e prevent sag getting into trouble again. /
3 few day I took q morning steamer, arme
with an o-4e.al pass and q bundle Of good ciotl
ing, and ssiled with fond authorizations
quickly seaiEg Richmond. We reached Aqu
Creek 10 q lew aouIs and after str0iiing aboJ
there fCr an hour got aboard the train, WhiC
was made "a Il open tEuck-c2rs and We role
over the 70 or u miles past the straggli1
camps OF our forces which were then crossir
the high and hastiy-inpEovised trestle
bridges that had been built IN the place
those destroyed.
On the occasion Of this my second visit
rolled over the temporary railroad bridge in
the Olc depot a. Fredericksburg on a freig
traiD-dre5sgd, well, in tie very best ste
clothes th4t the witness fec money which N
FOruey bad secured for me would buy at ia
time in Washington.
am pot sure Of the exact date on which
irfr raufa II, Rsrfts,,o