Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-05-25
REBELS DISGUISE.

4 Al
ln1oyssa,,on of General sheridan" Aoee-
,,,emts at Strassbarg.
! Detroit Free Press.l
| While Sheridan's forces were lying
in camp just previous to Early's move
ment and temporary victory by passing
along the base of Massinutton Mount
ain, at .Strassburg, Va, says an ex'
| rebel, 1 was sent into the Federal lines
by Gen. Early to pick up such informa-
ton as could be had. The armies we're
so close together that there was no
neutral ground between them for one
to operate on, and the task of pene-
trating the lines seemed to ME the most
perilous one I had yet undertaken.
After casting around for a day, and
holding interviews with some residents
of the vicinity who had come into the
Confederate lines for safety, l decided
on plan.
On the pike leading out of town and
running along the right flank and rear
of the Federal army, Or at least part
of it, was a Confederate war widow
who could be depended on. A part of
her house was then occupied by Federal
officers, and it was certain to be q depot
for information. From a woman in
Strassburg I borrowed pretty COM
plete outfit of wearing apparel, had my
long hair trimmed as many of the
Southern women wore theirs during
the war, and at dark one night moved
along the right flank of the Federal
army until two miles below the point 1
designed to make. Then I put myself
in female rig, arranged an extra bundle,
and struck the Middletown pike in the
rear of the sixth corps. 1t wasn't five
minutes before was challenged and an
officer called to investigate, and this is
the story told:
"My name is Mayworth, my husband
was killed at Bull Run. live in the
Lighthouse on the cross-road coming in
about mile from here, where you
people burned the big red barns. My
sister, Mrs. ARROW, lives in the double
Lighthouse just as you raise the hill q
mile and half ahead. I am sick and
worn out, and am going up to stay with
her until this is over"
Scarcely question was asked me. I
was challenged twice more, but got off
just as easy. Having come in behind a
portion of the army in blue no one could
we'll suspect me, and as matter of
fact the women of that neigh
borhood were shifting about a
good deal, and there was no military
reason why they should be stopped.
reached Mrs. Arrows without mis-
take. Iknew that the fronts of both
houses were occupied by officers, and
when approached it was by the rear,
l had to pass half a dozen orderlies to
get into the house, and though some of
them wanted to Jest with me no one in
terfered with my movements. I found
the woman just as she had been de-
scribed-intelligent, patriotic, and very
observing. She had been doing cook
ing and laundry work for some of the
officers, and had kept her eyes and ears
open. On two occasions she had been
through the sixth corps, and she knew
the lay of the ground clear down to
the base of the mountain and the force
Of cavalry holding it.
had passed for female very we'll
at night, but could not run too MANY
chances by daylight. I therefore went
to bed to play sick. I was entirely
beardless then, but We put poultice
on my cheek for neuralgia, tied q cloth
over the greater part of nv face, and
as 1 lay in bed with my woman's night.
dress on the makeup was complete.
Indeed, an army surgeon came in and
prescribed for me, and two vivandiers
visited me on two different occasions
without the imposition being detected.
l was in the house eight days and
nights, and between what 1 heard and
what Mrs ARROW saw and picked up /
reported to Gen. Early on my return
to his headquarters the number of Fed
eral cavalry holding the advance posi-
ton within $50, the number of field
pieces within three. the exact number
of earthworks and length of breast
works and the amount of artillery in
the sixth corps lacking three or four
guns.