, 1888-06-30

IN Corinth.
"And if l was ten years younger I'd
shoulder a musket," ! added.
Bully for your shouted the three OF
four men on the post, and they were
laughing as we drove on.
The inner picket did not stop US at all.
and we drove into the town in the gray
Of morning. Although the hour was
early, everybody was astir and the streets
almost blocked with army vehicles. Dur.
ing the last half mile Of the drive the
Young man inspected me very closely
and when / finally left him he did not
seem altogether satisfied as to my iden
tity. lie asked me several questions
about GuntOwn, which l had to answer
NJ random, and my account of how ''my
SON had left home was not MS clear as ii
might have been. My first move after
losing sight of the milkman was to go to
q hotel. There l boldly registered as
John William Richardson, Mobile, " and
dropped a hint to the clerk that | was
furnishing ~Beauregard with supplies. As
soon "a l went TO my room / peeled of
my outer suit, removed wig and spec
t%aclcs, took out three of my false teeth,
which were on a plate by themselves,
blackened my eyebrows and in ten
AAAAAAAAt 4 10 III a Z haEAA1t= 4 WtAlt
down 10 breakfast, and then slipped over
to the other hotel and registered and
took Il room as Professor E. G.. S. La
Due, New Orleans" | had the French
twist to my speech, and l also had a dis
covcry relating TO a new explosive. ]
had come to the front to put it in practice.
1t was about 10 O'Clock when / started
out, and who should ! run against the
very first thing but my friend of the
milk business. He had a sergeant and
three privates with him, and as they
passed me he said:
"Oh, | can tell him a mile off. His
gray wig got rumpled up, and | saw
light hair under it, but he was off before
l knew what TO do"
l followed them to the hotel where ]
had first registered, and entered it just
as they went up the stairs TO my room.
They thought they had their man, but
were doomed TO disappointment. Tive
of tile men were left in the Office. how
ever, while the other two, accompanied
by the milkman, went out to look for
me on the streets. This was on the goth
of May. Beauregard had concentrated
everything on the short line, and the Con
federates believed they had n sure thing
in cuse they were attacked in their in
t~renchments. picked up the acquaint-
ance Of a dozen army officers before
night, and the subject of the new cx-
plosiyc proved interesting to all. They
pumped me for particulars, Of course,
but my reply was:
In Il day OF two ] hope to make a
test and surprise the Yankees"
Through the influence of a Capt. John
son, belonging to MarmaduEe's COM
maud, and who had been wounded and
carried his right arm in a sling, | secured
n pass to carry me abo,a Corinth, and on
the second day of my arrival / posted
myself in many details. Everything was
excitement and hubbub, rs everybody
thought a great battle imminent, and no.
body paid any attention to me. At my
solicitation Capt. johnson reported my
arrival to Beauregard's adjutant, and
asked permission for me TO experiment
lie came back and said:
81 found him upside down, and he
felt ike ordering me under arrest for dis
turbing him.
On the afternoon Of the third day,
while | was returning from the Confed-
crate left, a provost patrol picked me
up. My pass was all right and secured
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 arrest, for ! heard
him mutter to the officer:
Il 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 surveillance
now, and the first thing l did after
reaching the hotel was to replace my
teeth, rub the black from my eyebrows,
part my hair in the center and give n
new twist to my mustache, and as | de-
scended to supper my left eye had a
slight squint. After supper, as | sat in
in the office smoking, l observed the
milkinan moving about as if looking for
me. l went directly up TO him and said:
''My friend, were you looking for me9'
mo sir, " was his prompt reply.
''R-t You were with the man who ar
rested me this evening""
"'Whatl Are you the fellow we picked
up near the depot2'
IL am"
He looked me from top to toe with n
puzzled expression on his face, and re-
marked.
a overheard you say something about
my eyes. Is there anything wrong with
themy"
"N-no, sir"
But why did ySu point me out to the
guardl Indeed, why are you a civilian,
rramping about with the soldiers? / pre-
sumo you hold yourself accountable for
any trouble you may causo a gentle
MANI
He turned pale in an instant, and ask
ing me 70 step aside, he explained:
'There wa en- old man rode in with
me the other morning. He called him
self Judge Lexington and said lie lived at
Guntown. No such man has ever lived
there. This man also wore a gray wig
to conceal his natural hair, which was a
little reddish"
"Well2"
"Nell, he told an affecting story, and
| passed him in as my father. l believe
lac wa a spy"
Yes"
And the soldiers believe it, and want
70 find him"
And | hope they will. But you, my
friend, must use more discretion. If you
insult a gentleman you must be pre-
I uared To rive him gafisforTiDn FaaI