The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-02-16
rs able to gire AIr. Covode seemed to iustify


was able to give Mr.. Covode seemed to justify
these conclusions.
After breakfast Mr.. Covode took me TO the
Capitol and the first person 1 met was ]. w.
Forney then editor of the Philadelphia Press
and also Secretary Of the Senate TO whom was
introduced by Mr. Covode. Mr.. Forney i'm
pressed me most fsvOrably; in truth, felt
more at home with him than with my old
friend Covode-probably because Mr.. Forney
had the acquired art Of drawing out his sub
iects and was more competent 10 practice the
suave gentleman than was the sturdy, honest
old John. ] was, for time taken in charge
by Mr.. Forney, who In turn introduced me TO
several Senators, among the rest the Hon.
Edgar Cowau Of Pennsylvania. / remember
Mr.. Forney saying in an aside to Senator
Cowan and the others TO whom l was intro
duced: BE is a capital subject" Mr.. Forney
did me another valuable service at this time.
OF course ] had no money. had been depend
ing upon the generous pocketbook Of my good
friend Barker. I soon made Mr.. C0yode ac-
quainted with my circumstances by q request
for some immediate and active service IN the
field in which / could earn my own support
Mr.. Forney had a clerk make oct some sort
of a voucher" which think must have been
for mileage and witness fees; any way, another
clerk cashei the paper for me, and III this way
was furnished at once with quite nice little
pile Of crisp, new greenbacks from the secre-
tsry OF the Senate.
This was
TIE FIRST AND ONLY CASH
that I have ever received for all those months
Of secret service-Of trial, distress aud danger
excepting that which The NATIONAL TRIB-
USE has paid me formy "recOlleetions Of those
unfOTgotteu days"
Among the other members of the Pennsyl-
vania delegation TO whom ! was introduced
that morning was the Hon. S 5. Blair, then
aud now a resident of HollidaysbuTg As Mr.
Blair is the sole survivor Of those who were
with me at that time. 1 desire particularly that
his testimony should be added TO establish the
correctness of this srative or to serve as re-
view notice If il ever attains TO the distinction
Of a criticism or becomes the subject of con-
troversv.
The Hon. J. K. Moorehead, who represented
Pittsburg was another Of the delegation in my
interest. Thus IL viii be seen that through the
management Of Mr.. Forney the entire West
em Pennsylvania delegation, including the
Democratic Senator, lCOWan, Of Greensburg,)
had been interested in my report
As / have before stated l paid but little at
tention 20 these details at the time. l had but
one request, aud that was that should be COM
missi0ned as q Second Lieutenant in the Regu-
lar cavalry service, and detailed On the Gen
eral Stan IN active held service. ] wanted 10
20 at once 10 the field, and cared but little for
the effect Of my testimony" before the COM
mittee, or pecunisry reward for the service.
Mr. FoTney said in his pleasant way, that was
so grateful 10 me that / have not forgotten a
word Of it: Why, certainly; you must have
that at least if not more" But, turning to
Covode, he continued: +" Curtin can do better
than that for US"
Cov0de thought anything whatever that /
wanted could be done: hui he suggested kindly
that it would be better for me not to take a
commission in tbe volunteer regiments Of my
own State Of Pennsylvania, because L should
-, 49, 7s- 81
and that would make it unpleasant for me per-
sOnally.
1 agreed with Mr. CoFode heartily in that
had been in the rebel service long enough to
see that this sort Of thing didn't work there
because Claiborne, the Mississippi Lieutenant
was really treated as a foreigner or outsider by
the rest o. Us " refugees from Maryland" So
1t was arranged between them that / should
have commission in the Regular Army. In
support Of this Mr.. Forney kindly talked to
Senator Ccwan IN my behalf who expressed
some doubts about getting Lieutenantcy,
saying in his plan way:
Why, we may just as well ask the Secretary
% make him BrigadieT-General he can do
that, because they are making Generals every
day, but they are not making Lieutenants in
the Regular Army"
But Dir. Forney insisted. in his agreeable way:
. But, nay dear sir, here j. a young man from
our State who has done the Government more
beer. ais eyer firgin5a and knows all about the
rebel army and all about Richmond, from per-
senal visits: shy with an expression Of dis
gust" his services are simply indispensable at
this time. lie should be sent down TO the
army, where the information he has gained viii
be Of immediate use 10 Us"
The only answer that Senator COwan made
TO this appeal, as he looked me all over criti-
cally as he would if buying horse:
Rou have the right sort Of grit in you, bnt
] don't believe We can get Il"
II was arranged between them all that I
should first give my
TESTIMONY BEFORE TIE JOINT COMMITTEE
On the Conduct Of tbe War While Mr. Covode
and l Egsslsed together over 10 the committee
room On the House side OF the Capitol, he eau
toned me Iu his fatherly way not to talk too
much, and only 70 answer such questions as he
world suggest.
On Certain page Of the printed document
containing the report Of the Committee on the
Conduct of the War, viii be found only that
portion Of ny testimony slat Mr. Coyode aud
1r. EOruey, as nay Managers thought advisable
to put On record at the time. The entire story
was detailed az different times 10 Nr Forney
and Mr. 1ov0ce, but has never been made fully
public until the present time
IL viii be remembered by those who have
read this story that my report In substance
was that had learned before the battle Of
on the Secretary Of Wars recommendation, that
there was positively no rebel force in front Of
Gen. Patterson at the time be had declined 10
move forward. Ay repCT4 WAS not credited by
Eltz-J0hn Porter. who was then Gen Patter-
sons Chief of Stad. and as a result Johnston
reinforced BeagreEard and Patterson failed to
prevent II. and neglected 10 aid Mcdowell
had after THIS gone 10 Bsauregard's head0uar-
ters- and had been interviewed personally bv
him AZ ? Maryland refugee. ] was detailed
about tic rebel telegraph Office at Manassas at
his own request, and during the several days
that Tc1la-ned there ! had learned from the
messages Z overheard passing over the wires
~ kiehIooDd that the rebel army was reduced
very much and there was AZ no time any dan
ger from an invasion Of Maryland. as Nc
Ciellan had reported 70 his Government
bad, in tact, obtained the Official report Of
this IN TIC handwriting Of the rebel Surgeon
General, Dr. Cartwright, that 30 per cent. of the
rebel force wss sick with an epidemic, and ab-
sent
This important document, that had nearly
succeeded in smuggling out when was capt
ured at the house, nearly IN sight Of Washing
ton. had deposited under porch out in Viz
ginis.
now proposed 70 Mr. Coyode that I should
90 out 70 mat same house. usder the protec-
tion Of al escort and try to find that paper.
Mr. C0yOac was anxious that this should be
done and au-raa mat Ffa RrF-sfs