The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-11-14
Soldiers 8uoqet.
Adventures of a Spy.

j
late war | was constantly engaged in
spying and scouting, being attached to
several well-known commanders, and
some of the adventures | had may be
considered worth reading After the
conference of Grant and Sheridan in
the latter's camp before Winchester.
which resulted in the famous orders to
" Go inl" | was called to Sheridan's
headquarters. Maps of the front of
both armies were shown me. 1t was
a strange country to me, and the map
of the rebel front could not be de-
pended upon as accurate.
want you," said the general, to
scout from one wing of Early's army
to the other between his pickets and
his camps. | want the length of his
lines and lay of the ground. Take
particular notice of streams, highways,
hills and natural defences. | shall eX-
pect you back in three days"
| had nearly new uniform, $50 in
gold, and couple of revolvers. Also,
Sheridan's pass to come and 90 at
pleasure. 1t was about nine O'Clock in
the morning when | received my in
struction, and twenty minutes later |
was riding to the left of our lines. Our
left was at Berryville, confronting
Early's right; our right at Bunker Hill /,
in front of Winchester, confronting his
left. l was going in on Early's right
flank and to move down his lines.
The Opequan creek, respectable-size
stream, lay between the two armies,
and the lines ran through forests and
thickets and over hills and cleared
farms. AS nearly as could be known,
Early had the larger force, and it was
thought that Sheridan would do well to
hold his own against him, saying moth
ing of assuming the offensive. | rode
to the last picket post on our left before
dismounting. The lines were half a
mile apart, running through thicket
and wood, and the rebel picket was
about pistol shot away.
There was no picket firing, and in
the course of half an hour was beyond
the picket and ready to turn to the right.
There was real danger now. l could
hear the hum and hustle of the camps
on my left, not much over quarter of
mile away and | felt that must make
my way down this strip, not over half
mile wide, for five or six miles, eX-
posed every moment to discovery.
The first mile was under cover, but
[ advanced from tree to tree as eau
tiously as an Indian fighter creeping
upon his victim. 1t was well that |
took these precautions. | had reached
the end of the woods, and field about
forty rods wide to cross, when | sud-
denly heard the report of light rifle
only few rods away. | was then
creeping on my hands and knees, and
as the report came man in rebel uni
form stepped out from behind large
tree and picked up squirrel which he
had shot. He had evidently been in
ambush for some time, and had | been
advancing, carelessly, he would GER
tainly have discovered me.
He had several other squirrels, and
after two or three minutes he flung
them over his shoulder and started for
camp. | waited for him to get away,
and then crossed the open space by
creeping along a fence which was
nearly covered by bushes. Then there
was another stretch of woods. broken
by several ravines, and l had reached
the middle of it before | saw any one.
When not creeping on my hands and
position, keeping the lay of the ground
in my mind, and directly l came upon
a spring in a ravine at which a rebel
was filling a string of canteens. | was
on a ridge, and was almost over the
man before l discovered him. He was
so occupied with his work that my
movements had not attracted his atten-
ton, and tlanked him and passed on.
Forty rods away | had to hide in fallen
tree-top to let the picket relief pass me,
and in making the next half mile | en-
countered more than a dozen persons.
Some were after wood, others going to
springs, and two sat on a log playing at
cards, with considerable pile of money
! between them.
| had gone down the front for two
miles by mid-afternOOn, and could re-
member the lay of every acre of land.
Then, as | skirted the creek, | had to
climb over fallen tree, and as | dropped
| lightly on the other side hand seized
my right ankle and thick voice growled
| out
"Sho you've come FIR me, eh? wan
Ter take me back, do you? Well, you
can't do it,"
n plS olIdpplnS lclloW lay uoSl"c tue
log. He had been drinking too much,
but that he was hopelessly drunk | soon
had reason to know AS near as could
gather from his disjointed sentences,
he had had trouble with a sergeant in
his company and came out to hide him
self. In spite of my blue uniform he
took me for the sergeant, and thinking
| had followed him refused to let go OF
my ankle, but meant fight, and in
another minute we were hard at it.
In those days | was something of an
athlete and fighter, but this fellow
was the strongest and most obstinate
l had ever encountered. All his efforts
were aimed at getting clutch on my
throat, and had nearly to kill him to
get loose. There was danger that some
one might appear at any moment, and
it was with thankful heart | got away
from that locality. l soon found,
however, that the woods beyond me
were full of soldiers, some gathering
fuel, others digging roots or gathering
bark, and three or four were after
squirrels. I got into the top of fallen
tree, pulled the brush over and around
me, and decided to wait for darkness