Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1888-05-23
HOURS WITH MEN AND WOMEN OF THE
REVOLUTION.
THE SPY OF THE NEUTRAL GROUND.

THE SPY OF THE NEUTRAL GROUND.
copyrighted. 1888. by Funk & WagnaHs.l
Soon after the publication of my Pictorial
Field Book of the Revolution l received a
note from the eminent physician and schol-
ar, the late Dr. John w. Francis, saying
'fCome to my house this evening and
meet an old friend of mine who wishes to
see you and tell you something about
Enoch Crosby"
was introduced to Mr.. M, a ven-
cradle gentleman, who said he had read my
work, with much interest, for in his young
manhood he had known some men and wo-
men of the Revolution. 'Indced," he said,
81 was one of the boys of the period, for l
was born in ITO and am eighty-two years
old'
l thanked him for his kind intentions to
give me trustworthy information about
, Enoch Crosby, who appears almost like a
myth in history and romance.
81 observe" he said, "that in writing of
Enoch Crosby as the original of Harvey
Birch, of Cooper's novel The Spy, you al
lude to doubts having been cast upon that
identity. 1 will tell you what know about
Enoch Crosby, personally and from my
father, who was his neighbor and friend
Why, have NO more doubt of Enoch
Crosby being the original of Harvey Birch
than have Of my own existence. Cap
tain Barnum's little book, to which you al
| lude, believe to be true, every word of it,
SIR"
"But Mr. Cooper makes declaration
that puzzles me,'' said. SIN the summer
of 1850 wrote to Mr. Cooper and inquired
about the trustworthiness of Barnum's mar
rative. To my surprise, he replied that he
had never seen the Look, though it had
been dedicated to him almost quarter oi
century before; also, that he never heard
the name of Enoch Crosby uttered before
be wrote The Spy, in 1920, nor since, until
it was coupled with his Harvey Birch. He
referred me to the introduction to the re-
vised edition of The Spy, then recently
published.
81 have read that introduction" said
Mr.. M, and it confirms my conviction
of the identity of Harvey Birch and Enoch
Crosby. He tells us as plainly as if be ha6
spoken the words. that John Jay, who was
Chairman of the Committee of Safety, re-
lated the 'anecdote' to which he refers
Jay was, of course, in honor bound not tC
mention the name of the secret agent he
had employed, for the character of a spy il
held to be disreputable, though it may be q
patriotic one."
"Did you know Enoch Crosby person
ally?' inquired.
I "Yes. We resided near the Weschestel
iand Putnam County line, not far from the
Crosby homestead, where the patriotic hero
dwelt His wife was a distant relation o.
my father, and Crosby visited us frequent.
ly when / was young man. was always
delighted by listening to his stories of ad
venture during the war, as given long years
afterward by Captain Barnum. When
was more than fifty years OF age, in busi
ness in this city, read Cooper's Spy alout
to my aged father, at my house, and We
continually remarked Harvey Birch re
sembled Enoch Crosby so much ? AnG
when Captain Barnum's book was pub
lished we recognized truthful record o.
many of the incidents in the career o.
Crosby which we had heard from his owr
lips.
81 distinctly remember" continued Mr.
M, ''that while on a visit with my
} father at his country home, soon after Bar
NUNS little book appeared, | rode witt
him to Bedford to see Mr.. Jay on somt
business. 1t was beaut ful.spring day.
We found the venerable statesman sitting
on the piazza of his pleasant mansion nea
budding wisteria vine. He knew m!
, father well. In the course of their conver
sation my father referred to Barnum
book. Mr.. Jay had not seen it. Wher
my father observed that it made the thel
venerable Enoch Crosby the reality of tn,
, fictitious Harvey Birch the old gentleman
{ smiled and said :
{ "'Enoch Crosby did noble service in tn
| war. He was as bold as lion and as Gun
| ming as fox. Cooper has certainly toll
/ much in The Spy of what I knew of Cros
/ by's doings. But on that subject I desir
, to neither affirm nor deny"
\, This remark of course closed the conveI
> sation on that subject.