The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-02-16

I felt that a great load had been taken off
my shoulders in this one day; that the secrets
of my trip, which had been carrying around
with me among rebels and friends for months,
had been safely deposited with the Govern
ment, and that | was at last free and could do
as pleased once more.
I had worn the rebel uniform to the Capitol
and into the committee room and given my tes-
timony standing at attention" in it,
In giving my fun testimony to the Commit
tee on the Conduct of the War, | had no
thought of antagonizing the War Department.
My secret service was, in manner, irregular"
and instead Of reporting direct to the War
Office or to a General in the field, / was in
duced to give the story to a committee that
was investigating both. In this way it was
not suppressed " in anybody's interest, but
il afterwards had the effect of antagonizing
certain War Department detectives against my
subsequent services, as will be seen further on.
The first thing that / did with some of the
money which had been given me was TO trim
myself out from head TO foot in the best suit
of clothes that l could find in Washington
ready made. But preserved the uniform for
future use. The next number on the program
was TO take my brother and some of his friends
to " Gautier's," which was then the celebrated
French restaurant-or Chamberlain of to-day
in Washington, where we INDUCED in gener-
Gus layout.
time in April or May, 1862. l cannot recall
with any degree of certainty the length of time
l spent in the city at the time. On one point
/ am safe enOugh-that is, that was obliged to
tarry longer than / wished. 1t was at a time
when the Spring military operations were be-
ing started, slowly enough, by McClellans great
Army Of the Potomac. l was most
ANXIOUS TO BE ON HAND
when he should get into Richmond, that
might be able to make good my words to Capt.
tola, that / should return an officer. ! didn't
say what kind of a uniform expected to wear,
but had lots of fun to myself over the long
hoped-for and expected surprise" when l
should ride into Richmond in a blue uniform,
q staff officer Of the Army Of the Potomac.
While l remained III Washington waiting for
an office, like the ofice-seekers that now hang
about the Departments, | remember that | was
continually worried with the dreadful thought
that McClellan's great army of good-iooking
officers would get there while was being teth-
cred like a young steer in the Capital
My case was left entirely in the hands ofmy
friends s"-that is, l had nothing whatever to
do with it but to wait, which was about the
most difficult part of the job As recollect it,
Mr.. COvOde was not on such particularly good
terms with Mr. Stanton as be had been with
the Pennsylvania Secretary, Gen. Simon Cam
er0n.
ton to be continually g investigating things"
caused the new administration of the War De-
partment some annoyance. Coyode was natur-
ally CamerOn's champion because they were
both Pennsylvania politicians, if for no other
reason. On account of some such feeling as
this, perhaps, il was thought advisable among
my managers" that Mr. Covode should not
personally bother Mr.. Stanton in my interest;
that part Of the contract was to be left to Sena-
tor Cowan and John w. ForRey, while Covode
was 70 see Mr.. Lincoln.
/ loitered about the Capitol great deal dur
ing the session each day, and / suppose, in my
persistence and Testlessness, l bothered these
statesmen good bit. l had assurances from
Alr. CovOde every day that it was all
right" .; but I remembered that this was the
exact way in which he talked to me on the
former visit, and ! was blunt enough to remind
him Of this truth, when he promptly gotit back
on me by saying:
g 1t would have been all right too, if you
had come back here but We all thought you
were dead for so long"
He explained over and over again that the
War Office was SO crowded on account of the
proposed Spring campaign that il was impOssi-
bic to do anything there in a rush.
One day Senator Cowan handed me very
brief note, which read about as follows at the
same time bluntly directing me to go to the
War Department and watch my chance to
present it personally:
Hos. E. N. STANTON, Secretary of War.
DEAR SIR: The bearer is the young man who has
given important testimony 10 the committee. about
whom papers haFe been flied for appointment
where he can d0the most good.
1t IS suggested that you may be able TO learn
something Of additional value from him.
Yours, truly. EDGAR CowAN
The Senator didn't give me a chance to ask
him any foolish questions, but left me abruptly
to talk TO group Of persons who were there
q l.
showed him the letter. which somehow or other
was not satisfactory to me-
Mr. Forney folded it up and handed it back
to me, saying in his elegant way:
" You just take that paper up to Stanton, and
hang TO him till be sees you" Then in a
iatherly way be gave me the advice: Let him
do all the talking; you just answer his ques-
tiOns."
In an hour I was
AT THE OLD WAR DEPARTMENT
again. first put on my gray jacket, but had
covered it with light Spring duster or over
coat at COy0de's suggestion.
The War Department Of 1862 was desolate
looking old affair, built in something after the
architectural style Of the four-story barracks
we sec IN a well-kept arsenal reservation. On
ths second floor long corridor extended from
one end Of the building TO the other. running
east and west, or each side Of which were the
IDoths o. the principal ChfelS. In the SOUTH
east corner, nearest 20 the White House. was
the SecretaTy's apartments, with the location
Of which / was somewhat familiar because of
some previous long waits and mighty short
interviews with Mr. Cameron when he was Sec
retary.
On thi5 visit, as before, I found in this cor
ridor lcag rows Of people seated along the wall.
There were ladies and gentlemen Of all kinds,
clustering officers and few sick-looking sol
dlers, big fat contractors elbowing thin-face
Jewish suffers, C9ugressmen, aud in fact all
sorts Of people aud it is safe 10 say that every
one Of them had been there for hours, perhaps
days, and, may be, IN some cases. weeks pre-
vious, waiting their turn for an opportunity to
I get to talk 10 the Secretary on their own bust
ness, which, Of course, was more important
1 than anybody elses.
There was an Irish soldier of the Regular
/ Army, in citizens dress on duty at the outside
I door as an Orderly or usher. When / saw all
I this gang there ahead Of me / was, 10 say the
T least, stunned; bat, profting by past expert
I ence, made break for the Secretary's Office.
where was stopped by the Orderly, who de-
manded my business. ] was IN a rebel uniform,
( but the Orderly didn't notice that his orders
4 were not TO admit anybody at that time. /
showed him my letter, saying with an assunp-
I tion Of importance that / was sent to the Sec
/ Fetary by Senator Cowan to present it person
! ally Senator's, especially a Democratic
I Senator's, request was really Of greater weight
+. than half dozen common Congressman be.
cause, you know, it was important just then