St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1889-05-18


Escheweth the ice-cream Establishments, the
caramers expense
Who Quoteth Dio Lewis, goetb early 70 bed.
And rseth In the morning with clear and
cheerful head.
C. Ingli.. in Good Housekeeping.
A DEAF AND DUMB SPY.
Tho Great Part I Played Serving
Under Sherman
Sherman did not leave Chattanooga
for Atlanta without knowing all about
the route and its Instructions His spies
and scouts passed over almost
every mile OF the distance. and made
full and accurate reports. l was one
Of the last sent out and the last to re-
turn. and had q close shave Of It In
formation was required which obliged
me to enter the Confederate camps and
see with my own eyes. and as two or
three OF our spies had been captured
and hung. and the Confederates were
on the gus cire to prevent others from
penetrating their lines, needed some
thing more than adisguise. After can
wasting the matter for q while. Iad0pt-
ed the suggestion of . regimental sur
geon to.play the role of dummy" I
was to be deaf and dumb. and carry
pencil and paper. and do my talking
that way. He coached me for two or
three days before the start and when
was ready to 60 1 had mastered the sit
uation. The surgeon had been assist
ant superintendent In a deaf and dumb
asylum for several years. and he was
peculiarly fitted to teach me my stepa
You may reply that any one can
ssplay deaf and dumb" and deceive peo-
pie. Yes, any one can, up to a certain
point was to go beyond that point
If it was discovered that was not what
I claimed to be my life would pay the
forfeit was provided with q bundle
of stationery. some tobacco. lot Of re-
ligious tracts. articles Of cheap goods,
and a few specialties, and l left the
Federal outposts one dark and rainy
evening in good spiritA Obstructing
Sherman's advance was tho mountain
barrier called Rocky Face Ridge. The
main gap. through which the railroad
ard highway ran and still run. is called
Bunards Roost Gap. Our scouts and
spice had repor led this gap so strongly
fortified that Sherman felt that he
could not force il. Further south is
Snake Creek Gap One Of my objects
was to ascertain how this gap was de-
Tended.
was we'll within the Confederate
lines before midnight. and at about that
hour l found shelter In q barn. and
slept until two hours after daylight.
When turned out no one was in sight,
and had walked fully two miles along
the highway before I met any one.
Then encountered . party Of about
thirty cavalrymen going to the front
] was in citizens clothes. had a pack
on my back. and. Of course. expected to
be stopped. The troop was commanded
by a Lieutenant. and as he came up he
ordered halt and queried Of me:
who are you. and where are you
going?"
Here was the first test The men had
gathered around me. and every one had
his eye upon me. 1t was a compliment
to me that one OF the men called out
before had made a sign:
dog gone him. he's dummy! He's
got face like washboardr'
Iwrote on my tablet: '.What do you
want?" and the Lieutenant wrote in re-
ply: who are you, and where are
you going?
gave my name as George Smith.
and stated that was q Confederate
peddler. I opened my bundle. pre-
scented him with some tobacco. and sew
eral of the men made purchases. The
officer asked for my pass. and told
him that it was taken from me three
days before by some Yankee raiders
who had captured me and turned me
loose again.
well. they'll overhaul him back
there. anyhow" he said to his sergeant.
and. waving his hand to me. he gave
me the order to ride on. was in for
it now. and must push ahead. ] could
see an encampment down the road. and
any attempt to flank it would create
suspicion. 1t was well that ] went
ahead. for one of the cavalrymen fol-
lowed me clear back to the sentinel on
the outskirts of the camp. He walked
his horse directly behind me. aud SO
close that the animals nose almost
touched my back, but he did not catch
me of my guard. When the sentinel
stopped me l handed him my name ana
occupation. and in few minutes l was
In the presence of the officer of the
guard. While he asked for nv pass.
he did not seem suspicious l was es-
corted to the quarters OF the officer Of
the day, and here came a test. made SO
carelessly that il had not had all NV
wits about me I should have been lost
As We reached the quarters the escort
said:
Here is q deaf and dumb man who
has no pass Captain Harsher ordered
him here from the guard tent
All right replied the officer who
wAs not svan looking q Us; and then.