St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1889-04-04

Ridges in build and look, but as soon
as the corporal had close look at
me he acknowledged his mistake.
This occurred just after dark, and
the captain of the battery, who was
in command, sent me to Gen Wayne,
in command of some Georgia state
troops. | was not suspected of being
a Federal spy, but having been ar
rested on charge, and being found
without a pass, it was quite proper
to make further investigation.
There were several officers in the
generals tent when | was taken in
and reported on, and the facts in my
case had no sooner been announced
than one of them, who was a sur
geon in Hoods command, held a
whispered consultation with the gen
eral, and | suspected plot to test
me. My suspicious were soon proved
correct. The escort had retired and
left me standing in front of the en-
trance inside, of course, but just
where | was in the way of any one
coming or going The whispered
consultation lasted about five mill
utes, and then the general casually
remarked to me:
Take seat and l will hear YOU"
The surgeon was looking me full in
the face, and had | made the slightest
move he must have detected it.
"Sit DOWN. commanded the gen
era1 in louder voice.
was looking at his sword hanging
on the tent pole, and | did not turn
my eyes until he wheeled around in
his chair and beckoned to me to APP
proach handed him my tablet and
pencil and he inquired why | had not
pass and where | wanted to go.
explained about the pass as before,
and told him | wanted to go to Dali
ton or Rome and secure more goods.
The general would have been quite
satisfied in five minutes, but the sur
geOn was a keen reader of human ma
was in disguise. Iheard him whisper
his suspicious to others, and their
lack of belief made him all the more
determined to expose me. | had no
fear of any of the rest, but | realized
that it would take all my nerve and
tact to hold out against the surgeon.
Some of the tests he at once put me
to NAV seem trifles to the reader I'M
til he can put himself in the position
l occupied. He rose up suddenly,
crossed over to me, and slapping me
on the shoulder he exclaimed:
Let me see your tonguer'
l had my teeth hard shut or my
jaws would have opened at the COM
mand.
"Straighten up!" was the next COM
mand. | was bumped over, and the
words went through me like bullet.
| did not move, however.
Take your foot off that SASH"
shouted the surgeon, but | looked
from him to the general and showed
my wonder.
Come now, but you're beaten
laughed one of the officers, and as the
others had some remark to make the
surgeon was nettled. He looked at
me hxedly for long half minute, and
then said to his comrades:
Il won t give i'll yet general Please
hold on to him until we are certain
of him one way or the other"
"Oh, certainly; but | think you
have made a mistake this time. A
deaf and dumb person always has an
expression not to be cOunterfelted.
He has told a pretty straight story. y
THAT is true; but / want to study
him little more. Heclaims to have
lost his pass. | want to ask him for
more details What was the date ?"
He turned and put this question to
l., I l. L. ,1,a 4
for it or something of the kind, my
mouth would have got away with
me. His failure provoked another
laugh, and | wrote on the tablet:
What does the officer say? Does
he believe | am q deserter?"
He says you are deceiving u.s."
Il have it hard enough now, with
out being looked upon with ridicule
or suspicion" | wrote, and the gen
eral nodded his head to me and said
to the surgeon:
Il won't keep him longer than noon
tomorrow. The poor cuss has a
hard row to hoe, and l don't want
to discourage him."
The guard was called, and l was
removed to the guard house, which
was log structure and quite COM
Portable. 1t held a prisoner, and
had no doubt that he had been placed
there for a purpose. AS soon as the
door was shut behind me, he came
forward and took nv hand and said ::
"Ah and they have got you, too !.
Both of us must die together!"
l signed to him that l was a deaf
mute, but he replied:
Come no nonsense with me. |
me- | have seen YOU at Sherman S
headquarters a dozen times l am
Jack Ross, Union spy. l was ar
rested here a week ago, tried by
court martial, found guilty and to-
morrow | am to be hung
He trapped himself right on the
start. AS had never been at Sher-
mans headquarters but once, l knew
the name of every spy employed by
that army, and there was no such
person as Jack Ross. He worked
every way he could think of to trap
me, but after a couple of hours he
gave it up as bad job. l did not
go to sleep that night, suspecting
the surgeon would play me some
trick. About midnight he came soft
ly in with a couple of soldiers, and at
signal the men screamed in my ears
| did not move. Then musket was
discharged over my body, and the
surgeon called out:
You careless devil! you have
wounded him !"
Il did not think so, and | did not
awake" until they pulled at me.
Next morning the pretended spy was
taken out, and | was threatened and
bulldozed for an hour After break
fast, as | sat with my back to the
door, it was softly opened, and l