Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-09-19
How a Spy Once Carried News TO
General Sherman from GEN
eral Johnston.
Capturing Rebel Scout and Person.
atiug Him in the Con-
federate Camp.

flowed, preventing a movement OF the Con-
tederate army. Grant gained certain adj
vantages where his total defeat was looked
for, and during the last three weeks of the
siege every single rebel scout or spy at
/ tempting to pass between NiCkSburg and
jackson was captured Grant had over
3 sos men ON the watch for these gentry, and
as slick as some of them were, not man
passed the lines.
Two days before the surrender was
/ lying ten miles ont Of Nicksburg in a
swamp i'm command of small party of
| scouts, and rebel messenger, making his
/ way through the morass. entered the thicket
IN which we were concealed. We had
! been watching his approach, and we had
I him covered before he had a show TO es-
cape. He was a messenger Gum Johnston,
/ but as he was "a butternut and not strictly
within our lines, he could not be called a
/ spy. His name as he gave it, was George
Sloan. He was - years old, fairly mtelh-
gent, and stated that he had been detailed
/ from an Arkansas regiment The dispatch
/ from Johnston TO Pemberton was concealed
/ in the lining of his boot leg. and was a re-
quest that the latter should set date when
/ he would he ready for "a grand sortie.
| Johnston would arrange 10 be ON hand at
! the same tune, and Grant would thus be at
: tackled front ana Year Sherman was be-
/ tween them, but with such meager force
I that Johnston did not seem 10 fear it,
While knew that Sloan could not bc
| convicted rs "a spy, he was badly broken
/ up with fear that he could When ! there
/ fore offered to intercede for him, proyid-
! ing he would furnish me certain iuiorma-
/ ton he was not slow TO close the trade.
| We were Of the same height and weight,
and looked near enough alike TO be broth
/ ers His regiment was not then In Jack
son. and TINS was his FIRST trip as scout
/ He gave me a description of General
I Johnston, the conversation had with him,
the names Of his Colonel and Captain and
several of the cmms, and much other in
/ formation which greatly desired to know
! He cOuldn { see my reasons for asking at-
ter certain particulars, and pumped him
self dry under the idea that ! was simply
queer or curious minded. Among the
other particulars he gave rae the names OF
three citizens of Jackson with whom he
/ was acquainted, and one in whose house
\ he had spent several nights He described
/ the house outside and in and drew d
! plan Of it TO be sure ! had 1t correctly
| When we took him to Grants headquart
ers had proposition tomake, but 1t was
not made until the day after the surrender
! Then Grant had turned his thoughts from
! Vicksburg 10 Jackson. from Pembcrtou {,
! Johnston He at once gave orders 20 senC
| off all troops thutc Ould be spared 10 Sher.
man, with further orders that he move on
| Jackson lnd when proposed 10 enter
Johnston lines as a spy was at once
sent OIL To sherman post haste, which
meant as fast rs could ride a ho0ded
horse. A quarter of an hour from the
time ! entered Gen Sherman tent ! was
out again and making my few prepare
tious ! had asked Sloan to exchange has
butterut for "a suit of blue, and as he had
been sent 90 prison 10 have his case IN
ycstigated he was not unwilling even
took from his neck buskskin string with
a rabbit foot attached, which he had been
wearing for a year rs "hoodoo" 10 keep
Yankee bullets away, and his knife poe
ket comb and other personal property
were transferred TO me with the suit.
reached % Confederate outpost in front
Of Jackson one night at 10 O'Clock SHEER
man advance had now driven Johnston
behind his entertainments, and the position
was a pretty troug one. / had a pass for
George Sl0au signed by Johnston himself.
and there was a delay OF only few min
utes In passing into the Confederate lines.
Every one ! met inquired about Nieks-
burg and Sheman's movements, and no
one seemed 10 have the slightest suspicion
of my identity. The officer of the day of
the regiment whose sentinel ! sought %