Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-03-08
A DEAF AND DUMB SPY.

and its distractions. His spies and scouts
passed over almost every mile OF the distance,
and made full and accurate reports was
one of the last sent out and the last 10 return,
and had a close shave Of It. Information
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 Confeder-
ates were on the qui viye to prevent Others
from penetrating their lines. needed some
thing more than disguise After canvass
ing the matter for q while, adopted the
the suggestion of regimental surgeon to
play the role Of dummy l 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 1 was ready to go had mastered
the situation. The surgeon had been assistant
superintendent in deaf and dumb asylum
for several years, and he was peculiarly fitted
to teach me my steps.
You may reply that any one can play deaf
and dumb and deceive people. Yes. any
one can, up to a certain point. l was to go
beyond that point. If it was discovered that
was not what claimed to be my life would
pay the forfeit was provided with bun
die of stationery, some tobacco, lot of re-
hgious tracts, articles of cheap goods and a
few specialties, and l left the Federal out
posts one dark and rainy evening in good
spirits Obstructing Sherman's advance was
the mountain barrier called Rocky Face
Ridge. The main gap, through which the
railroad and highway ran and still run, is
called Buzzard's Roost Gap. Our scouts and
spies had reported this gap so strongly forti-
fed that Sherman felt he could not force it.
Further south is Snake Creek Gap One Of
my objects was to ascertain how this gap was
defended
was well within the Confederate lines be-
fore midnight, and at about that hour
found shelter in a barn, and slept until two
hours after daylight. When l turned out no
one was in sight, and bad walked fully two
miles along the highway before l met any
one. Then | encountered a 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 goingf'
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 sign
Dog gone him, he's dummy! He's got
q face like washboard,'
| wrote on my tablet: What do you
wantt" and the lieutenant wrote in reply:
''Who are you and where are you goingf
l gave my name as George Smith, and
stated that was Confederate peddler
opened my bundle, presented him with some
tobacco, and several of the men made pur-
told him that it was taken from me three
days before by some Yankee raiders who had
captured me and turned me loose again.
We'll, they'll overhaul him back there,
anyhow he said to his sergeant, and, waving
his hand to Inc, he gave me the order to ride
on. l was in for it now, and must push
ahead. | could see an encampment down the
road, and any attempt to flank it would Gre
ate suspicion 1t was well that went ahead,
for one OF the Cavalrymen followed me clear
back to the sentinel on the outskirts of the
camp. He walked his horse directly behind me,
so close that the animals nose almost touched
my back, but be did not catch me off my
guard. When the sentinel stopped me
handed him my name and occupation, and
in few MINUTES l was in the presence of the
officer of the guard. While he asked for my
pass, he did not seem suspicious. | was es-
corted to the quarters of the officer Of the
day, and here came a test made SO carelessly
that if | had not had all my wits about me
should have been lost. As we reached the
quarters the eicort said:
Here i, Il deaf and dumb man who has no
pass Capt. lIarshcr ordered him hero from
the guard tent"
"All right" replied the officer, who was not
even looking at us; and then, as the escort
started of he half turned to me and said
''Stand aside for few minutes and / will
attend to your case"
His tone was so careless and his order so
natural that | caught my muscles moving to
obey. Had picked up foot should have
given myself ANY. As | did not move, no
presently turned To me, seemed surprised
that was there, and began to inquire about
me- gave him the details, and while We
were passing the tablet back and forth a cap
tain came up. The officer of the day said
to HIM:
I'VE have captured a dummy. Mighty
queer that he should take to peddling among
the soldiers, but they are queer lot. He
says he had pass from Polk, but that the
Yanks gobbled it when they captured him
the other day. Do you see that blood spot
on his left cuff
he spoke l felt that he would try some
trick, but he did it so neatly that he almost
caught me. Iwinked. but did not drop my
eyes
you must have taken him for an impos-
tor" laughed the captain.
1--WE can't DO too cautious" was the re-
ply, and he took the tablet and wrote that /
might circulate about the camp until guard
mount and then report to the new officer Of
the day.
got some breakfast, sold out about half
my goods and when | reported and asked
that mi. 1t pass on no objection was made.
/ found troops everywhere now and being
so far within the lines no one questioned my
right to be there. underwent but one more
test before reaching the gap and that I was
prepared for. The soldiers accepted me for
what ! claimed to be, and while my condi-
ton excited the sympathies of some, others
were inclined to ridicule and joke. While I
knelt in a group joker held pistol close to
my ear and fired It Off | heard the click Of
the hammer ami "as therefore prepared for
the report | luand the gap covered by 0
weak body, with no defenses to speak Of, and
got through them without trouble, though
my goods were now all gone, and | had to
claim that was on my way to Dalton after
. new stock [ WAS arrested after entering
the gap and the arrest came about through Q
corporal in battery of artillery, who ar first
conteDded that he recognized me as a deserter
named William Ridges. 1t appeared that
closely resembled Ridges in build and look,
but as soon as the corporal had a close look
at me he acknowledged his mistake This
occurred just before 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 9
Federal spy, but having been arrested on .
charge, and being found without a pass, it
was quite proper to make a further investi-