The Portland daily press., 1889-09-09
A DEAF AND DUMB spy.
IN. Y. SUM-

AIlanIa WITHOUT knowing all about the route
and its distractions. His spies and scouts
passed over almost every mile of distance
and made full and accurate reports. was
one of the last to return, ana had 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
hanged, and the Confederates were on the qui
vive to prevent others from penetrating
their lines l needed something more than a
disguise. After canvassing the matter for
while adopted the suggestion of a regimen
tai surgeon to play the roll of dummy"
was to be deaf and dumb. and carry pencil
and paper, and do my talking that way. He
coached me two or three days before tie
start. and when | 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 certain point. If it was
discovered that was not what l claimed to
be my life would pay the forfeit. was pro-
bacco, lot of religious tracts, articles of
cheap goods and few specialties and l left
the Federal outposts one dark and rainy
evening in good spirits. Obstructing Sher-
mans advance was the mountain barrier
called Rocky Face Ridge. The main gap
through which the railroad and highway
ran and still runs, is called BuZZard's Roost
Gap. Our scouts and spies had reported this
gap so strongly fortified 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.
before 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 had walked fully two
miles along the highway before l met any
one. Then l encountered party of about
thirty cavalrymen going to the front l was
in citizens clothes, had pack on my back,
and. of course. expected to be stopped. The
troop was commanded by 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 sign:
"Dog gone him. he's dummy he's got
face like washboardv'
81 wrote on my tablet: "What do you
want?" and the lieutenant wrote in reply:
who are you and where are you going?"
gave my name as John Smith and stated
that | was Confederate peddler l opened
my bundle, presented him with some tobacco
and several of the men made purchases:
The officer asked for my pass, and / told
him 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, wav-
ride on. | was in for it now and must push
ahead. l could see an encampment down
road and any attempt to flank it would create
suspicion. Ii 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 he did not catch me
off my guard. When the sentinel stopped
me handed him my name and occupation,
and in few minutes was in the presence
of the officer of the guard. While he asked
for my pass he did not seem suspicious.
was escorted to the quarters OF the officer OF
the day, and here came test, made so care
leSSly LUdL IL UdU uUG Hdu my WHO dDOub
me should have been lost. AS we reached
the quarters the escort said: Here is a
deaf and dumb man who has no pass. Capt.
Harsher ordered him here from the guard
tent"
SAN right" replied the officer who was
not even looking at us; and then as the es-
cort started off he half turned to me and
said
Stand aside for few minutes and will
attend to your case"
His tome co aaralpcc and hic nd
natural that caught my muscles moving to
obey. Had picked up my foot / should
have given myself away AS | did not
move, he presently turned to me, seemed
surprised that was there, and began to in
qnlre about me- gave him the details, and
T wlile we were passing the tablet back and
day said to him:
NV I've .h have captured a dummy Mighty
queer that he should take TO peddling among
inc soiulers, but they are queer lot He
says that he had pass from Polk. but tnat
lne tanKs goboled IT when they captured
snot on bis iaft ts a 30 you see that blood
was looking the officer full in the face as
he spoke. felt that he would try some
trick, but he did it SO neatly that he almost
caught me. wlnked, but l did not drop my
"You must have taken him for an impos-
ter" laughed the captain.
1--WE can't be too cautious" was the reply.
and he took the tablet and wrote that
might circulate about the camp until the
guard mount, and then report to the new
officer of the day.
/ got some breakfast, sold out about hall
my goods, and when reported and asked
that might 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 ont
more test before reaching the gap. and that
was prepared for. The soldiersaccepted me
dition excited the sympathies of some, Others
were inclined to ridicule and joke. While
knelt in group joker held pistol close to
my ear and fired it off heard the click o.
t t hammer and was therefore prepared fo1
weak body, with no defenses to speak Of
and got 10 them without trouble, though
my goods were all gone, and / had to claim