Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-04-18
A DEAFAND DUMB SPY!

DueInhu ulu uOL leave OudJlduOOBd
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. | was one
of the last sent out and the last to re.
turn, and j had sclose 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 cap
tured and hung, and the Confederates
were on the gui vive to prevent others
from penetrating their lines, | needed
something more than a Disguise
After canvassing the matter for a
while, | adopted the suggestion of a
regimentsl surgeon to play the role of
a 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 he.
fore the start and when Twas ready to
go had mastered the situation. The
surgeon had been assistant superin-
tendent in a deaf anG dumb asylum
for several years, and he was peculiar
ly fitted to teach Inc my steps.
You may reply that any one can
play deaf and dumb and deceive peo-
pie. Yes, any one can, up to GER
tain point. [ was to 60 beyond that
point. If Ut was discovered that
was not what | claimed to be my life
would pay the forfeit was pro-
vided wik a bundle of stationery,
some tobscco, a lot of religious tracts,
articles Of cheap goods and a few
specialties, and 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
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 defend
ed.
| was well within the Confederate
lines before midnight, and at about
that hour | found shelter in a barn
and slept until two hours after day.
light. When l turned out no one was
IN sight, and l had walked fully two
miles along the highway before l met
any one. Then | encountered party
of about thirty cavalrymen going to
the front. I 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 a 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 q dummy!
Hes got face like washboardp
I wrote on my tablet: what do
you want?' and the lieutenant wrote
in reply: who are you, and where
are you going?'
I gave my name as George Smith,
and stated that I was a Confederate
peddler. I opened my bundle, pre-
sented him with some tobacco, and
several of the men made purchases
The officer asked me for my pass, and
l told him that it was taken from me
three days before bJ some Yankee
raiders who had captured me and
turned me loose again.
,'Well, they'll overhaul him back
there, anyhow he said to his SER
geant, and, waving his hand to me, he
gave the order to ride on. l was in
for it now. and must push ahead. 1
could see an encampment down the
road, and any attempt to flank it
would create suspicion. 1t was we'll
that | went ahead, for one of the cav
alrymen 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 al.
most touched my back, but he did not
catch me off my guard. When the
sentinel stopped me I handed him my
name and occupation, and in a few
minutes | was in the presence of the
officer of the guard. While he asked
for my pass, he did not seem suspic
ious. | was escorted to the quarters
Of the officer of the day, and here
came test, made so carelefsly that if
| had not had all my wits about me.
should have been lost. AS we reached
The quarters tho escort said:
Here is deal and dumb man who
has no pass. Capt. Harsher ordered
him here from the guard tent
All right, replied the officer, who
was not even looking at US; and then,
rs the escort started off he half turned
to me and said:
Stand aside for few moments and
will attend to your case.'
His tone was so careless and his
order SO natural that I caught my
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