The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-02-27
WAS 1T WILKES sooTHH
An Episode in Gen. sheridan's Career Dur
ing the Late War.
TSborfdanfs Men,ofrs


Although hadadOpted the general rule
of employing only soldiers as scouts, there
was an occasional exception to it. man
named Tomas, who claimed to be Mary
lander, offered me his services as a spy,
and coming highly recommended from
Mr.. Stanton, who had made use of him in
that capacity, employed him. He made
many pretensions, often appearing over
anxious 10 inpart information seemingly
intended to impress me with his inn
portance, and yet was more than ordi-
nariy intelligent, but in spite of that my
confidence IN him was by no means I'M
limited. l often found what he reported
TO me as taking place within the Con-
federate lines corroborated by Goungs
men, but generally there were discrepan-
cies in his tales which led me to suspect
that he was employed by the enemy as
well as by me. felt, however, that with
good watching he could do little harm,
and if my suspicious were incorrect he
might be very useful, so | held on to him.
Early one day in February Tomas was
very solicitous for me to employ a man
who, he said. had been with Mosby, but
on account of some quarrel in the irregu-
lar camp had abandonded that leader.
Thinking that with two OF them | might
destroy the railroad bridge east of Lynch
burg, | concluded to give him en-
plOyment, at the same time informing
Col. Young that l suspected their fidelity,
however, and that we must test it bv shad-
owing their every movement. When Lo-
mas companion entered my room he was
completely disguised, but on discarding
the various cOntrivances by which his
identity was concealed he proved to be a
rather slender, dark-complexioned, hand
some Young man, of easy address and cul
tivated manners. He gave his name as
Renfrew, answered all my questions salts
factoTily, and went into details about
Mosby and his men which showed an in
timacy with them at some time. ] ex-
planned TO the two men the work 1 had
laid out for them, and stated the sum of
money l would give to have it done, but
Hpulated that in case OF failure there
would be no compensation whatever be-
yOnd the few dollars necessary for their
expenses. They readily assented, and it
was arranged that they should start
the following night. Meanwhile Young
had selected his men to shadow
them, and in two days reported my spies
az being concealed at Strasbufg, where
they remained, without making the slight
est effort to continue on their mission, and
were busy, no doubt, communicating with
the enemy, though / was not able to fasten
this on them. On the 10th of February
they returned to Winchester and reported
their failure, telling s. many lies about
their hazardous adventure as TO remove
all remaining doubt as to their double
dealing. PROFESSIONALLY they were spies
from the enemy, and hence liable 10 the
usual penalties OF such service; but it
struck me that through them might de-
ceive Early as to the time OF opening the
spring campaign, having alreadyreceived
from Gen. Grant an intimatlon of what
was expected of me. l therefore retained
the men without even a suggestion of my
knowledge of their true character, Young
meanwhile keeping close watch over all
their doings.
Toward the last OF February Gen. Early
had at Staunton two brigades of infantry
under Wharton. All the rest of the in
fantry, except EchOl's brigade, which was
in southwestern Virginia, had been sent
to Petersburg during the winter. and Fitz
Lees two brigades of cavalry also. Ros-
ser's men were mostly at their homes,
where, on account OF lack of subsistence
and forage in the valley, they had been
permitted to go, subject to call. Lomaxs
cavalry was at Aliilboro, west of Staunton,
where supplies were obtainable. 1t was
my aim to get well on the road before
Early could collect these scattered forces,
and, as many of the officers had been in
the habit of amusing themselves fox hunt
hunting during the latter part of the win
ter, decided to use the hunt as an expedi-
ent for stealing a march on the enemy,
and had 1t given out officially that
a grand fox-chase would take place on the
Goth of February. Knowing that Tomas
and Renfrew would spread the announce
ment South, they were permitted to see
several red foxes that had been secured,
as we'll as a large pack of hounds which
Col. Young had collected for the sport,
and were then started on a second ex-
petition TO burn the bridges OF course
they were Swallowed as usual, and two
DAYS later, after they had communicated
with friends from their hiding place in
Newton, they were arrested. On the way
North to Fort Warren they escaped from
their guards when passing through Balti-
more and / never heard of them again,
though ! learned that after the assassin
alton of Mr. Lincoln, Secy. Stanton
strongly suspected his friend Tomas of be-
ing associated with the conspirators, and
it then occurred to me that the good
looking Renfrew may have been Wilkes
Booth, for he certainly bore strong re-
semblance to Booths picture.
Woods and the Cabinet.