Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-09-19
IN THE ENEMY'S LINES.
How a Spy Once Carried News to
General Sherman from Gen
eral Johnston.
Capturing a Rebel Scout and Person
ating Him in the Con-
federate Camp.


an army at Jackson. His idea was to coop
crate with Pemberton, and had things turn
ed out as was arranged for on two or three
different occasions Grant might have found
himself in a bad fix. The country over
flowed. preventing movement of the Con
federate 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 Vicksburg and
Jackson was captured. Grant had over
500 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 out of Vicksburg in a
swamp, in command of a small party of
scouts, and a 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
him covered before he had a show to es-
cape. He was a messenger from 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 p years old, fairly intelli-
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 be ready for a grand sortie
Johnston would arrange to be on hand at
the same time, and Grant would thus be at
tackled front and rear. Sherman was be-
tween them, but with such a meager force
that Johnston did not seem to fear it,
While | knew that Sloan could not be
convicted as a spy, he was badly broken
up with fear that he could. When | there
fore offered to intercede for him, provid-
ing he would furnish me certain Informal
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 this was his first trip as a scout.
He gave me a description of General
Johnston, the conversation had with him.
the names of his Colonel and Captain and
several o. the chums, and much other in
formation which | greatly desired to know.
lie couldn t see my reasons for asking af
ter certain particulars, and pumped him
self dry under the idea that | was simply
queer or curious minded Among the
other particulars he gave me 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 a
plan of it to be sure | had it correctly.
When we took him to Grants headquart-
ers had proposition to make, but it was
not made until the day after the surrender
Then Grant had turned his thoughts from
Nicksburg to jackson, from Pemberton to
Johnston. He at once gave orders to send
off all troops thatc ould be spared to Sher-
man, with further orders that he move on
Jackson, and when | proposed to enter
Johnston lines as spy ! was at once
sent off to Sherman post haste. which
meant as fast as | could ride blOoded
horse. A quarter of an hour from the
time | entered Gen. Sherman S tent | was
out again and making my few prepare
tions. had asked Sloan to exchange his
butternut for a suit of blue, and as he had
been sent to prison to have his case in
vestigated he was not unwilling, | even
took from his neck a buskskin string with
a rabbits foot attached, which he had been
wearing for year as a ''hoodoo" to keep
Yankee bullets away, and his knife, poe
ket comb and other personal property
were transferred to me with the suit.
| reached a Confederate outpost in front
of Jackson one night at 10 o'clock Sher-
man S advance had now driven Johnston
behind his entertainments, and the position
was pretty strong ore. | had a pass for
George Sloan signed by Johnston himself,
and there was delay of only few min
utes in passing into the Confederate lines.
Every one | met inquired about Vicks-
burg and Sherman 5 movements, and no
one seemed to have the slightest suspicion
of my identity. The officer of the day of
the regiment whose sentinel I sought to
pass sent me under escort to General
Johnston's headquarters That Confeder-
ate dignitary had but little use for me- If
| could have reported that had entered
Vicksburg and brought him dispatch
from Pemberton it would not have altered
the case. Vicksburg had fallen and Penn
berton was a prisoner. When | stood be-
fore him he simply said:
Well, you were to late. but am glad
you escaped capture or death. You may
report to Colonel Lount. l may have use
for you again.
saluted and retired and my first bust
ness was to find out who Colonel Lount
was 1t turned out that he was sort of
provost marshal-about as near to the real
article as the Western Confederates ever
had-and, after running around for an
hour | found him and reported.
Sloan, eh?" he queried. as he looked
me over. - Oh, yes: the old man tried to
fly you into Vicllsburg. You are about the
only one out of forty who has had the cheek
to come back. Take care of yourself until
| want you.
He had a brusque. menacing way with
him, but, as he did not question me,
reasoned that he had no suspicious. He
told me to take care of myself. which | in
terpreted to mean that | was to skirmish
around for my rationS There was much
confusion In Jackson Just then. and instead
of seeking to join a soldier mess. | went
down to the railroad and got a room at the
Confederate House, as the hotel was
then called. The house was full of officers,
privates and civilians. and | went off to
bed and out of the way as soon as possible
When | turned out next morning | found
the excitement increased. Sherman was
moving up rapidly. and Johnston was
Strengthening his position to delay the
Federals as long as possible while he ship
his stores away.
| set out after breakfast to inspect the
works. and by the use of my pass when.
ever ! was halted travelled about the en-.
tire day nquestioned At night l calleC
upon Colonel Lount to report myself fol
orders. but he was very busy at the time
and gave me no notice. | slept at tn,
hotel again that night, and next day re
sumed my tramp through the camps. A
o'clock in the afternoon. when | returned
to the center of the town, l knew John
ston's strength to be within 200 men
| had the number of his cannons. tn
strong and weak points in his defenses
and al other narticnlarS General sherman