The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-03-01

S,apsain Reuben 4. Hin tells n very sing
ular STORY Of how. not long after the Gloss
of the war, hc did "a little amateur spy
work. and confidcncett five Southern col-
onels out of what was mt the time either u
moss important secret ar - very shrewu
eusss, Says the Bridgcton tMcJ corrcs-
pcutkcnt of the Gtobc~fenorruf captaan
Hill is a native of Naples, this state. and
there, ~ indeed. wherever he has been
s~tatioucSl, has sustained n high reputation
for tvushfulne-s. When the war broke
OUT hc was in California, where he
promptly raised u column of cavalry,
serving under Colonel Kit Carson. lie did
Gallant service through the war, ami sub
s~eoucntly did garrison duty at Fort Union.
Tex. IL was i'm 1ss6. when returning home
from the latter point, that he had "a pcc,-
liar adventure, of which hc gives the Toll
lowing account:
u To- the time of my r~.-ignation ! was
in command 81 Company i. First Caiifor-
mia Volunteers. Colonel Kit Carson ROM
ppan,ing. IL WAS AT Fort Union h Texas
wber. we had been stationed quite ~ while
that I assigned. L had had "a long pull of
IL in the service and was right glad To SEX
change the sword for the plowsharc" and
revisit my old home and friends i'm Maine.
So babe goodbye Ia my companions in
arms. shook hands with grand old Colonel
Car-on-whom l was destined never to
meet again on carth-ands started Tor the
incident iii i reached ~. Joseph, Mo-, at
which point the introductory event in my
chapter of revelations opens.
AT ~. Joseph. where. VIC made "a short
halt. I stepped into the nearest clothicr's
and houGht a citizens suit. TIL" dealer
had no black or hark-eoi"r,,i so1tis ON
bought u suit Of gray. IL was about the
shade of Confederate gray just II trifc
li0ht .lrlb felt hat, such as Was common
in the South. These l hastily donncd.
had my uniform done mp i'm stout wrap
ping paper and once more boarded the
train. From 81. Joseph l went To bur
lington. Ia, then down To 81. Louis. from
there To Chicago and then direct I" WASH
w crossed the Ohio river at Wheel
ing, w. Va. ut which point, ! went nto
was no one in the car when l entered IL.
hut soon after leaving Wheeling station q
party Of five men came in and seated
looked them over and readily
made up my mine that they
in sentiment, but were a delegation of
representative men bound on some sort
of political business. Why: because
cultured, refined. in fact, seemed like
public men; they acted like persons hav-
, IN oaI ,gT;, color ~ ro nma s,Yi.. nn,i t iarD c wed
me as IL half susl.cting my political
status. The more | thought of il the
rnorr I Was strengthened i'm my belief,
and although dctcst duplicity. my mill
tary experiences in necdful strategy had
left AN easy door to my conscience To mas,
qncrs.de as ai cNNonfcdcratc and find
Ont what ] could of the rpo of this
mysterious delegation. My clothes were
familiar with the manners and customs
Of the South. So ] just laid low and
waited the development of events. ! did
not have tn wait long.
"prctty soon the gentleman who sat
nearest to nc courtcously asked mo who
w an ami ;i,a w'' Suited ! van ma ir'1 Told T Tim Si,s
from Texas. and had served a. lieutenant
under Sibiey; AsI knew all about the
making my companions believe ! was
what pretended To fs.. Thcnccforth
everything was lovely. We at once he
came pretty nudge. and continued So all
talking and listened. Now and then ] put
ought To have been hanged bcforr the war.
said that Horace. Greeley had done more
To stir up strife than amy other man, and
she South would always cherish a bitter
Ia tired against him."
IT his wo hin, them upi and They I', out,
representing various sections and hound
On a secret political crrand proved cor
rect. To beRin with they conii.issi tn mc
the interesting bit Of intelligence that it
was confidently expected tn get ex-PrSsi-
den. Davis out of the prison bail!
GOOD: | exclaimed. But how i'm the
world can il In. done: OF sourss..in order
TO have the movement of any force il
man i'm the North. and wlicrs. can such a
man b.
Hes found already said ths. chief
spokesman of the company. III il none
other than Horace Greeley
"tSou don't sayc
"'Scs. Mr.. Greeley has promised tn be-
first bonLsman for Mr.. Davis on u hail
bond of S1OJyOOO.'
"To say that i was ,huulcrstr,rck Is a
tame figure OF speech. Mind you. this
was a little mor,, than ~ year before the
thing actually took bs.forc the
North had the least inkling of IT,. I man
aged Ia SUPPRESS my emotion AMI con-
sipued my inquiries.
but What about Andy Jolnison 49,
said l.. You know how hard he's been
on us fellows. threatening ms with .'back
seats" the halter" and other ~r,v'ugcful
things
al ls.g Of youuoi tn borrow amy trouble
on that scOr.'. President johnson IL all
right. Two of us here have already had
an interview with him, and our prxssrnt
mission is tothe executive nansiou Ia rulI
IN the president on this very bail mntoer
Yes. President johnson il with us LA tlais
movement, and in due course of timc Mr.
Davis will he liberated. But cvcrythinu
must he kept quiet for "A while. for ~ tile
Northern people find il out President na.
Wis will surely he hanged.
"Their tongues continued to run on.
and everything went ON smoothly la-
tween us. question whether they would
have been To free i'm their talks had they
not looecrcd their tongues somewhat will
Potations from their spiritual TASKS
Well, at last We reached Harper's Ferry