The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-02-27
BAILING JEFF DAVIS.

Hes ID Yankee spy! Despite
his profane expetive the speaker was a
gentleman, but he was very angry. The
others of his party-there were five of
them IN all-were gentlemen, but they,
too, were angry.
The party had just arrived at Wash
ington from the South on an important
secret political mission. 1t was abour
one year after the close of the war, in
troublesome reconstruction days Their
mission was destined to prove fruitful
one, notwithstanding that before they
had reached their objective point-the
White House-their important secret
had leaked out to one person at least,
and he a dyed in the wool yankee"
Hence their perturbation.
Thereby hangs a tale--a revelation
which goes to show that the Southern
leaders knew much sooner than did the
people of the North that jefferson Davis
was to be bailed out from his long cap
tivity; that 80 prominent an abolitionist
as Horace Greeley was to head the list
of some twenty men who, year subse
quent to the arrival in Washington of
the aforementioned delegations, signed
Mr. D4vls's bail bond, and that Presl-
den johnson, who had threatened dire
punishment to "rebels," was to about
face. and so far as in him lay become
Their political Moses to lead them out OF
the wilderness.
The spy" who had 80 greatly incensel
these five men was Capt, Reuben A. Hill,
a native of Naples, Me-. now business
man in Congress street, Boston. When
the war broke out he was in California,
md hatpn natrintfn IIninEn
he raised a company Of cavalry, joined
1.-THE California column" as it was
termed, in the regiment commanded by
famous Col. Kit Carson. He did gallant
service through the war, served at garri-
son duty for some time after at Fort
Union, N. NJ, and resigned and came
home in the spring of 1865. Ihave been
intimately acquainted with Capt. Hill
many years and know him to be man
of unimpeachable veracity. In an inter
view had with him few days ago he
gave me the following interesting nara
tive of his experience with Washington
bound Southerners; revelation which,
had he published 1t at that time, would
have caused a sensation throughout
the North.
up 10 the time of my resignation"
said the Captain, 81 was in command Of
Company /, First California Volunteers,
Col. Kit Carson commanding. 1t was at
Fort Union, N. NJ, where we had been
stationed quite while that l resigned
| had had a long pull of it in the service,
and was right glad to exchange the
sword for the plowshaTe and revisit my
old home and friends in Maine. So /
bid boCd-bye to my companions in arms,
shook hands with grand old Colonel Car
sOn-heaven bless his memOry-whom
was destined never to meet again on
earth, and started for the East. My
Journey was barren of special incident
till reached st. Joseph, Mo-, at which
point the introductory event in my chap
ter of revelation opens.
AT st. Joseph, where we made a
short halt, stepped into the nearest
clothier's and bought citizens suit.
The dealer had no black or dark colored
goods on hand, 80 l did the next best
thing-bought suit of gray. I[ was
about the shade OF Confederate gray
lust a trifle lighter. also purchased a
wide brimmed, light drab felt hat, such
as was common TO the South. These
hastily donned, had my uniform done
IN in stout wrapping paper and once
more boarded the train.
From St. Joseph went TO BurliDg-
ton. Iowa, and then down to ST. Louis.
from there to Chicago and then direct
to Washington.
1--WE crossed the Ohio river at Wheel
inp. w. Va, at which point / went into
The smoking car and sat down. There