Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-18
MISSING FOR YEARS.
Found After a Search of More Than
Twenty-Five Summers.
THE MAN WHO CARRIED A MESSAGE
It Induced General Sheridan to Make the
Winchester Attack.
ROMANTIC INCIDENT OF THE LATE WAR

which induced Sheridan to make the attacl
on the Confederate forces at Winchester ha
just been found, through the efforts of .
Philadelphia soldier.
The negro is Thomas Laws, and he is a
present living in Virginia, not far from the
historic spot where occurred the incident
which will doubtless give to his name, now
that is known, an immortal place in the
records of the rebellion. He is the man
whom Sheridan. appreciating the great i'm.
portance of his romantic part, was so eager
to find after the war; who is mentioned in
the great soldiers memoirs, and for whom
hundreds have been on the lookout for
years. He was given up as dead long ago.
II will be remembered that he carried the
message wrapped in tin foil and held it un-
der his tongue, prepared to swallow 1t If
caught by the confederate picket
The event was one of the romantic Incl
dents of the war and the discovery of one of
the missing characters, whose life is given a
remarkable interest by the part he played
in IL, is entirely in keeping with the dra-
matte features of the famous affair. From
her part in it Miss Wright has become
known in history as the "Heroine of Win
chester"
The Story Renewed the Interest
About six years ago Miss Wright, who,
since the war, has become Mrs. Bonsal was
given q reception by Grand Army Post No.
2, at the post rooms, Thirteenth and Spring
Garden streets, this city. On that occasion
Colonel Newhall, who was an Adjutant
General on Sheridan's staff, told the story
of the romantic act Of Miss Wright and the
brave negro. It excited great interest
among his hearers, to many of whom it was,
however, familiar. But it also especially
excited fresh interest in the finding of the
negro.
Among those who heard Colonel Newhall
tell the story was William j. Wray, men,
Der Of the Twenty-third Regiment, Penn
sylvania Volunteers, who had served in the
Army of the Potomac. He is the secretary
of the organization of the survivors of the
Sixth Army Corps, and was one of party
of old soldiers representing the corps who
. ent to Winchester last September to dedi-
cate q monument erected to the memory of
General David A. Russell, who was killed
September 10, 1864, in the attack which
Miss Wright famous message had prompted
Sheridan to make.
After the ceremonies Wray, whose inter-
est in the lost negro had been renewed by
the visit to the scene, was sitting on the
hotel porch when an old negro came among
the group. The presence of the old man
dams missing man.
''Where is the colored man who took Miss
Wright's message?" Mr. Wray asked him.
'I'se de man." replied the old negro, 'I'se
Robert Dixon, who took Miss Wright's
In consequence of having from time to
time made this claim, Dixon had become
somewhat local celebrity, but the old resi-
dents knew his story was false. Still he at
tracted the attention of the visiting soldiers.
He Was The Lost Scout.
To Robert A. Liant, of Tarrytown, New
York, who was one of the visiting party,
Mr. Wray related the circumstance of the
message, and he became particularly in
terested in the case.
After questioning the old man Mr. Liant
was inclined to believe that he was in fact
the lost scout, and it was proposed to raise
a fund to keep him from want during the
remainder of his life. But in view of so
many bogus claimants having appeared in
past years it was decided to have Miss Wright
see him first.
Upon returning to Tarrytown Mr.. Liant
opened correspondence with Mrs Bonsal,
who is now a clerk in the Treasury Depart.
ment, suggesting that she fix time and
place to which the man could be sent for
examination. It happened to be her inten-
tion to 60 to Winchester in a few weeks, so
it was agreed to wait until that time. She
had little faith in the mans story, however,
and her suspicion that he was another bogus
claimant was confirmed the moment she saw
him.
In the meantime the matter had been
noised about that section of the country, and
report came that there was man living in
a neighboring town, who had,
upon hearing the story, said he was the
man, Again, however, Miss Wright thought
it was another bogus claimant, and though
she intended to go to see him she was re-
quired to return to Washington before the
occurred.
A Happy Moment for Both.
She wrote out, though, a series Of ques-
tions and left them to be sent to the negro
to answer. Instead of replying to them in
the manner she intended, he appeared at
her home in Washington few days after
and identity followed in an instant. 1t was
q happy moment for the famous woman
Both she and Sheridan had been on the look
out for him for years, and clew after clew
had been run out without avail.
The part the negro played has thrilling
interest. General Grant, who was at the |
time stationed at Petersburg, had deter |
mined to clean out the Confederate forces in |
the Shenandoah Valley, where they had |
given a great deal of trouble. Sheridan was |
there for this purpose with 81, 900 |
men. including 5000 cavalry. Marching
down the valley, ne found General Early
was at Winchester. As he feared that |
Early had received large reinforcements
from Lees army near Richmond, Sheridan
was at loss to know what to do. He feared |
that he was greatly overmatched in num-
oers. The situation was made more puz-
cling by conflicting accounts of the enemv's
forces and position brought in BY his
scouts
"If We could only reach some intelligent,
oval person in Winchester" he remarked
10 one of his scouts, 1--WE might learn what,
re want to know"
The scout had heard of Miss WRIGHT. a
country school teacher, whose espousal of
he Union cause had ostracised her in win.j
chester society and made dissension even in;|
Ter own family.
The Note Was U nder His Tongue.
In short, Sheridan, after further consul
alton, decided to try to get note to her,
t was prepared and given to a scout. who
ound the negro and made arrangements for
i'm to get into Winchester with it. With
he note wrapped in tin foil under his
ongue, the colored man started out on the
,erilous adventure
The remainder of the story is best told in
Hiss Wright's words. 'It was," she has
written, "while sitting at my desk at noon
n my little school room in Winchester. Va.
hat heard the ring at the front door, and
vas told an intelligent, well-dressed coiored
nan wished to see Miss Wright. He was
0 or IS years old, and said he wished tn COO
ne privately, closing all doors and looking
bout in such ways that he alarmed
,e SO that I demanded very positively