Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1891-02-19
Saint Harg's Beacon.


Possessing, az msny OF them did,
beauty, fnesse. the instructive knowl-
edge of human nature that enables
the sax TO penetrate the weakest
point of mans armor. and patriot
ism that made them proud 10 assume
any risk that would benefit their
cause. many undertook missions 20
desperate that only their womanhood
saved them from short shift when
discovered.
A case in point occurs to me. We
had fallen back from Fairfax Court
House and gone into camp near Cen.
trsville. Winter was at hand. smoke
curled lszily upward from 10000
clay built chimnsys. Every tree had
been levelsd by the soldiers az; the
old turnpikes were Los. in labyrinth
Of footworn paths, and fields where
only a little while before the wind
played hide and seek among the grow.
ing corn, were now as hard 40 the
bed of a billiard table. The head.
quarters of Beauregard were in q
farmhouse implanted and unprsten.
tious. that once had been the home
of famous Virginia hospitality. but
"the boys had gone to the war;" the
old folks had retired to more congo.
NAL scenss in the interior Of the State,
and all around were signs of ruin.
The plans of Mcclellan, whose ar.
my was encamped in our 'front.' his
fighting strength and the disposition
of his forces. together with the new
phase of public sentiment 10 the
North that was then beginning to
take shape, were at this time subjects
Of grave concern to our commander,
and was important to obtain more
definite information than had been
furnished BY the regular spies. How
to get it, however. and through whom
was the question.
The problem was solved while al
breakfast one morning by q member
of Beaufegard's staff. 81 know Ia.
dy," he said in the neighboring coun'
ty Of Loudon. who possesses every
qualification Of q successful secret
agent. Her name is Mrs. Virgins
Mason. She is young. fascinating
highly educated, q welcome guest il
many Washington families and &C
quainted with q large number o.
Northern people who spent their Win,
ters in the Capita! before the war
Withal. che is widow, her husband
having been killed at the battle oil
Manassas, and brave enough to un.
dertake anything that will serve the
land che loves"
Beauregard instructed the officer
TO ride over to Loudon and invite thu
lady to visit headquarters. and in Z
day or two she appeared. In the in.
tervisw that followed he told hsl
what he required report from Nc
Clellan's army, its condition. the dis
position of his force and the plans
discussed BY the military authorities
in Washington. For this purpose Oh.
was to ingratiate herself with prom.
inent officers, visit New York. Balti
more. the various departments or any
other point where information coulC
be procured. She was also to com
municate with the representatives O
the Confederate government in differ
emit Northern cities.
The lady eagerly accepted the pro
position. and supplied with an abuu.
dance OF money, started at once on
the perilous errand. which meant
glory if she was successful, and prison
II she failed. She returned after az
absence of several weeks, crossing
the Potomac opposite Dumfries, and
arrived at the camp of Colonel, now
Senator Wade Hampton. Thence, es
corted by one of his officers. she wa.
driven to headquarters at Centrsville.
can see her now as she alighted from
the ambulance on to the piazza
of the little brown farm house
q young but matronly lookirg lady,
handsome too. with glowing dark eyes
that looked as if they had frework.
works in them. She was dressed in
black and her only baggage was q
email hand satchel. She was also
accompanied BY shaggy Skye terrier
mere armful, that made soldie,
that hadn't seen q pretty woman 70,
month of Sundays snvious.
What occurred within the door,
that closed upon her was related to
me afterward by Gen. Jordan, then
and subsequently, Bsauregard's Adiu.
taat General. Beaurseard was, Of
course delighted to see it her, and
with woman's vclubility she told
him more in two hours than he re.
membersd in two months. The YER.
bal mart az fha inAn~u;A.. n.