The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-07-26
THE R-sOME UNPUBLISHED
HISTORY
The story OF n Remark nb,e sry.
Prom the North American Revts,o.
~ rHs sryciAL PERMISSION or TitK EpiroR.

Copyright 1891. By Lloyd Bryce
Some time In February or March, 1864. a
slender and rrepossessing young fellow, be-
! tween 90 anil 90 apparently. applied at tho War
! Department Ia Washington for employment us
n spy within the Confederate lines. The main
body Of the A my OF Northern Virginia was
then lying at Goidonsvle. and the hca iauai.
| ters OF tho Army OF the Potomac we're at Gull
pepper Court House. Gen. Grant had not yet
como from the West to take command OF the
momentous campaign which finally opened
| with his moveme mt int the Wilderness in the
beginning OF May.
The young man who sought this terrible SER
vico was well dressed and intelligent. and pro-
| fessed to be animated by motives purely patri-
otic. He was a clerk In the Treasury Depart
mcnt or the Interior Department. or possibly
In one of the bureaus of the War Departments;
| l don't remember which. All that he asked
| was that he should have q horse and an order
which would curry him safely through the
| Federal lines; and In return he undertook to
| bring Information from Gen. Lees army and
| from the Government OF the Confederncy in
Richmond. He understood perfectly vol the
perilous nature OF the enterprise he proposed.
Finding that tho applicant boro n good char
nc or in tho Office whore he was employed. 1t
was determined to accent his proposal. lie was
furnished with q horse, an order that would
pass him through the Union lines and also.
believe. with n moderate sum OF money; and
then he departed. Two or three weeks later
he reported nt tho War Department. Ho hal
been In Gordonsvle and Richmond: had OBJ
tnined the confidence OF tho Confederate au-
thorities and was tho bearer Of II lot or
from Mr. Jefferson Davis to Mr.. Clement
c. Clay. the agent OF the Confederate
Government In Canada then known to be stn-
toned at ST. GATHERINGS. not far from Niagara
Falls Mr. Clay lind au hia official kgsppntN
Jacob Thompson OF Mississippi, who hnd Lecn
Secretary OF the Interior in the Cabinet OF Ires-
ident Buchanan. and. like Mr.. Clay. had been
serving the Confederate Government ever
since It's organization. The letter from Mr..
Davis the young man exhibited. but only the
address, W s Ia the D %Hf OF he Con,d'
saysntuTs; ,hat i sss @sSsly etieI Of re-
THOMPSON that they might rerose con.
a4dsy IL eS to He seSs
S Sos a0ns in s vew APPEARED e entirely
prossed 10 Any Niagara ss a' Falls s and Canada lie
made some general report upon the condition
Of the renel army at GordonsvIle but it was OF
no particular value except that In its more in
tel asting eatures 1t agreed with our informa-
lie was NOT long in returning from St. Cath;
crimes with a despatch which was also allowed
uP9 M ~, tsGy
he went back and forward from Richmond to
st. GATHERINGS once or twice. We sup lied him
one or :We more hor.es He EN-, said I that he got cot
some money from the COME !erates. but had
anything more than very small inns since his
professrd zenl Tor the Confederate cause for
bade his rece wing anything for his travelling
cxpenses beyond what was absolutely neces-
sary.
Grants ampasn and the lighting which IRE;
vailed all alo,G the line. soMewl1! tmpeied
coming from Richmond o. from Canada wrre
regularly brought to the War department. and
were opened. and in every case copy OF them
senls and destroy The envelopes in oncnin.
them forward in whA, should apuenr to be the
original wrappers CnminE from Canada the
good deal OF trouble in procuring p,rer OF the
same appearance. | remember. al so; that ono
6sG TIC w,' Mh
We had an imitation sea, engraved but these
DELAYS We're easily noeonnted 'or Mt Richmond
q al oding the Federal Gicke:,ss. At any rae:
agent. and in theirs never seemed to be
shakon by any of these occu' rences.
Mt the War Department with Il document
which. he said. was OF extraordinary con,e
ehsmo o @s lire t" New 20 h
cago by means o. cloci- ma hines that
nd i" be m s s
nuns Museum in New FORK; and TO he set Off
nj So ha ting ri r. en-,
great number Of calls that would be made
nnnn Il, on account OF thee Confederate Coz;
thus hese cities might be greatly uumagcd. or
ey.p destroyei.
was taken to l:ichmonl. and u confidential Of
csr a s sent to New l hars TO m
ms aps was 81 veS
unwilling 10 believe that any such ,ieslgn
Hsnneay .hen SupnrntsndSn, A OF To,o wa:
equally increiuloms But the Secretary of War
was re emn,ory in his orders and when The
military an! the po,ico made every propagation
TO prevent tho thu eatened caias' rophe. Tho 81,
in the, ST. Nicholas Hotel. one of the large g..
tnb.ishmen's thar were to TO set on fire and
Ing. pre-. aratorv to goin. to dinner: q IRE be-
gan burning in the room nrNt 70 his. II was
hy a cock-work apparatus which had been loft
IN that room by u ledger who had departed
sre Wos ' vone
age and without exciting any considerable
public "tentn THINKS to the pre-
tho W WAR Ds: de E rom Mr Gay
a% n.' elan to Of r sG Gns"R IRE in to e ehsaro
nro cd even more abor;iye: do not remen der
that any report OF actual burning was received
Ind substantially terminated for ne seas"n: /.
despatch was brought from Canada sgnrd by
Mr. Clay and add essod TO Mr.. Benln,nin. as
hecrelary OF state IN the Confederate Govern
nient. conveying tho Information that nnnw
aud really 70 milnblo military cEne!ition
heen organized ana lifted out in Canada.
mud woIll make its attack as soon
as practicable. This was after, the well;
known ntiempt unon ST. Adams ana
Lake Chamulail. nnd promised TO bo much
more Injurious. Tho despatch reached WH-h-
m, M Inv InU Al IA
tuihe Mar Department u, II -uul but its I'M
Iortanc in the eyes "I tho Confed ratio agents
had 10 to its being iei.n ed Tor Transportation
with uncommoT care. 1t was placed between
TWO thcknrsses 81 thu pEir OF re niorcrd cnN.
airy ronsar- which he me Sehger WORE and
sewel M SO that whom no was mounted 1t was
hel! h,wcen ~, ,hiGh nmh me saddle ,.,od
It was imme iaIely carried TO Mr.. Stant4pIr.
rea 1t; Thus is serious" lie said 60 over
to the Whit. House and ask til. Prcs lent to
come here" Mr.. Lincoln was found dressing
to 20 to church. AMI he was soon driven To Mr..
Stanton's house. After discussing the subject
In 0v0ry nspect md CunSl lering thoroughly