Iron County news. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1890-189?, 1891-02-28
A SPY'S PLAN.
HOW MRS. VIRGINIA MASON HOOD.
WlNKED THE UNION OFFICERS.
she Hid Papers which Were OF Great
Importance TO the Southern Army
Between Two Dog skins.

Some OF the most valuable. MS well
as courageous, secret agents Of the
south during the war were ladies.
Possessing. as many OF them did,
beauty, iinesse, the instructive knowl-
edge Of human nature that enables tho
sex to penetrate the weakest points of
mans armor, and patriotism that
made them proud to assume any risk
that would benefit their cause, many
undertook missions so desperate that
only their womanhood saved them
from short shrift when discovered.
A case In point occurs to me, writes
Felix q. de Fontaine in the N. Y.
Press. We had fallen back from Fair
fax Court House, and gone into camp
at Centerville. Winter was at hand,
and smoke curled lazily upward from
10000 clay-built chimneys. Every
tree had been leveled by the soldiers
AK; the old turn-pikes were lost in a
labyrinth of foot-worn paths and fields.
whore only n little while before the
wind played hide and seek among the
growing corn, we're now as hard as
the bed of billiard table. The head
quarters OF Beauregard were in farm
house, implanted aud unpretentious.
that once had been the home of famous
Virginia hospitality, but 1.-THE boys had
gone to the war;" the old folks had re-
tired to more congenial scenes in the
interior of the state, and ali around
were signs of ruin.
The plans of Mcclellan, whose army
was encamped in our front, his fight
ing strength and the disposition of his
forces, together with the new phase of
public sentiment Ia the north that was
then beginning to take shape, were at
this time subjects Of grave concern to
our commander, and it was important
to obtain more definite information
than had been furnished by the reg
ular spies. How to get it, however.
and through whom was the question.
The problem was solved while at
breakfast one morning by member of
Beauregard's staff. i know lady,"
he said, lin the neighboring county of
London, who possesses every qualiiica-
ton of a successful secret agent. Her
name is Mrs. Virginia Mason. She is
young. fascinating. highly educated,
a welcome guest in many Washington
families. and acquainted with large
number Of northern people who spent
their winters in the capital before the
war. Withal. she is a widow, her hus-
band having been killed at the battle
of Manassas and brave enough to un-
dertake anything that will serve the
land she loves"
Beauregard instructed the officer to
ride over to London and invite the
lady to visit headquarters, and in a
day or two she appeared. In the in
terview that followed he told her what
he required-a report from McClel-
lan's army. its condition, the DISPOSE
ton of his forces, and the plans dis
cussed by the military authorities in
Washington. For this purpose she
was to ingratiate herself with promi-
nent officers. visit New York, Balti-
more, the various departments. or any
other points where Information could
be procured. She was also TO commu-
nicate with the representatives of the
confederate government in different
cities of the north.
The lady eagerly accepted the prop
osition, and supplied with an abund-
ance of money, started at once on the
perilous errand, which meant glory IL
she was successful, and prison II she
failed. She returned after an absence
of several weeks, crossing the Potomac
opposite Dumfries, and arrived at the
camp of Col. (now senator) Wade
Hampton. Thence. escorted by one
of his officers, she was driven to head
quarters at Centerville.
can see her now as she alighted
from the ambulance on the piazza OF
the little brown farm house-a young
but matronly-looking lady, handsome,
too, with glowing dark eyes that look
ed as If they had fireworks in them.
She was dressed in black, and her only
baggage was a small hand-sachel. She
was also accompanied by shaggy
skye-terrier. mere armful that made
a soldier who hadn't seen a pretty
woman for month of Sundays Gu
vious.
What occurred within the doors that
closed upon her was related to me
afterward by Gen. Jordan, then and
subsequently Beauregards adjutant-
general. Beauregard was, of course,
delighted to see her, and with a
wounan's volubility she told him more
in two hours than he could remember
10 two months. The verbal part Of
the interview being ended, he inquired
for her papers. the record of her trip.
aud the dispatches he expected from
confederates in the north
why, general, / didn't dare to
bring them on my person." she re-
piled, with peculiar smile. at was
unsafe, you know; might have been
captured, and, therefore, / have told
Won ALL | know nv word of mouth
Beauregard could not conceal his
vexation. and the more he showed it
the more the little woman seemed to
enjoy 1t. Finally, after teasing him to
her hearts content. she said with
affected occurrences: General, have
you pair of scissors or a knifep I'd