The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1891-08-01

aShlnStOn ana the surrounding
regions, to General Wells, Of New
Hampshire, the military Governor
of Alexandria directing him to be at
this tavern at 9 o'clock in the even
ing, and to arrest Confederate des-
patch bearer concerning whom
authentic information had been
received at the War Department,
and whose description was furnished
for Wells guidance. He was to do
him no injury, but to make sure OF
his person and of all paL ers that he
might have upon him, and to bring
him under sufficient guard directly
to the War Department; and Cen
eral Augur was directed to be pre-
sent there, in order TO assist in the
examination of the prisoner, and to
verify any dispatches that might be
found.
Accordingly. just before midnight
a carriage drove up to the door of
the War Department with a soldier
on the front seat within, while the
back seat was occupied by General
Wells and the prisoner. OF course
no one but the two or three who
had been in the secret, was aware
that this gentleman had walked
quietly out Of the War Department
only a few hours previously, and
that the paper, which was the cause
OF the entire ceremony, had been
sewed up in his clothes Just before
his departure
General Wells, reported that,
while the prisoner had offered no
resistance, he was very violent and
outrageous in his language, and that
he boasted tiercely OF his devotion
to the Confederacy and his detesta-
ton of the Union. During the ex-
animation which nov followed, he
said nothing except to answer few
questions, but his bearing, patient,
scorntul, undaunted, was that Of an
incompatible actor. If Mr.. Clay
and Mr.. Berjamin had been present
they would have been more than
ever certain that he was one of their
noblest young men. His hat, boots,
and other articles of his clothing
were taken off one by one.
The nat and boots were first
searched, and finally the despatch
was found in his trousers and taken
out. Its nature and the method of
Of its capture we're stated in a men,
orandum W hich was drawn up on
the spot and signed by General
Augur and General Wells and one
or two other officers who we're there
for the purpose; and then the des-
patch. bearer himself and sent off to
the old Capitol Prison.
A SUBLIME LIAR.
The despatch, w tn the documents
OF vertlcation, was handed over to
Mr.. Seward for use in London, and
a day or two afterward the warden of
the old Capitol Prison vas directed
to give the despatch bearer an op-
portunity of escaping, with a proper
show OF attempted prevention. One
afternoon he walked into my office. |
"Ah, - said |, you have run away"
Yes, sir," he answered. "Did
they shoot at you!' They did,
and didn't hit me; but | didn't think |
that would answer the purpose. So
| shot myself through the arm " He
showed me the wound. 1t was
through the t1eshy part of the fore
arm, and due care had been taken
not to break any bones. A more
deliberate and less dangerous wound |
could not be; and yet it did not look |
trivial.
He was ordered to get away for
Canada as promptly as possible, so
that he might explain the loss of his
despatch before it should become
known there bv any other meats.
An advertisement offering $4,000 Tor
his recapture was at once inserted in
the New York Herald, the Pittsburg
Journal, and the Chicago Tl6une. |
No one ever appeared to claim the |
reward; bat in about week the es-
capped prisoner returned from Canada |
with new dispatches that had been |
intrusted to him. They contained |
nothing OF importance, however. The |
wound In his arm had borne testi-
mony in his favor, and the fact that
he had hurried through St. Cath
crimes without having it dressed was
thought to afford conclusive evidence
of his fidelity to the Confederate |
cause,
The war was ended soon after this
adventure, and, as his services had |
been of very great value, new
place, with the assurance of lasting
employment, was found for the young
man in one OF the bureaus of the War
Department. He did not remain
there very long, however, and | don't
know what has become OF HIM. He |
was one of the cleverest creatures l
ever saw. His style OF patriotic lying
was sublime; it amounted to genius
North -1meJica Re0ic5V.
THE NEW MINISTER.
The new minister had come, and of
course every one was ANXIOUS to be- |
come acquainted with him at once. In |
Woodleigh the recognized way of do