The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-05-19
Can lctIon Beat This?

time. he went to that city to try case,
and after the adjournment of the court
several gentlemen we're presented to him.
Among them Was man who is we'll
known 10 the politics ofwestern Pennsyl'
vania.
"I am very glad to meet you, Colonel
Marshall," he said, "for I believe it is to
you that owe my life," and he related
some facts in connection with the army.
Colonel Marshall looked at him in
tently for moment, and was about to
deny The soft impeachment, when an in.
cident of twenty seven years ago fitted
across his memory.
"Were you one ofthe two men caught
in Gordon's lines ?" he asked.
"Yes, Was one of them," replied the
other with smile, "and I thank you at
this late date for allowing US to live"
"Yor - st not thank me-" said the
colone 'ou owe it all to General Lee.
I tried my best to have you hung"
And then came the story. In Decem-
ber, 1864, Sheridan, after his victory over
Early in the valley, had reached the
James river on his way to Petersburg.
In order to communicate with Grant he
sent two spies dressed as coufederates to
make their way through the lines Of
the wing of Lees army commanded by
General Gordon. The spies got along
very we'll until late at night, when they
fell in with two Of Gordon's men, who
discovered their disguise. The con.
federates had no arms. however, and the
spies quickly drew their revolvers and
ordered them to walk in front. They
kept them going until they got beyond
the lines, and then they allowed them to
return. The incident was promptly re-
ported by General Gordon to headquar
tere.
Five months passed. In the first part
of April came the abandonment of
Petersburg. Lee began his retreat to-
ward Appomattox. He and Colonel
Marshall had reached Amelia Springs
almost exhausted from fatigue and want
of sleep. The night before Colonel
Marshall had ridden for nearly six hours
around the entrenchments at Petersburg
to order the men away, and had found
oaly one poor fellow who waa sound
asleep. That day he had been in the
saddle, and when he got to the tempo.
rary headquarters late atnight, he was a
great deal more tired thap he ever will
be again. These headquarters were
little hut with two roons. In one was
bed and on it General Lee was sleeping.
In the other was pile Of oats, and
Colonel Marshall threw himself upon it
for rest.
BE had given orders that all papers be
brought to him so that General Lee
might be undisturbed The orderly, with
his 6ootts Os sss hAe entered the EoefRaa3 EoeRa;
crept along as noiselessly as possible so
as not to shake the floor. Several times
between midnight and 4 o'clock in the
morning he came in and placed docu.
meuts in Colonel Marshall's bands. The
colonel attended to them, until finally
the fatigue was too great and he fell
asleep.
Shortly before O'Clock he awoke and
found in his hand an envelope marked
"United States Cavalry" How it had
come there he did not for the moment
know, but he quickly solved the mystery
by opening it.
There we're two enclosures. The first
was an order for General Sheridan, or
deriug General Mackenzie 10 cooperate
with q certain movement that had been
planned. The second was communica'
ton to General Lee from General Cor
don, detailing the arrest of two spies and
the discovery of the order, and stating
that drum head court martial had been
held and the prisoners had been found
guilty, and had been sentenced to be hung
st daSbresk.
Colonel Marshall read the papers and
endorsed on the report Respectfully Re.
turned, Approved" and ordering the
sentence to be carried out, signed R. E.
Lee per Charles Marshall.
Colonel Marshall Was about to send
the papers back when he thought of the
fact thai General Lee had never counte-
nanced the execution Of spy, holding
that when one of them was captured his
sting was removed.
Just then General Lee awoke and
Colonel Marshall told him what he had
done. The general took the papers, and
after looking them over, said:
IT cannot endorse that. We have
the men and the order in our possession,
and they can do no further ham,"
"But, general" protested Colonel
Marshall, "if we spare their lives our
lines will soon be overrun with spies"
II will not cause drop of blood to be
shed unnecessarily" continued General
Lee, and then, after pause, be added:
"They may have families"
The result was that the endorsement
was scratched out, and second one was
written. Respectfully returned. Hold
the men until further orders"
And the next day the fact was brought
out that the two spies were the same two
men who had gone through General
Gordon's lines the previous December,
and they were recognized and captured
by the same two confederates whom
they had met unarmed on that occa-.
sion.
After the proceedings at Appomattox
Colonel Marshall was telling General
Sheridan of the circumstances, and Gen.