The morning times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1897, 1896-08-30
WOMEN WoRK FOR COUNTRY.
Some Who Intrigued in the Cause of the
Southern Confederacy.

Altogether the strangcst feature Of our
great civil! war al Is6l565. was the prime
part played BE- the gentle rEaioens, OF the
South in the spy system OF the confedcr
acy. They ou,nLInbered the men, aud
We're strewder, more Jealous and Gnseru-
pulous- During the war it was hard to
find woman south Of Mason and Dix
on's line, no matter how fair her lace
and refined her character, who was really
q non combat ant.,'" ~"
For the first two years of the war. all
aid and comfort for tie CoLfeGeracy
north OF the Potomac were MAINLY de-
rived from the ladies Cd the ancient regime
at Washington. These Iipe and Ian
guild beauties who had former TIE court
and assisted in the ceremonies of sue
cessive administrations learned with
speed and certainty many or --r'e most
important secrets OF Lincoln's admins
tration. and impaired item to their friends
in Ihe South. As icrg as this continued
Lees spy system was perfect. He knew
the Union army organization. its numbers
and its position, while the Federal gen
erals were absolutely in the dark in respect
to his. ''''""' ""-'
III tHc sttI VI Nhios po-
sition of affairs became irtoIcrable, aud
the Federal governu:cnt organized a BID
reau OF military information. witch. hal
Command over all tire spies. the tailro"in
and the signal corps. ~ AS "a r5itmal con
sequence. the government soon ascertaincd
the numbers and commanders OF every
brigade and regiment va the Confederate
army, and could tell at any time, within
a few thousand, Lees entire numerical
force. ..... ...i, NM -.
one OF the means OF commit MICA; ION these
ntriguantes had was by sigma ing across
the Potomac to their agents oh Jthc Viz
.inia side OF the river. The chief among
the spies was Miss Mary Watson. thedauch-
ter OF Major RodericI e. Watson. who re-
SIDED upon bluff at least 90 iect above
the Potomac River." at 'FUpe's Treek, near
Port Tobacco. Charles county, Nd Miss
Watson was remarkably pretty siri.
twenty-three or twenty-four years of age.
with a mop OF biac,s hair. dark eyes. shaded
by long lashes. and heavy black brows-
Her carriage was erect: her fiet fe' slender,
which made her appear little above the
average height. She loved the Cunfcdcracy
with an ardor SO intense thai 10; s teiiered
Cause She was the chief female Confed-
crate mail carrier with Thomas A. J0nes
north OF the Potomac. from about March,
1869. to the close u the war. She and
Mr.. Jones successfully managed tn ira ns,iiit
south all the Confederate mail entrusted
To their care by the Confederate agents
north OF the Potomac. and received tie
mail from the South which was To be dis
trIbuted at the North Or To be transmitted
to the Confederate annis-iH CANADA Nj L:i
Europe 1t was owing to her vigilance
and Untiring zeal that not one of the
Confederate mails were captured during
the war. Notwithstanding the ncichborhocd
OF her home WAS infested with Federal
detectives, spies and soldiers She also
kept up during the entire four yearsa signal
station in one VI her fafhef-s high garrett
windows by means ct a black shawl. The
house OF Thomas A Jones. with whom she
operated. was the headquaffer re- 81 the Con-
fcderatc spies.
The character of the prisoners confined
in the Old Capitol WIS a urtrer Of wide
differing in this pa rticsular from
any other place OF confinement. 1t held
prisoners of state particularly. such as .Psx--
lies charged With active disieyaIty at the