The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-11-26
sPY-HUNTING IN MEMPHIS.
Busy Days for Court martial There IL


Busy Days for . Court. martial There in
1864.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In the
Memoirs of Gen. w. I Sherman, in the issue
Of Oct. 90, he speal Of restoring Mayor
Parks to the MayoHhip of Memphis in
1863. An
When the regimt of which I was a
member, the 95th tiio, arrived there we
were assigned to GnkfR. P. Buckland's Bril-
gade-72d Ohio, 4&f Ind, Hath ILL.,, 10th
Mimi, and 95th Ohio, with the Waterhouse
battery.
We remained at Fort Pickering and Camp
Todd until March Is, when we started to
| go to Vicksburg on steamboats,.
In May, June. and July of 1864 was a
member Of a general court-martial at Men,
phis. Mayor Parks was still there, but did
not hold court as Mayor. His wife kept a
boarding house on Second street, and Capt
James S. Tate and boarded with them.
Our court consisted of Lieut-COl. j. M.
Irwin, 55th U. S. C. T.; Maj. Jos. M. Nc
Lane, 114th Ill; Capt. JAS S. Tate, 95th
Ohio; Capt S. V. Dooley, 1OSth ILL.,; Capt.
Nathan Land, 117th Ill.,; Capt. r. V. Black,
Hath ILL.,; First Lieut.. s. F. Brown, 4th
| Mimi; First Lieut.. II. w. Phelps, 95th
Ohio; First Lieut. d. G. Chaplin, 55th U. s.
c. T.; Capt. Charming Richards, 22d Ohio,
Judge Advocate. / should like to hear
from any member of our court.
Memphis in 1864 was the point from
which the enemy in northern Mississippi,
western Tennessee and eastern Arkansas re-.
ceived their information by spies and secret
emissaries who would getin through our lines
to the city, cross the river into Arkansas at
Hopefeld by small boats, and their friends
who lived in Memphis would supply them
with Northern papers, and thus keep them
informed of the whereabouts and move
ments of our armies and gunboats along the
rivers.
Women who lived outside and came in
through our lines to the city on permits to
get supplies of food to maintain their
families they having taken the oath Of al
legiance to the United States Government,
were searched by the pickets. This was
delicate task, but often there were found
quinine and other medicines, clothing,
powder, lead, pistols, revolvers, newspapers,
maps of onr lines, and liquors secreted in the
underclothing of these women.
They would then be arrested and brought
before our court as having violated their
oath. Some of these women would dare do
anything to aid the Southern cause.
Notwithstanding our most strenuous
efforts, every dark night some Of our enemies
passed In or out through our lines, and often
some of our pickets would fire at direction
where noise was heard as of someone pass
Ing There were several spies caught, tried,
and one man was convicted and hung
Our forces guarded and controlled, the
railroad running out as far az Grand juno
ton, about 10 miles. The train was often
fired upon by guerrilla parties, and our men
were killed. az tI
Gen. c. c. Washburn, in July, 1864, issued
an order that each train out should take
number of the citizens of the city who were
known to be in synpathy with the enemy.
A roll Of names each day was given to the
commander Of the Provost Guard. The
men would be taken from their homes or
places of business, placed on the cars in ex-
posed places, and the train started; but these
trains were never fired upon.
Every train out had an escort of our
troops, and by the means resorted to no
more Of our soldiers nor trainmen were fired |
upon.
Gen. Sherman writes about the collection |
of the taxes due. In 1864 there were many
sales of property that had been abandoned. |
The sum of the taxes due on the property |
was put up at auction sale, and the highest |
bidder above the sum of the taxes due would |
get United States Government tar title, |
subject to redemption by the owners or their
legal heirs IL months after the declaration
of peace The original owners or their heirs
were to pay the principal, with per cent.
per annum interest, the purchaser of the tax
title to have all rents until date of redemp-
tion.-H WARREN PHELPS, 95th Ohio,
o.