The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1896-10-24
FAIR SPIES. +.
AN INTERESTING CHAPTER OF
WAR HISTORY.
Women Who Aided the Cause of the
CODfcdcracy-Dang Role
Played by 4 Girl in tho
Signal Corps.

part played by the gen tie
maidens OF the South in the spy sys.
TEN of the Coafsderacy. During the
war it was herd to find woman south
of Mason and Dixon's line, no matter
how fair her face and refined her
character, who was really non.com-
batalt.
For the first two years Of the war
all aid and comfort fo7 the ConfeGer.
acy north of the Potomac were mainly
derived from the ladies OF the ancient
regime at Washington. These ripe
and languid beauties wac had formed
the court and assisted in the cere.
monies OF successive administrations
learned with speed and certainty many
OF the most important secrets of Lin
coins administration and impaired
them to their friends in the South. As
long as this continued Lees spy sys.
TEN was perfect. lie knew the Union
army organization, its numbers and
it's position, while the Federal generals
were absolutely in the dark in respect
to his.
In the third year of hostilties this
position Of affnlrs became iutolernble
and the Federal Government organ
lied bureau of military information,
which had command over oil the spies,
tne ball room and the signal corps.
As natural consequences the Govern
ment soon ascertained the numbers
and commanders OF every brigade and
regiment in the Confederate army and
could tell at any time, within few
thousand, Lees entire numerical
force.
One Of the means of communication
these intriguantes had was by signal.
Ing across the Potomac to their agents
Oh the Virginia side Of the river. The
chief among the spies was Miss Mary
Watson, the daughter of Major Rod
erick G. Watson, who resided upon a
bluff at least 100 feet above the Poto.
mac River, at Pope's Greek, near Port
Tobacco, Charles County, Maryland.
Miss Watson WIS remarkably pretty
sir', twenty.three or twenty four
years OF age, wltha mop of black hair,
dark eyes shaded by long lsshes and
heavy black brows. Her carriage
WIS erect and figure slender, which
made her appear little above the av-
ersge height. She loved the Confed.
eraey with an ardor so intense that it
is believed she would have made any
sacrifice for its cause. She was the
chief female Confederate mail.carrier
with Thomas A. Jones north Of the
Potomac from about March, 1852, to
the close OF the war. She and Mr..
Jones successfully managed to trans
NIT South all the. Confederate mail in.
trusted to their care by the Conteder.
ate agents north Of the Potomac, and
received the mail from the South which
WAS to be distributed at the North or
or to be transmitted to the Confeder-
ate agents in Canada and Europe. 1t
WIS owing to her vigilance and un-
firing zeal that not one OF the Con.
frderute mails was captured during
the war, Notwithstanding the neigh
bOrhood of her home WIS infested with
Federal detectives, spies ana soldiers
She also kept up during the entire
four years signal station in one of
her fathers high garnet windows by
means of q black shawl. The house 81
Thomas A. Jones, with whom she on.
er"ted, Was the headquarters OF the
Confederate spies.
The character Of the prisoners con.
fned IN the Old Capito was d matter,
o. wide variation, differing in this
particular from ANY other place o;
confinement. 1t held prisoners OF
State particularly, such as parties
charged with active disoyalty 1T the
North, bounty frauds, counyerfeiters
o. United States notes and other con-
tractors who had swindled the Govern
ment, and Confederate spies.
Ot the secret agents or spies in the
service of the Confederate Govern.
ment, there were some who achieved
notofiety at least, and they were we'll
represented at the Old Capito, among
the latter being the famous Belle
Boyd, who did the Confederacy some
service by her acr,ness and enter.
Prise rs spy. On q particularly Oar.
'ng expedition she was arrested aud
lmoTisonea as Ii spy. After remaining
3 prisoner ~ the Old Capitol Eoout
ettven months she was exchanged! for
Colonel Michael Cor:cran OF Meagher's
New York irish Brigade.
Miss D., at the outbreak OF the war,
Was lovely, fragile. looking girl OF
nineteen, remarkable for the sweet.
ness OF her temper and the gentleness
Of her disposition, A few days before
the battle of Bull Run country
market cert stopped i'll the Confederate
lines at the door Of General Be nham
tent A peasant girl alighted from
tho cart and begged Tor al immediate
interview with the General. 1t was