Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1897-06-26

The Story of . spy.
Here is a short story from the Chica-
go-Times-Herald that it has taken his
tory thirty-six years TO write.
At the beginning of the great civil
war. in 1861, Samuel w. Kenney, a
Pennsylvania by birth, was engaged
in business in Pulaski, Tenn. He
owned a farm of 231 acres near that
place, and had s 5000 worth of cotton
stored there. He wal a strong Union
man. and the southerners burned his
cotton and made it impossible for him
to live among them. A mob attacked
his house. and he and his family, after
hiding several days in the woods. made
their way northward and went 10 their
old home in Pennsylvania.
In September. 1862. Kenney Joined
the command of General James S.
Negley at Pittsburg. and entered active
service as a spy. He went to Louis
vile. and thence entered the Confed-
crate lines. He was recognized and
betrayed by one OF his old Tennessee
neighbors, and was arrested by
Bragg,s forces at Lynchburg.
From this point Samuel w. Kenney
disappeared. His family knew that he
had been captured and believed that
he had been executed, but proof of
that fact was u~nobtainable. In 1867
Mrs. Kenney left Pennsylvania and re-
moved to Dwight. Ill, where she has
resided ever since. Two sons. now
grown to sturdy manhood, live in
Chicago.
Twenty years ago they made an at
tempt TO obtain a pension for their
mother, but failed. because the depart
ment records al Washington did not
show that the missing spy of 1862 had
been regularly enlisted, and there was
no proof OF his death. Quite recently.
however, Congressman Woodman of
this city found in the raj department
an unofficial reference to the execu-
ton Of a northern spy named Kenney
at Tullahoma. Tenn. Feb. 10, 1865.
This proof was regarded as sufficient,
and a pension has Just been granted to
the aged widow in Dwight.
Last week Alexander Kenney and
| his brother John ven to Tennessee to
discover, IL possible. any further facts
about the fate Of their father. They
visited Tuliahoma. and were most hos
| pitabiy received by the town oficiais.
Il was suggested by the mayor that an
aged woman who had lived in the
place ever since the war might know
something about the death of the
.---- ~r- and che ~-n xYscstaA
There were only four men killed in
Tuilahoma during the war. she said
positively. Three of them were con-
federates. and they were buried In the
town cemetery. The other one was a
SPY. who had been caught by Bragg's
men. / saw them take him out of the
Jail and put him into a wagon. and
saw him sitting on a coffin. They
drove away with him, and l heard that
he had been hanged. but l don't know
where"
.Can YOU remember the name of that
spy?" asked one of the Chicagoans.
yes" she replied slowly, his name
was Kenney."
But this seemed to be as far as the
search c0utu De CaTTleu. lnefe WERE
no town records which would throw
light upon the matter, and no addi.
tional facts could be learned. Return.
ing TO the railway station the two Chi
the railway agent, Archibald Smith
cagoans fell into conversation with
and incidentally mentioned their mis-
sion while waiting for a train.
well, boys. I'm sorry for you." h,
said, "but | guess I can help You some
/ saw your father hanged. I wal onl,
twelve years old then, and the sigh
was stamped upon my mind indelibly
for l was scared nearly to death. Be
sides. the body was buried on my faith
er's farm, and for many years after
ward | used to shudder and run a
fast as l could whenever l had to pas
the spot"
The trio. led by the s~outhernei
quickly passed through the little towr
and Just outside the suburbs, on tn
northwestern side. a halt was made.
"They hanged your father to tina
sycamore tree there by the spring,
|, said the guide. His body was burie