Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-06-01
Tho Story of a SDY.

Here is short story from the Chica-
o-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,
Pennsylvania by birth, was engaged
in business in Pulaski, Tenn. He
owned a farm of 231 acres near that
place, and had $4,000 worth Of cotton
stored there. He was 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 to their
old home in Pennsylvania.
In September, 1862, Kenney Joined
the command of General James S.
Negley at Pittsburg, and entered active
service as 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 unobtainable. In 1867
Mrs. Kenney left Pennsylvania and re-
moved to Dwight, H., 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 pension for their
ment records at 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 war department
an unofficial reference to the execu-
ton of northern spy named Kenney
at Tullahoma, Tenn, Feb. -, 1863.
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 went to Tennessee to
discover, if possible, any further facts
about the fate of their father. They
visited Tullahoma, and were most hos
pitably received by the town officials
It 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
northern spy. and she was visited.
"There were only four men killed In
TulIahoma during the war;" she SAID
positively. Three Of them were con
federates, and they were buried in thu
town cemetery. The other one was {
spy, who had been caught by Bragg:
men. l saw them take him out Of the
Jail and put him into a wagon, an(
saw him sitting on coffin. They
drove away with him, and heard tina
he had been hanged, but ! don't know
where"
Can you remember the name of tina
spy" asked one of the Chicagoans.
EYES," she replied slowly, "his nam'
was Kenney."
But this seemed to be as far as tn
search could be carried. There wer
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 wit
and incidentally mentioned their mis-
sion while waiting for train.
"Well, boys, I'm sorry for you," h
; said, "but I guess can help you some
saw your father hanged. l was onl
twelve years old then, and the sigh
was stamped upon my mind indelibly
for was scared nearly to death. Be
sides, the body was buried on my faith
I, 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 southernel
quickly passed through the little towr
and just outside the suburbs, on tn
e northwestern side, halt was made.
"They hanged your father to tina
: sycamore tree there by the spring,
said the guide. His body was burie