Evening star., 1897-05-07
THE STORY OF a SPY.
Esow the Missing Mans Death w
Proved 3f Years After He Was She

Row the Missing Mans Death Was
Proved ~ Years After He Was shot.
From the Chicago Times-IIcrsld. 4-
Here is a short story that II has taken
history thirty-siN years to write. sod.
At the beginning of the great civil war. IN
ISL. Samuel W. Kenney. a Pennsylvania
by birth. was engaged in business in Pulas-
ki Tenn. He owned a farm of .3l acres
near that place. and had $1,000 worth nf
cotton stored there. He was strong Union
nan, and the southerners burned his cot
ton and made it impossible for him 10 live
amorg them. mob attacked his mouse.
and he and his family. after hiding several
days in the woods. made their way north
ward and went to their old home in Penn
sylvania-
In September 1862. Kenney Joined the
command OF Gen. James S. Negley at Pitts
burg, and entered active service as a spy
He went to Louisville, and thence entered
the confederate lines. He was recognized
and betrayed by one of his old Tennessee
neighbors, and was arrested by Bragg's
forces at Lynchburg.
From this poi 1t Samuel w Kenney dis
appeared. His family knew that he had
been captured and believed that he had been
eh ecuted,. but proof of that fact was unob-
tainabie. In 1851 Mrs. kcnney left Penn
sylvania and removed to Dwight Ill where
she has resided ever since. Two sons. now
grown to sturdy manhood. live in this city
Alexander. at No. .sss Monroe street and
John. at No. 3iU1 Parnell avenue.
Twenty years ago they made an aitempt
to obtain pension for their mother but
1alicG, because the department 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 re-
Gently. however, Congressman wcodrnan OF
this city found in the War Department an
NiCl e
northern spy named Kerrey at Tuliahoma.
Tenn. February l.. 1863. This proof was
regarded as sufficient, and a pension has
IGst been granted to The aged widow in
Dwight.
Last week Alexander Kenney and his
brother John went to Tennessee to discover,
IL possible, airy further facts about the fate
OF their father. They visited 'ruilahop
and were most Hospitality received by IN,
town officials 1t 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
fhere were only four men killed In Tul-
lahoma during the war she said uos,tiye-
~. ts Ihiee @ OF them were confederates. and
they We're buried in the town cemetery Tb.
other one was a spy, who had been caurht
oy Braggs men. L saw them take him mII
OF the Jan and put him into a wagon, and
saw him sitting on a coffin They drove
away with him, and / heard that h. b.d
been hanged. but / don't know where
Can you remember the name of thar
SPY! asked one Of the Chicagoans.
Yes, she replied slowly, his name WAS
kenney." ~
But this seemed to be as far as the
search could be carried. There were no
Town records which would throw light upou
tne matter. and no additional facts could be
ie armed Returning TO the railway station
tne TWO Chicagoans fell into conversation
win the railway agent, Archibald Smith.
ana incidentally mentioned their mission
Whle waiting for a train.
We'll. boys. I'm sorry for YOU" he said
but L guess L can help you some. saw
your father hanged. / was only twelve
years Old then, and the sight was STAINED
upon my mind indelibly. for / was scared
nearly to death. Besides the body was
buried on my fathers farm and for MANY
years a1terward L used to shudder and run
as last as j could whenever 1 had to pass
the spot" ~ '"'S
The trio, led by the southerner. Quickly
passed through the little town. and iust
outside the suburbs, on the northwestern
side. halt was made
Iney hanged your father to that svca
more Tree there by the spring." said the
guide His body was buried about half
way UP that NIL over there, and the grave
WASH marked. You'll never find IL now"
But the two Chicagoans went over every
foot of the hillside. A recent freshet rad
washed away part of the bank and under
mined the hill so that part of the ragged
ecge gave way beneath the feet of Alex
anuer kenney, and he saw protruding from
the bank the two lower leg bones of a sksl-
eton The spy who disappeared thirty-four
years ago had been found.
The remains were brought to Chicago