Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1897-03-04
WII.LARD'S ROMACE
How a Virginia Girl Was Arrested as
A Spy and Found Her Own Fate.


with his second vile, who was wo-
man celebrated throughout the Old
dominion for her beauty and zeal IN
the cause Of the confederacy. me
com bination of feminine loveliness
with military pluck and dauntless en-
ergy makes her character one of that
resembled Joan dare in its womanG
ness and strength. 1t was about the
second year of the civil war when the
little town of Fairfax was infested with
large number of union troops IN
fact, that village, being only about 10
miles from the capital, and in a direct
line TO the heart OF Dixie, was gen
orally in the midst of turmoil. being
one day in the harus of the confeder-
ates and the next under martial law
of Uncle Sam. Ii was a typical south
ern place and as almost every one III
the spot had been tern in the place
the inhabitants were most ardent
secessionists.
Among the prominent gentlemen OF
the village was merchant. Mr.. Ford
whose young daughter, Miss Antonio.
was one OF the prettiest girls in the
country. Her style of beauty was CT
uhe delicate sort which one associates
with deeds of herolsm, but her adyen-
lures In course of time made her one
OF the most popular women in the
! south. With a wealth of light hair she
| combined the rare attractions of dark
! I'h a,l0
! strickingly attractive and handsome.
| Like the rest of the ladies of the town.
| she was heart and soul in the cause
/ for which her kinSmen fought ana
hef most enthusiastic sympathies were
! on the side of the confederate troops.
1t seems that about this time the
union commanders lad taken steps TO
/ discover any plot h carry information
/ IRON the town 10 any of the southern
officers, and for this purpose a woman,
/ VINO was IN reality a union spy was
! brought to the village. She went from
house to house enlisting the sympathies
OF the ladies by telling them that her
husband was a soldier in Richmond
and that she was on her way to ioia
/ MN. She displayed a photograph
/ which she alleged was that of her hus
/ bahd, but some of the ladies' recogaized
/ 1t as that Of gentleman to whom ,he
{ woman was totally unllhown-she mad
/ evidently stolen it out Of some house
/ In Alexandra, where she obtained the
/ true history Of some southern soldier
| ahd was using ii an Il means Of decaty-
! ing persons. Il was by getting into he
/ confluence OF the people that she pro-
posed to find out if any secret lpforna-
ton was being sent cut OF town into
/ confederate lines.
III Was by MEALS of this woman that
MISS FORD was arrested as a southern
! spy. AT least that is the story as far
as can be gathered after this lapse of
Years, when events have grown dim in
the memory of most OF the partici-
pants. II seems the young and beauti
lui MISS f'orl had written to Gen Jeh
stuart to give him impt rtant informa-
lloh regarding the t,oCps in the vjonity
and tbs dispatch She iutrusted n ~,
union woman spy. This was the cause
" lhe trouble for the letter of coursa
zen INTO the hands Of the enemy Sol
ulers We're sent at once to tha For1
home and Miss Antonia was nIan1x,
uldef arrest as a military nrisono- -.
the union governn ept. She w., -,
~ d carriage under guard and brougb,
uoNh 10 Washington. her prison coli
pelhs IN the old capitol BUILDING Hero
sue remained for several months and
was at last released when an exchanoo
vi prisoners took place Bur II wa,
dl'er a long time and not before p,,r,.
eiIals that she reached her co,,ntr,,
louie' The building in which so many
ISohS We're kept is now turned into
a TO" OF houses ard is near the ca,t-
toll 'ne capt.
:. was "hlle stationed at Fairfax and
ceiling as major or the staff o, 90,
irwin Mcdowell that Mr. wiIlard sa,i
'Ietlm 70 the charms of the fair
southern belle. And after her return
III March, 1864, tho wedding was "a
1ahe place at Fairfax The maior wno
was then stationed in Washington .,
provost marshal, drove up To tho IN
age but As there was no clerL NJ ~.
court no license could be obtained ana
! was decided to come down n wagn
mgton and have the marriage 81 ~,
capital. AZ l'ie
80 NAY. Willard Mr. Ford and tba
oriae-elect started out in a carriaga
uriVing at a rapid rate for fear r.,
some band OF confederate rangers
would pounce down and take on tho
groom as the spoils OF war. BEING .
union officer, his capture would be \
great feather in their cap. So 1t was
win fear and trembling that the we'd
ding party set out to traverse the long
miles OF country infested with southern
troops.
Just after The departure Of the bril-
dal pair rex iment Of confederates
from 0ccoquan, known as the Chin
quapin guards. and commanded by
kinehloe entered the town and learned
that a union major had left the place 4