The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-02-19
Mr.. WlLLARD's ROMANCE.
How a Virginia Girl Was Arrested as
Spy and Afterward Married a Man Who
Became One of the Richest Men in Wash
ingtOn.


(From the Washington Post.)
The death of Joseph @. Willard of this
CITY recalls rhe romance connected with
his second wife, who was woman ceie-
brated throughout the Old Dominion for
her beauty and zeal in the cause of the
confederncy. The combination of femi-
nine loneliness with military pluck and
dauntless energy makes her character one
that resem bled Joan dare in. it's woman
illness and strength. 1t was about the
second year of tbs civil war when the lit
tie town of Fairfax was Inflated 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 generally IN the
midst Of turnout, being one day Id the
hands of the confederates and the next
under martial law of Uncle Sam. 1t
was typical southern place, and as al
most every one in the spot had been born
in the place, the inhabitants vera most
ardent secessonists. A mong the promi-
nent gentlemen of the village was mer-
SuUhU3 AAIs l. oftB NuooO ye1Ae
ter, Miss Antonio, was one of the pretti-
est girls in the county. Hei style OF
beauty associates with deeds of heroisin,
about her adventures in course of time
madeiher one of the mostlpopular women
in the south. With q wealth Of light
hair she combined the rare attra otions of
dark eyes, and her whole app earance
WAS strikingly attractive and handsome,
Like the rest OF the ladies of the town,
she was heart ana soul in the cause for
which her kinsmen fought, and her most
enthusiastic sympathies were on the side
of the confederate troops. 1t seems that
about this time the Union commanders
had taken steps to discover any plot to
carry information from the town to any
of the southern Officers, and for this pur-
pose woman, who 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 O soldier in
Richmond, and that she was Oh her way
to join him. She displayed photo
graph, which she alleged was that of her
uu5DanQ, DQU bULI0 vi tH6 lauiES LUCO8
nized it as that of gentleman to whom
theiwoman was totally unknown--she
had evidently stolen it out of some house
in Alexandria, where she obtained the
true history Of some southern soldier,
ami was using it as q means Of deoeivlEg
persons. 1t was by getting into the con-
f(ience OF the people that abe proposed to
find out If any secret information was
being sent out of town into confederate
lines.
1t was by means of this woman that
Miss Ford was arrested as a southern
SOY. A least that is the story, as fnr as
can be, gathered after this lapse of years
when events have grown dim in tho
memory of most Of the participants. 1t
seems.the young and beautiful Miss Ford
had written to Gen. Jeb Stuart to give
him important information regrding the
troops in the vicinity and this dispatch
she in trusted to the Union woman spy.
Thisewss the cause of the trouble, for the
letter of course fell into the hands of the
enemy. Soldiers were sent 1T once to
the Ford home and Miss Antjnia was
placed under arrest as a military prisoner
to the Union government She was
placed in carriage under guard and
brought down to Washington, her prison
cell being in the old capitol building
Here she remained for several mouths,
and was at last released when an ex-
change of prisoners took place. But it
was after a long time and not before
many trials that she reached her country
home. The building in which so many
persons were kept is now turned into
row of houses and is near the capitol.
1t was while stationed at Fairfax and
acting as major on the staff of Gen.
Irwin Mcdowell that Mr.. Willard fell a
victim to the charms of the fair southern
belle. After he returned in Maroh, 1864,
the wedding was to take place at Fairfax
The major who was then stationed in
Washington as provost marshal, drove up
to the village, but as there was no clerk
of the court no license could be obtained,
and it was decided to come down to
Washington and have the marriage at the
CAPITOL
So Major Willard, Mr. Ford and the
BRIDE elect started out in carriage.
driving at O. rapid rate for fear that
some band of confederate rangers would
pounce down and take off the groom ds
the spoils of war. Being a Union officer,
his capture would be great feather in
their cap. So it was with fear and
trembling that the wedding party set out
to traverse the long miles of country in
tested with southern troops.
just after the departure of the bridal
pair regiment of oonfederates from o.
coquan, known as the Chinquapin
guards, and commanded by h1ncnioe,
entered the town and learned that a
Union major had left the place short
time before. In few moments the troop
was galloping down the pike in pursuit
of the happy pair, who were fleeing
toward Washington as fast as a pair of
swift horses would carry them. The
elupement in this case. unlike the tradi-
tional one, was not case of eluding an
irate parent, but of escaping with him.
A few miles south Of he village the SOL
diers came upon the carriage and ordered
it to halt, request which was promptly
complied with, and the two gentlemen.
who were in ordinary citizens dress.
stepped out to ascertain the cause7of the
delay On hearing that the troopers
were in pursuit of Union officer, Mr..
Ford who was well known to the con-
federates, said that both he and his
friend were private gentlemen travelling
on entirely pers 1nal business, totally I'M
connected with any military matters,
and that they would like to proceed on
their journey. AS to any Union officer,
they had passed. so he asserted. suffers
wagon about half an hour before. and
noticed that IN it was seated man in
the uniform of federal major. AS the
wagon was just then turning into side