The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-26
THE SPY WHO TOOK ATLANTA.
To This Day No One Knows WhetheR
Ii Was Ran or Woman.

To This Day No One Knows WhetheN
Ii Was Nan or Woman.
In the spring of 1864 Atlanta was full
of Johnston's officers and soldiers. An
uneasy feeling prevailed in every cir
Gle, and it was feared that the federals
might any day make a forced march
or a raid and surprise the city. Still
the people faced the situation courage
eOusly. They had passed through so
many dangers that they were not cas-
lily frightened. The sullen boom of
Sherman's big guns could then be
heard forty miles away, but Atlanta
maintained her usual serenity out
wardly and gave no sign of her secret
misgiVings.
The theater was then on it's last
legs, but occasional performances were
literally patroniZed One of the star
attractions in a strolling company at
that time was a pretty black eyed
young woman, apparently about TWEEN
ty years old, who carried the town by
storm.
This girl was a wonder. She was
equally at home in tragedy and COM
edy. She could sing and dance, and
when she took a male part in a play
she was a bowling success.
A better all-around artist had never
visited Atlanta, and that was the gem
eral verdict
When she told her story it excited
sympathy. She was a creole of LOUISE
ana, and her family had been murder
ed by a raiding party of Buffers
troops. She had taken refuge in the
confederacy, and having no relations
and friends, she had decided to use her
rare dramatic gifts and earn her own
living. The story made the pretty act
! ress very popular and she was pat
ronized in q social way by leading citi-
! zens. Young officers took her out driV-
| ing, and generals and colonies showed
her over the Notifications, which were
| then nearly finished. The creOle'S curl
osity about such matters charmed the
! military men and it afforded them the
| greatest possible pleasure to answer
her questions and explain every doubt
| full point.
Several weeks rolled by, and when
! her company disbanded the actress re-
manned in Atlanta She established
| herself at popular boarding house
and told her friends that she needed
| a rest before going on the Richmond
stage. She received a great deal Of
attention and was practically the belle
] of the army The lines were closing
around the city, but the creole charm
! er still fingered. The officers of John
| ston's army were at her feet. They
/ sent her costly presents, and every
J fine day they might have been seen
| AAOAii6 Will 1lC4 c~AOAl6 SAAC AA4iOS VI
| breGet works
Suddenly the actress sa pared. The
military men were nearly crazy because
/ they could not trace her, but the ladies
of the city did not seem to regret her
| departure-in fact, they limited that
she was no better than she should be.
The month of June slipped by and there
We're no tidings from the missing star.
4 Then came July and with it the begin
! ming Of the siege.
/ AT such a critical time people soon
/ forgot the favorite of the footlights,
| and at the end of forty days Smelling
( people were thinking Of far more i'm
/ portant matters. The siege was over at
| last and the federals marched in.
One fine morning a Western corps
| commander with his staff rode through
/ the city and took a look at the forth
| flcations. At his side was a small,
| dark faced, black-eyed young man, who
/ acted as his guide and pointed out var
ious things of interest. A prominent
/ Atlanta man met this youngster face
to face and his surprise caused him
/ to stand almost paralyzed in his tracks.
4 He was the pretty actress who had
| turned the heads of so many of1cersl
| The strangers eyes met those OF
| the Atlanta man and snapped viciously.
| Then a hooking smile spread over his
piquant face and his glance was plain
| ly one Of recognition. The Georgian
spoke guardedly to several Of Sher-
mans officers about the mysterious
young man, but they gave very little
satisfaction. Finally it was learned
/ that he was q famous perSonator OF
male and female characters on the
| French stage in New York city. But
was he a man or woman? Nobody
could answer this question, but he or
she, as the case might be, was one
of the most successful spies who had
| ever served the Union cause The
| mystery Of this persons sex remained
| unsolved.
L