The record-union., 1897-09-24
HER SHARP TONGUE.
First Woman Prisoner Taken Dur
ing the Rebellion.

ing the Rebellion.
The first woman captured as prisoner
in the war of the rebellion is now liv-
ing quietly in Rochester, N. Y, sup
porting herself by dressmaking.
A slender little woman is Mrs. Jennie
A. Curtiss, with gray hair and gentle.
demure manner that holds no trace Of
the madcap recklessnesS that got her
into a Southern prison in 1861. Mrs.
Curtiss, although but year or two
out of her teens, was a widow when
the war broke out She came of Aboli-
Zionist stock, and her brother. a lad
of 16 years, went out with the three
months men. Soon afterwards a
false report of her brothers illness took
her 10 Washington. Learning that he
was with his regiment in McDowelPs :
army, then encamped near Arlington,
she visited him. Near by lived fam
lily named Pierce TO whom she had let
ters Of introduction. AS the army was
about to begin the march to its defeat
at Bull Run it was thought best for
her to remain at the Pierce house
rather than encounter the dift1cultles
of a return to Washington.
Then came the terrible defeat, and
the beaten army was swept back past
the Pierce house Chaos followed, and
for some days no one seemed to know
where the Confederates were. After
twitting visiting Union officer one
evening on the general lack of knowl-
edge of the whereabouts of the enc
my, Mrs. Curtfss. on wager of pair
of gloves, declared that she would
water her horse at Falls Church, nine
miles from Arlington, on the road to
Fairfax.
Next day she started to redeem her
word. Mounted on roam horse be-
longing to the Confederate General
Bee, which had been captured at Bull
Run, she started with her hostess, Miss
Pierce, as her companion, and Lieuten-
ant Eldridse as escort.
Leaving her companions a mile from
the church at a toll gate, Mrs. Curtiss
rode forward to carry out the terms
of the wager She reached her goal,
but as the horse was drinking she heard
the. tramp of soldiers and saw a COM
pany of Confederates rounding turn
OF the road With the readiness of an
expert horseWOman she sprung into the
saddle and put the roam at gallop.
Coming to the toll gate she found 1t
closed, but she took it as easily as
three-rail fence. One mile further she
was forced to halt by line of fixed
bayonets across the road. Then she
was captured.
The officer in command, Captain
Preston, told Mrs. Curtiss he had an
order for her arrest as spy.
Mrs Curtiss was taken to Colonel
Stewards headquarters at Fairfax. He
told her he considered her arrest a mis-
take, but as the order had come from
Richmond before Bull Run he would
be obliged to send her there Stewart
accepted Mrs. Curtiss parole and she
was treated with courtesy. Soon she
acquired a reputation for satirical rep
artee. One of the Confederate officers
who called upon her was Fitzhugh
Lee, who remarked with laugh after
one of her sharp speeches:
After we take Washington 1 will
run up to your New York home and
we'll open a bottle of champagne"
Before you get to Washington" she
retorted, you will have all the pain
you want, no sham pain either"
After two weeks Mrs. Curtiss was
taken to General Johnson's headquar-
ters at Manassas, where for slappinS
the Generals nephew, who struck her
on the face with a switch, she was
placed under guard by the Provost
Marshal.
From there she was sent to Rich
mond in charge of Captain Tremol.
While in a restaurant on the way
man brushed past and whispered:
Don't be discouraged. You have
friends near"
Tremol heard the whisper and de-
manded:
What did that man say?"
only another insult" she replied
without hesita lion.
At Richmond Mrs Curtiss was close
ly questioned and placed in charge of
Taylor, afterwards keeper of Libby
Prison.-New York World.