The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-02-09

General Malone, who was subse- !
quently celebrated in Virginia and
national politics. He asked me the !
same questions which the colonel
had put to me and many others in
addition. / saw that he was suspi-
clous, and, Drawing all ut one stroke,
requested that my captain be sent
for
The Alabama regiment to which
was supposed to belong WAS station
ed two miles away, and it was about
O'Clock before the captain arrived.
Previous to his appearance had
been asked his name, which | gave
correctly, and had also described his
person. When he reached hcaduuar.
ters, w:s seiit for, and as stood
before him and two or throc head
quarters officers General Mahonc
asked:
Captain Thorn, this man claims
to belong to your company. Is he
q member or not.''
Yes, sir. was the prompt reply.
whats his namci''
John Wakefield, SIR
when was he captured:"
Four days ago, along with sew
oral men,
Are you positive that this is
your man2''
Certain, sir. knew him before
he enlisted, and he has boon in my
company for Il year"
That settled it. We were dismiss
ed, aud followed Captain Thorn to
the regiment. On the way l related
the particulars of my capture and
escape, and he seemed considerably
| puzzled that General Malone should
have been SO suspicious of me. Thore
were about 40 men in Company d.
They all gathered around me as
appeared and gave me welcome, and
a young man named David Ganny,
who had been Wakefield's terminate,
put his arms around me and shed
tears in his gladness over my return.
lhad learned my part go thorough
ly that l was lat home" from the
first. Next day I met every member
Of the company, officers included,
and where ! used names 1 made no
mistake. fell into the routine with
the rest, and after three days the
curiosity of oil had been satisfied.
You may say it WIS wonderful
thing that I could titus pass myself
off and escape all suspicion, but l
am only telling you what was known
to General Grant himself. My or
ders were to ascertain Lees strength
on q line about four miles long.
How was to accomplish this after
entering the Confederate lines was
left for me 70 decide. Wakefield told
me that he had cousin in tho Sew
enth Virginia,a young soldier named
John Winslow. He had visited him
whenever opportunity offered, ant
this was good excuse for me to get
out of camp. got permission from
my captain to go, and in hunting IN
the Seventh Virginia took care to
miss it and cover the whole front
and have look ut guns and fortifi-
cations. I found Winslow at last,
but his greeting was far from cor
dial. The two had evidently quar-
. relied about something Oil which /
was not posted. He was SO sulky
and unfriendly that was about to
out my visit short when he gave me
searching look and exclaimed:
"Why, you are not John Wake
field at all"
!. "Then who am II" asked, with
laugh.
II don't know, but you are GER
tainly not my cousin John. You
look like him, but you are not he -
1t was queer that he alone should
have suspected me, but something
III my speech, walk or look warned
him that was q counterfeit. l
! laughed at him i'll good natured
way, hoped would find him in
better humor when / called again
and started for my regiment, but
had not gone quarter Of milo
when Twas overtaken. put under ar
, rest and an hour later was once
; more in the presence of General Ma
hone.
I am sure that the general had
doubted re from the frst. Indeed.
; after the war he told me aa much
and added that he was not quite sat
isfied even when my captain SO
thoroughly identified me- was
followed to his tent by Winslow,
who boldly proclaimed that was
pot John Wakefield.
Then all the officers and half q
dozen men of the company, includ-
ing my terminate, were sent for, and
the general heartily entered upon
the work Of trapping me. My life
was the stake being played for, and,
though was terribly anxious as to
the outcome, as you may believe,
ho1io11o f1iuralo.xoxl o1l