The Ravalli Republican., 1898-04-06


had become shurpeneu
was sent to the headquarters O.
General Malone, who was subse
quent]y celebrated in Virginia unt
national politics. He asked Inc the
same questions which the colone
bad put to NE and many others il
addition. l saw that ile was suspi,
cious, and, Drawing all at one stroke,
requested that my captain be sent
for
The Alabama regiment to which
was supposed to belong was station
81 two miles away, and it was about
O. clock before the captain arrived.
Previous to his appearance l had
been asked his name, which l gave
correctly, and had also described his
person. When he reached headquar-
8 ters, I was sent for, and as I stood
before him and two OF three head
quarters officers General Malone
asked:
"Captain Thorn, this man claims
10 belong to your company. Is he
q member or not2"
eyes. sir," was the prompt reply.
"What's his namcS''
/; John Wakefield, sir M<.~ ~-
"When was he capturedi'
'Four days ago, along with sew
eral men.
'Are you positive that this is
your manl'
"Ccrtain, sir. ] knew him before
he enlisted, and he has been in my
company for year,
That settled it. We were dismiss
ed, and followed Captain Thorn to
the regiment. On the way related
tho particulars Of my capture and
escape, and he seemed considerably
puzzled that General Mahcne should
have been SO suspicious Of me. There
were about 10 men in Company D,
They all gathered around me as |
appeared and gave me welcome, and
q young man named David Ganny,
who had been Wakefeld's terminate,
put his arms around me and shed
tears in his gladness over my return.
l had learned my part so thorough
" that ! was "at home' from the
tirst. Next day I met every member
Of the company, officers included,
and Where used names Imade nc
mistake. l fell into the eroutine with
the rest, and after three days the
curiosity Of all had been satisfied.
You may say it was wonderful
thing that I could thus pass myself
} off and escape all suspicion, but !
| am only telling you what was known
tc General Grant himself My or
ders were to ascertain Lees strength
r 3n line about four miles long.
How was to accomplish this after
entering the Confederate lines was
left for me to decide Wakefield told
me that he had cousin in the Sew
enth Virginia, ,uyoung soldier named
John Winslow. He had visited him
whenever opportunity offered, ana
, this was q good excuse for me to get
out of camp got permission from
my captain to 60 and in hunting up
the Seventh Virginia I took care to
miss it and cover the whole front
and have a look ut guns and fortifi-
cations. | found WinsloW at last,
but his greeting was far from COZ
dial. The two had evidently quar-
relied about something on which |
was not posted. He was so sulky
, and unfriendly that was about to
cut my visit short when he gave me
, a searching look and exclaimed:
'Why, you are not John Wake
+ field at all ~
;'Then who am II" I asked, with
: a 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
in my speech, walk OF look warned
him that I was a counterfeit.
laughed at him in good nature(l
= way IOpCt NOlt1tA IlItt ll11A Ill q
better humor when l called again
! and started for my regiment, but
? had not gone q quarter of a mile
when was overtaken, put under ar,
rest and an hour later was once
!. more in the presence Of General Nit
hone.
! itin sure that the general had
doubted me from the first. Indeed
q after the war he told me as much
!, and added that lie was not quite sat
!. jsfied even when my captain sc
thoroughly identified me. l was
;. followed to his tent by Winslow
O. who boldly proclaimed that was
:. not John Wakefield
!, Then all the officers and half {
= dozen men OF the company, includ
ing my terminate, were sent for, ant
!, the general heartily entered upon
!. the work of trapping NE. My lif
# was the stake being played for, and
10 though l was terribly anxious as t.
"a The outcome, as you may believe,
;. believe | displayed all the coolnes