The Ravalli Republican., 1898-04-06
A SOLDIERS s DOUBLE.
By CHARLES +. LEWIS.

About 80 days before Grant broke
through Lees lines at Petersburg
and the beginning Of the end came a
portion of my regiment captured
seven Confederatcs and brought
them into camp. My own company
Was part of tie Federal force, but
as l was on detached duty that week
T wase hot with them. Tho first |
knew Of the capture was when l
heard the story that I had deserted
to the Confeuerates and been recap
turcd and would be shot.
visited company headquarters to
ascertain what the talk meant and
there met with q strange reception.
Twas there, wearing a blue uniform,
and yet I was in the guardhouse half
mile away wearing the butternut,
I had been on duty at division head
quarters, and yet had been cap
tured on the advance lines. | was
at once placed under arrest, and it
was an hour OF more before the
mystery WAS solved.
Then it was found that one of the
Confederate prisoners was my doU-
BILE. AS the case excited a good deal
Of comment at the time | will give
you the full particulars. My double
was a member Of an Alabama regi-
ment. When placed side by side,
we were twin brothers. Each of US
was 20 years old; each 5 feet inch
es high; each weighed 1877 pounds.
Our eyes and hair were Of the same
color. Even our voices were the
same, except that he spoke with
more Of a tlrav]. The name Of the
young man was John Wakefield,
and we were born 1000 miles apart
and were in no way related.
We were as much astonished as
the officers and surgeons who were
called in to gaze at us. No twin
brothers ever bore a closer resem-
blunce, and they declared that even
our gait was the same
I had not yet recovered from my
astonishment when the suggestion
was ma(o that 90 into the Con-
federate camp as q spy OH the
strength Of the wonderful resem
blance. WAS given three days in
;%;'tniich to pump Wakefield, He did
not know my object, or I should
credit him with having told me less,
although he was tired Of the war
and rather glad he had been cap
tured:
t FIST got lis family history com
pletc, then the town from whign he
hailed, the names Of many people
and the situat1c.., Of streets and pub
lie buil,.lngs, thcn the names Of his
officers and comrades and incidents
OF campaigning. Having nothing
else to do, and my aim being to &C,
guire Information, | got from him
almost every incident Of his life il
those three days and nights.
) AS my lie would depend upon ny
being thoroughly posted, we can
vassed the most trivial incidents 0
his life at home and as a soldier. H
was /; ready talker and had Il Soo'
memory, and of course these thing
helped me wonderfully. When
was quite ready, | took his suit 0
clothes complete, and he was give
another.
:, Then l was taken down to tn
front and made Il bolt for it. |
other words, one OF the Confederat
prisoners escaped and dashed acros
the space which separated the OF
posing lines. Not half a dozen me
We're let into the secret, and us I'll
was fired upon by half aregimen
They had promised me different,
and I still cherish bitter feeli11
against the officer who had char&
of affairs and obliged me to run sue
risk. The bullots Whizzed owe
head and tore up the earth at IN
feet, and it was nothing short of
miracle that I escaped oeing hit.
/ uan at full speed straight for Il
Confederate lines. and, on Gashill
over breastWork, found myself
the midst of a Louisiana brigade {
infantry. A colonel questioned II:
as to my name: regiment. when cal