The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1898-03-29
TON MARSHALL'S CAPTURE ,
One Of this Adventures Of Col. Baker in
the Civil War.
sesesseeeeeeee@eeeesee

Washington, learning the art of war, a
confederate scout by the name of Mar
shall, known famiiiarly as Tom Mar
shall, himself well know by his success
in penetrating the union lines, was COM
hitting depredations, and obtaining
| information of our movements for the
use of the south. His exploits in this
capacity were of the most audacious
character, and every effort that had been
made toward his capture had signally
failed. Various ingenious plans had
been laid to circumyent him, but he had
baffisd all such attempts by his own
cunning and courage. lie would very
frequently come into the heart of Wash
ington in open daylight, leave some in
dubitable evidence of his presence, and
escape just in time to DO so with safety;
having, in some mysterious manner,
gone back and forth through our lines
and so disguised himself that his iden-
tity had not for a moment been sus-
pected.
| Col. Baker, who had heard much of
the doings of this scout, was one day
listening to recital of one of his fear
less adventures of the day before in en-
tering Washington.
When the story was told Col. Baker
said:
IF Tom Marshall can get into Wash
| ington and go back to Berk's Statiosl.I
can go to Berk's Station and bring Tom
Marshall with me to Washington"
Col. Baker got upon his horse and
rode down in Virginia. The army ex-
tended across Balls Cross Reads, and
some distance down the Leesburg rail-
road. Gen. Dlenker's forces were at
the outskirts doing picket duty. Berk's
Station was IL miles from Alexandria,
and it was from this place that Marshall
was known most frequently to come.
! His house was only short distance out
into the confederate country. The
southerners were running the cars as
! far as Berk's Station, and had q te,e-
graph Office there in the depot. Col.
Baker passed On horseback through
federal pickets with no very great diff
ficulty, and rode on to grove Of pines
within about two miles of Bcrl's Sta
ton, and between the pickets Of the
two armies. He then put on confed-
crate jacket and siouched hat which
partly concealed his face. He was eff
lfectually disguised, and had the general
appearance of a confederate soldier.
lie tied his horse TO a tree in dense
forest OF pines, and walked deliberately
into the village. He strolled leisurely
into the railroad depot and listened to
the conversation of the people around
about. There were about 1890 south
ern troops in the vicinity, and numbers
of these were lounging about the Place.
The colonel entered into conversation
with one of the confederates, who said
his name was 10, and went with the sol
der upstairs to the telegraph office,
which was in the second story of the
building. The room was full of southern
officers and soldiers, and the colonel
was not noticed except as one of them.
lie had been there about half an hour,
when, happening to be near the tele-
graph apparatus, which was in one cor
ner of the room, he heard the operator
call out:
Where is Capt. Ritchie?"
The captain came forward, and the
operator handed him a dispatch. He
called the attention of the soldiers pres
ent while he read it to them. They
pressed forward to hear it-Col. Baker
among the rest. 1t was dispatch from
the provost marshal at Manassas, stat
ing that information had been received
that a northern spy had passed through
the lines and was supposed to ee at or
near Berk's Station. a full, though not
very accurate description of Col. Baker
was given, and every effort was urged
for his capture.
Wen get Tom Marshall out" said
one of the soldiers, "and he can find
the Yankee if anybody can"
Col. Baker took his cue from this.
He caught 10 by the shoulder and
looked as though he thought of some
thing important.
I'll bet anything" said he, shat I
know where that fellow is. AS l was
out near the line l saw a man sneaking
among the pines who answers this de-.
scription. l didn't think anything of it
NJ the time, but now l call it to mind,
that must be the very spy they are
watching fer"
Let's go after him, said 10.
"Ee must be pretty well armed" said
Col. Baker. suppose we. get Tom Mar
shall to go along with u.s."
That's JUST the ida-a," saidJo.
Col. Baker went part OF the way to
Marshali's house and sent 10 on to call
him out. Marshall was at home, and
had heard from some soldiers who had
just stopped at his house that search
was being made for a spy. When 10
told him that there was man outside
who had seen the Yankee his spirit Of
adventure took possession of him, and
buckiing en- the belt containing his six
shooter he came out and met Col.
Baker.
The latter greeted him as though he
knew him, and gave him minute pariic-
ulars of where he had seen the supected
person he had mentioned to 10, and ex-
planned wherein the description coin
cided. He was careful to color the de
scription little differently from that
which was read at the station, lest Mar