Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1898-01-01

did not expect to find and could not tell
to which army they belonged. At last
after daylight he saw some roaming
cavalry dressed in blue and walked bold
ly up to them They proved to be- a
scouting party Of the Eighth Illinois
Rian puzzled the generals and detect
ives with whom he came in contact
He seemed to know the names Of all Of
Jackson s commanders and the extent
Of their forces. However, be thought
that Johnston commanded the Confed-
crate army opposed to Mcclellan, and
not Lee He insisted that he had heard
this discussed by the Confederates, and
Johnston's name was used. His knowl-
edge Of local geography was marvellous
for northern boy, but he said that
soon after joining tho First Maryland
regiment he was called upon to scout
and, taking liking to it, he had pro-
cured map and studied the country.
He had some knowledge Of tactics
which he said was due to his glancing
over books devoted to that subject. He
claimed that it had always been habit
TO note down everything which i'm
pressed him and to frequently look over
the notes and refresh his mind. Then
he tore up the memoranda.
But when cross examined as to his
service in the northern army and his
life in the north Rian' story was very
weak He said he thought the colonel
Of his regiment was named Kelly, but
that he was not sure Of it or that his
company really belonged to the First
Maryland. The company when in the
field was constantly scouting and never
drilled with the regiment. His brigade
commander, he said, was German
whose name he could not remember, a
safe guess for Federal commanders in
the Shenandoah valley at that time.
With knowledge Of the country and
Of military affairs far beyond his years
Rian was look ID upon as a remarkable
boy, and but for the fact that upon his
very heels jackson came, and, with Lee,
attacked in tho very vicinity where
Rian was picked up, his career would
have long puzzled the army wiseacres
As it stood they classed him as a Con-
federate scouting about for information
for his side and prepared with trump
cd up story to mislead the Federal gem
erals if caught III the act; if not that,
then spy sent into Porter's lines on
purpose to deceive But this last was a
task for an older and cleyerer head
than his.
Upon the point of his life before en-
tering the army the boys story was so
weak as to lead to the belief that that
portion had not been carefully rehearsed.
His fathers family, according to his
account, had been roamers, never stop
ping long at any point. He had lived
with relatives in various places and
while he claimed to have hosts of them
north and south he couldn't name one,
excepting the Brewsters, in st. Mary s
parish, near New Orleans. He had let
tiers at home from many relatives, but
their names had escaped him. OF two
intimate young men acquaintance in
Baltimore he could recall but one by
name. When before General Porter,
who was well acquainted in Baltimore,
he could not name single street nor
prominent building. Unabashed at his
want of knowledge, he adhered to his
story and said dramatically to his in
quisitors, 81 am as good Union sol
der as ever shouldered musket, In
spite of the vigorous protest the secret
service chief placed him in close confine-
ment as spy to await further develop
ments. When these came in the shape
of Jackson's columns marching down
upon Porter's flank by way of Ashland,
where the boy was found, he was look.
ed upon as a deserter from Jackson S
army and as such passed unnamed into
history That would have made him
out an irresponsible talebearer But his
custodians believed that he was more
than that. From the moment of his ar
rest he was anxious to have personal
interview with General Mcclellan.
Pinkerton declared that the boy was
exceptionally shrewd and we'll educated
and knew too much about affairs inside