Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-01-23
mrs. STILES WAS UNION SPY
HER HUSBAND SHOT ~ REBELS IN
FEDERAL UNIFORM.
Summoned by Lincoln to Warrington
From Her Home I'm kansas, She
Rendered Valuable ervice
to the Union Cause.

Woman's Relief Corps home. in Madison,
O.. lies Elizabeth w. Stiles. aged 81 years.
who recently submitted to a very severe
operation from which the attending physt-
clan gave no hope that she would recover.
yet there Is every indication that the won
derful powers Of endurance which have
served her well in former years will bring
the old lady through her present hardships.
says the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Mrs. Stiles is swset-tempered. always
cheerful. yet unassuming and modest. and
one who does not know her would never
suspect that she had a sad history that
perhaps not another woman In this coun-
try can boast. The vicissitudes of this
woman's life nave been many and of quite
an unusual nature, and she never tires OF
relating experiences which fell to her lot
during the war OF the COS.
She was born in Ashtabula., IN a thlckly
settled portion Of the township. and her
girlhood was uneventful. At the age OF
s years she took her first lesson In the use
OF a gun. and very early learned TO handle
right at home on horseback. and these
accomplishments served her well IN AFTER
years.
Tho girl, as she learned young woman
hood. became an adept in the art of max
Ing cheese. and settlers used to come from
miles around nnH to be- taSght sI nsr 5a as hisb
as S. a day. While still In her teens Miss
Brown become very successful as a nurse.
uIlu ueT careful anu ucNoieu "eS
q boon in many a sick room.
Her Early Life.
When 81 years old the young woman
ing until 1916. when she married Jacob
Stiles. and thirteen years subsequent they
took up their residence in Shawneetown.
Kas., where they made for themselves a
nice. comfortable home and accumulated
a little nestegs for future prosperity.
Here Mrs. Stiles realized her nrSt SOr-
row by the death Of her husband. who was
s she b dow = bs at HI his .r own gate S,n in had 4ft S4aT.
ged him from his bed to murder him be-
fore her eyes. because he had sworn al
t lesiap pSscs to af ths m eaanH Sf th The u rebsia e an,s
dressed In the blue garb of Union soldiers.
100 In the band; directed by the famous Nous
Stiles had not yet retired. and being de-
ceived by the color Of the uniforms she
very readily admitted the men. who com.
the house. As the mans body sank to the
ground with many bullet holes in It,. one
Of the assassins leveled q revolver at Mrs.
porch; as he was about to shoot. Quantrell
stopped him with a threat to shoot him If
he fired at the woman. Mrs: Stiles was
that time was not further molested, but
thereafter she was subjected to so many
m the cause Of ae'i ths N StSm ' thas sRe fsnal iS
decided that longer residence there would
be unsafe. and went to Fort L~eavenworth
with her adopted children, under escort
Of a band of soldiers.
Detective Work for Uncle Sam.
The cause of this unusual persecution
was that 1t was known that Mrs. Stiles
had done some detective work for Uncle
SAM" but how extensive her work in that
line had been was not even surmised. Her
antipathy for the secessionists was greatly
increased by the murder of her husband.
| and qha vowed IN Aav0fa her life 10 re-
venge. Having been on several little ex-
petitions for the good Of the Union cause.
she became known by army
leaders who had learned that the woman
was a trusty ally, and had sent her name
to headquarters. She had beer at the fort
but a short time when she received a letter
from General Lane. asking her to come 10
Washington. This letter was also signed
by Abraham Lincoln.
pany of about seventy-tive were preparing
for an early start for the capital. and Mrs.
Stiles accompanied them. Upon presenting
that her future services were desired as a
spy. and she accepted the proposition
dren. whom she took back to Washington.
She placed two children in school in Wash
ington. and. taking the other child. a girl
of u. with her, she reported ready for serv-
ice. and was on almost constant duty there
after until the close of the rebellion. dur
ing which time she did good work in nine
teen different states and Canada. the
daughter Clara accompanying her on most
Of her expeditions of peril
times, and her ccolness on such occasions
and tact and ability for meeting necessary
requirements on all occasions proved the
secret of her success as a spy.
She likes to tell how she .'hoodwinked'
a rebel general on one occasion. when she
was arrested and charged with being a
horse was taken from her. and she was
escorted to General Price for examination.
so we'll posted sst d'" was she on .4N the s General
state of affairs that she succeeded in making
the general believe that she was a rebel
spy, and she not only went free. but was
given a better horse and firearms. and sent
on her way.
After the War.
One dark night, when Mrs. Stiles and her
daughter were on a long ride on the Kan
sas-Missouri border. the daughter fell
CURRENCY. and didn't Know when a sentry
grasped the bride of her mothers horse
and attempted to arrest her. The girl was
was soon beside her. but there was a
vacancy in the picket line.
In the incidents of her travels it not
infrequently became. necessary for her to
dress the wounds of some unlucky blue
coat" and even amputations Of minor ma
e emrs have fallen Tsa to ou her lot %,n II :, cases se, Of .
all dimmed by her four-score years. and
her recollection of names and dates is
| SOHetnlnS remaTKaDle.
After the close of the war she took up
her residence in .Vernango county. Pa,
where she continued to make her
home until within the past two years.
when she entered the w. r. G; home.
Mrs. Stiles never bore any children. but
she was passionately fond of little ones
in her younger years. and whenever she
child she would always do so. and she has
a record of thirty children who have grown
up as her own. The girl Clara. who shared
the hardshipS and privationS of many a
perilous trip. is still living. and resides in
Ashtabula.
Mrs. Stiles was never wounded, and
could never be induced to ask for a PEN
sion until a few weeks ago, when she
made application to the government for
redress for the amount of her loss when
she was Obliged to sacrifice everything she
possessed in Shawneetown. Within two
years this lady has dictated Incidents Of her
life. and has manuscript that will make a
big book. and a highly interesting one, if
1t is ever published.
FAITHFUL LOVE FOR al YEARS.