The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-11-17

| ingtOn. engaged as nurse to the soldiers,
and later performed valuable secret work
! for the Government. She was with the
| Army of the Potomac on many battletieldS.
Her story may be begun with this issue,
without loss of interest in the succeeding
chapters. This instalment tells of the
period Just after the battle of Fair Oaks.
I cannot better describe the state of
affairs after the battle of Fair Oaks than
by giving the following dispatch from Nc
Clellan, dated June Z:
"1n reply to your dispatch of p. m.
| to day / have the honor to sta tie that the
Chickahominy River has risen so as to
flood the entire bottoms to the depth OF
three or four feet. | am pushing forward
the bridges in spite of this, and the men
are working night and day, up to their
waists in water, to complete them. The
whole face of the country is a perfect bog,
| entirely impossible for artillery, or even
| cavalry, except directly in the narrow
roads. which renders any general move
ment, either of this or the rebel army,
entirely out Of the question until we have
more favorable weather. i am glad to
| learn that you are pressing forward rem
| forcementS so vigorously. l shall be IN
| perfect readiness to move forward and take
| Richmond the moment Mccall reaches
here and the ground will admit the pass
age of artillery. | have advanced my
pickets about mile to-day, driving oil
| the rebel picketS, and securing very
advantageous position. The rebels nave
| several batteries established, command
| ing the debouches from two of our bridges,
and fire upon our working parties con-
| tinually: but as yet they have killed but
| few OF Our men.
Again, June 10, he says:
Il am completely checked by the wealth
| err The roads and fields are literally I'M
passablea for artiIlery-almost so for in
| fantry The Chickahominy is in a dread
| full state. We have another rain-stornl
on our hands. / wish to be distinctly
understood that whenever the weather
permits will attack with whatever force
| may have although larger force would
enable me to gain much more decisive re-
suits. | would be glad to have McCalPs
| infantry sent forward by water at once,
without waiting for his artillery and cay
airy"
The next day the Secretary of War re-
Piled
your dispatch of 800 p. m. yesterday
has been received. | am fully impressed
with the difficulties mentioned. and winch
no art or skill can avoid, but only endure.
| Be assured General, that there never mas
| been a moment when my desire has been
otherwise than to aid you with my whole
heart mind and strength since the hour
| we first met: and whatever others may
| say for their own purposes, you never
| have had and never can have, anyone
more truly your friend, or more anxious to
support YOU. or more joyful than | shall
be at the success which have no doubt
will soon be achieved by your arms"
The above dispatch has the appearance
of the genuine article, but am inclined
to think it a clever counterfeit. Whiie
McClelian's requests were cheerfully com
iaI xxyit IN ia as
cerned. little was done to strengthen his
weakened forces in view Of the coming
struggle with an overwhelming force IN
front, and the flooded Chickahominy in
the rear By unreliable promises he was
filled with delusive hopes, and led on to
more certain destruction-to disaster and
failure, at least.
While preparations were going on for the
great battle in front of Richmond L OBJ
tanned leave of absence for a week, and
recruited my shattered health, lame side,
and arm i visited Williamsburg hospit
ais. both Union and rebel, and found
many things amusing and interesting.
After leaving Williamsburg / kept on
down the Peninsula until came to York
town. After visiting the hospitals there
| then went to the old camp where had
spent so many weeks.
From Yorktown ! went to the White |
House Landing, where everything looked |
neat orderly, peaceful, and happy as a |
quiet little country village.
After spending a day there, and begir-
ming To feel tired Of idieness, | made up |
my mind To return to camp again. SO, |
going 10 Col. ingalls,, / procured trans |
portation for myself and horse, and, step |
ping aboard of provision train destined |
for Fair Oaks Station, | anticipated a |
pleasant ride; but as usual, was blessed |
with quite a little adventure before /
reached my destination.
The train started, and, after steaming |
over the road for some time at its usual |
rate had reached the vicinity OF Tun- |
stalls Station, when we heard the down
train whistle, and Immediately after a |
sharp voley Of muSketry was fired in the |
same direction. The engineer switched |
off the track. and awaited the other train /
1t came numbering on, as If the engineer |
was possessed by the sauve qui peut |
spirit, and as il passed, the widest con- /
fusion was visible on board, and the |
groans Of the wounded could be heard |
above the screaming OF the engine. On il |
went, like streak Of lightning, signaling |
for our train to follow.
There was no time to be lost; our train |
was Immediately in hot pursuit Of the |
other, and both were soon at the White |
House. Among those / saw taken from |
the cars, wounded, was the spy whom
had met in the rebel camp in front of |
Yorktown, and heard haranguing his fell |
low countrymen upon the important Serv- |
ice he hal rendered the Confederate Gov
eminent, and cOnfessing himself to be the |
cause Of Lieut.. VS. death.
sTUARTs RAID.
Everything was thrown into wild con-
fusion by the arrival of the trains and the |
news Of the attack. The troops at the |
White House were Immediately called out |
under arms to protect the depot. All this |
excitement had been produced by a |
detachment of Stuart'S cavalry consist /
ing Of about 500 men, and which result |
ed in the slight disaster to the train, the |
burning Of two schoOners laden with for
age, and II Government wagons, the de-
Struction OF some suffers stores: the kill |
ing OF several of the guard and teamsters.
some damage done to Tunstall'S Station
and the tearing up OF a portion of the rail-I
road. There was but little damage done
to the train, considering that there were
800 passengers.
Some military officers of high rank
were on board, who would have been a
rich prize for the rebels If they had sue
ceeded in capturing the train but it had |
eluded their grasp by the admiraLla con-
duct and presence Of mind of the encin =
Ger, who crowded on all possible steam
and escaped with his freight of human |
life with only a loss of ii in killed and
wounded.
AS soon as the wounded were taken
care Of visited the Provost Marshal. and
made known the fact that there was
among the wounded "A rebel spy who re- |
CURED immediate attention. He sent a |
guard with me- who searched his person
and found satisfactory proof that my |
statement was correct. He was ONLY |